So Apple's big iPhone 5 event came and went with no mention made of NFC, or near-field communications. Competing devices like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and other Android phones, as well as the upcoming Nokia Lumia 920 and previous Windows Phones, have NFC, and use them (or will use them) for things like mobile transactions (like some credit cards do today), automatic check-ins and logins, beaming data between devices, and more.

Apple doesn't believe NFC is the solution to any current problem. They already handle in-store transactions with the Apple Store app, they'll be handling a wide-range of code-scannable cards with Passbook in iOS 6, and they have other technologies like low-power, fast pairing Bluetooth 4.0 that overlaps some of what NFC does anyway. So whether or not NFC hardware is actually in the iPhone 5, there's no NFC currently being used.

Apple wasn't first or fast to adopt 3G or GPS, they weren't first or fast to adopt LTE. Or third-party multitasking. Or copy and paste! It's possible Apple is waiting for NFC to get better established before they include it in an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6. It's also possible that, like BluRay, Apple considers NFC a bag of hurt and won't be going anywhere near it, ever.

So what do you think? Was Apple wrong not to include NFC in the iPhone 5? If so, is the lack of NFC in the iPhone 5 a major deal-breaker or just a minor annoyance? If you agree with Apple, do you think the iPhone 5 is just to early, or do you think Apple will never use it? Could you care less either way?

You know the drill! Vote up top and leave me a comment below saying why you voted the way you did!

The popular iPad sketching app Paper by fiftythree has been updated with some really great features including faster ink, edge-to-edge drawing, new gestures, an improved Rewind feature, and more. Paper focuses on being able to bring focus to their users and providing a natural creative experience. This upgrade makes that experience even better.

One of the new gestures is called Move. You can grab any page or journal with a simple press and hold and use multi-touch to open, close, and swipe, making it very fast to get around. You can also press and hold the "+" button to make duplicates of your favorite pages and journals allowing you to turn them into templates for layouts, wireframes, storyboards, and more.

When it comes to actual drawing, Paper has received a speed boost and boasts of three times faster ink. This is extremely important to artists because drawing with Paper needs to be as close to the real thing as possible in order to be desirable. With these improvements, drawing is more responsive and precise than ever. In addition to the faster ink, the drawing experience has improved by allow full screen edge-to-edge drawing and if you reach the end of your journal, simply swipe from the edge to add another page.

One of the most criticized feature of Paper by fiftythree was it's unique Rewind feature. The rewind feature works as a undo tool that lets you jump back to an earlier version of your creation and spinning the other way would work as a fast forward. Although unique and interesting, Rewind felt like a 1.0 product and was a bit hard to control. With Paper's recent update, Rewind has been more refined and as a more intuitive feel -- the faster you go the more you rewind.

Lastly, Paper by fiftythree now allows users to customize your sharing settings. For example, you can create you own default Tumblr captions and tags.

Paper users, what do you think of this update? Does the faster ink and better rewind make the already great experience even better?

Free - Download Now

Here's the deal -- you follow iMore on your favorite social networks, and we give you awesome accessory prizes... EVERY MONTH!

We know our loyal readers already visit iMore.com daily, subscribe to our RSS feeds and get the iMore Podcast on iTunes, but we wanted to do something a little extra to reward our loyal fans and grow our audience in some of the off-iMore social networking and content sharing sites that iPhone owners hang out and visit.

It's easy! All you have to do is follow iMore on Youtube, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook and as a thank you for doing so we're going to pick a lucky winner each month from among our iMore followers / subscribers / fans on each of these sites to win some great iPhone prizes! That's four winners each month - one picked at random from each site. All you need to do is click the links below to follow us on each site, and just keep following us! We'll pick our four winners on the last day of each month and announce them around the first day of the new month along with the prizes to be won for the new month. You can subscribe to all of Youtube, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook to maximize your chances of winning.

This month we want to help you stay charged so you never miss a beat! See the list below for links to the sites and the prize you could win on each one.

• On Youtube - You could win Seidio SURFACE Plus Case!
• On Twitter - You could win a mophie Juice Pack Plus!
• On Google+ - You could win a mophie Juice Pack Air!
• On Facebook - You could win a Seidio Charging Vault Kit!

And don't forget to follow our sensational staff -- they often have extra accessories and apps so you never know when they'll surprise you with something special -- @imore, @reneritchie, @GeorgiaTiPb, @llofte, @iMuggle, @chrisoldroyd, @bla1ze, @phishgirl3!

Facebook Bonus Entry!

Looking to win a bonus entry on Facebook for an extra shot at that Seidio Charging Vault Kit? It's your lucky week! After you Like iMore just share this post on your timeline and you've got yourself a second entry! See, we told you it'd be easy.

Follow iMore and Win rules and regulations

There's a sentiment -- part genuine, part manufactured -- running through the technology community that, following the iPhone 5 event, Apple has become boring. That the iPhone looks pretty much the same this year as it did last. Of course, this meme is unburied, reanimated, and set to lurch following every new device announcement. Apple leaves themselves open to it because, for the last 3 releases, they've been iterating on essentially the same hardware design. They're not rolling dice. They're not spinning chaos. They're relentlessly working towards something they've had in mind since 2005. Something inevitable. Something unmolested by the whims, vagaries, and expectations of kitsch and trendiness.

In that regard, Apple is boring.

Especially when compared to how much Nokia has changed their design every year, from the N9 to the Lumia 900 and Lumia 920.

Samsung from the Galaxy S to Galaxy S II and Galaxy S III.

HTC from the EVO 4G and Thunderbolt to the One X.

And, of course, Lamborghini's from the Murciélago to Gallardo and Aventador.

As Phil Nickinson said on the Android Central podcast last night, that's the easy story. It's the first ten words. And maybe that's why even I'm bored now?

While some might consider the the latest, greatest 2012 iPhone 5 a no brainer when it comes to their next purchasing decision, Apple keeps the 2011 iPhone 4S and the 2010 iPhone 4 around for a reason. For some people, up-front price really does matter. However, over the lifetime of a typical contract, you'll be paying a couple thousand dollars, so it's important to really run the math on this and see what suits you best.

2012 iPhone product line

For the last few years, when Apple's introduced a new iPhone, they've kept previous years' iPhone models around at a reduced storage size and price point.

iPhone 4: $0 on contract, $450 unlocked

2010's iPhone 4 with 8GB of storage is Apple's zero cost, on-contract iPhone option. Externally, it's almost identical to the iPhone 4S, so much so that almost no one will be able to tell which one you have at a glance. It has the same Retina display and front-facing FaceTime camera for video calls, along with a snappy Apple A4 processor and a good quality, 5 megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p HD video. It also runs almost everything iOS 6 has to offer.

What iPhone 4 doesn't have is the 4x faster, 14x more graphically powerful Apple A6 processor of the iPhone 5, the great 8 megapixel, 1080p camera, or the artificially intelligent Siri voice control system of its newer, better brothers. Also, 8GB of storage may not get you very far with a device this good at gaming, media, photos, and video.

If you literally have no money in your pocket walking in and really want an iPhone, if you're shopping for a teen and don't want to risk a higher end phone, if you're brand new and just dipping your toes into the smartphone market and don't want to dip too deeply, iPhone 4 can be a good starter smartphone.

• iPhone 4 review

iPhone 4S: $99 on contract, $549 unlocked

2011's iPhone 4S has everything the previous generation has to offer only more. The new Apple A5 processor gives it 2x the speed and 7x the graphics power of the iPhone 4... but still only half that of the new iPhone 5 Apple A6. The camera gives it 8 megapixel photos with more light sensitivity and better sharpness, and 1080p video, but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the iPhone 5's glass. Likewise it has a FaceTime camera in front rather than FaceTime HD. It does have Siri, Apple's virtual personal assistant and and will run iOS 6 fantastically well. The screen is smaller than the iPhone 5, however, at 960x640 and 2:3 instead of 1136x640 and 16:9. It also doesn't have super fast LTE networking, and the back is completely glass rather than aluminium like it's big brother.

You get 16GB of storage, so it's not as anemic as the iPhone 4. But you don't get options for 32GB or 64GB like you do with the iPhone 5.

If you absolutely can't scrape together the $199 needed for an iPhone, but want something better than the iPhone 4, this is your middle ground. With the new software update, it's still a great iPhone. It's just not the best iPhone any more.

• iPhone 4S review

iPhone 5: $199, $299, $399 on contract, ~$699, $799, $899 unlocked (availability varies by region)

The iPhone 5 is the newest, baddest iPhone on the planet. It has a new, bigger, 4-inch, 1136x640, 16:9, in-cell Retina display and a blazing fast LTE/DC-HSPA radio. It also has a unibody design with a metal back plate, 3 microphones, an improved camera, and the newer, smaller, Lightning Dock connector. It's also roughly 20% lighter and thinner than the iPhone 4S, which really needs to be felt to be appreciated. Apple offers iPhone 5 at three price points depending on the amount of storage:

• 16GB - $199
• 32GB - $299
• 64GB - $399

If you know you want a top of the line iPhone, with every feature and function Apple provides, then you want an iPhone 5.

• iPhone 5 preview

Up-front savings vs. total cost of contract

Before you make up your mind, it's important to remember that while the iPhone 4 is free and the 64GB iPhone 5 is $399 on contract, all of those prices require a 2 year contract in the US (other countries may have longer or shorter contract terms).

When you combine voice and data plans, text and other packages, the total cost could easily work out to $2000 or more over those 2 years.

$100 or even $399 isn't as big an amount when you consider the 24 month carrier commitment and total cost of ownership of your phone. They are, however, huge amounts when you consider paying the current months rent.

I'm not going to lie to you. The better iPhone is better. But this year even the free iPhone still has fantastic hardware, is available on AT&T and GSM carriers around the world as well as Verizon and Sprint in the U.S., runs pretty much every iPhone app in the App Store, and will more than see to anyone's needs for the year to come. For just $99 more, an iPhone 4S will give you all that, only better, and throw in Siri.

If you can afford an iPhone 5, get an iPhone 5. If not, get the best iPhone you can afford and be 100% happy with your purchase.

iPhone 5 buyers guide

If you've been watching the European Union at all over the past two years or so, you may have noticed way back in December 2010 when CENELEC (the European Committee for Elecrotechnical Standardization) and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) both declared their intentions for Micro USB to be standardized charging connector for mobile devices sold in the bounds of the EU. By and large most manufacturers have abided by that, though they've more gone for Micro USB out of convenience's sake. Save on consistent and obvious hold-out: Apple and their 30-pin connector.

Now that the 30-pin connector has gone the way of the dodo, the new 8-pin Lightning connector is going to be the standard for Apple mobile devices for several years. For reference's sake, the 30-pin connector had a long life of nine years.

But what of CENELEC, ETSI, and other acronyms? Apple in Europe has a typically Apple-for-Europe solution: a Lightning-to-Micro USB adapter. It's certainly the smaller of the Lightning adapters made available, and it merely has the male end of the Lightning connector on one end, ready to plug into your iPhone 5, new iPod Touch, or new iPod Nano, and a female Micro USB port on the other, ready to accept your Micro USB cable for your charging and syncing needs.

As the owner of multiple devices, it's the kind of thing I wish Apple would sell world-wide. Practically everything else I own charges off of Micro USB, and the drawers of my house are littered with compatible cables and chargers. The little £15.00 adapter might be a tad on the expensive side, but I'd rather throw that in my go bag over yet another cable. Alas, the Micro USB adapter appears to be a Europe-only offering, there exclusively to satisfy the "must have a Micro USB port or an available adapter" demands of Europe's standards agencies.

Today Only: Buy the BodyGuardz mykase for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 and save $13.95!

The BodyGuardz mykase is a stylish protection solution for your iPhone that allows you to change the look of your device quickly and efficiently. Using mykase's system of interchangeable plates, you can mix and match styles on the fly, or even print your own image on the back plate for a true one-of-a-kind creation. The hard shell border helps protect your iPhone from impacts and leaves access to all ports and buttons. Comes in black and white.

List Price: $29.95    Today Only: $16.00

Learn More and Buy Now

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The iPhone 5 went on pre-order earlier this morning and if you are looking to grab one direct from Apple, it is already too late. The shipping date for every model of the iPhone 5 be it Black or White, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB is now showing as two weeks in the United States. Previously if you pre-ordered the iPhone 5 delivery was guaranteed for Friday September 21.

It appears to be a very similar story around Europe too, the UK is now showing shipping dates as 2-3 weeks for the Black 32GB and 64GB models and two weeks for every other model. The sellout appears to have started just an hour after the iPhone 5 went on sale this morning. Carriers like AT&T, Sprint and Verizon do have some pre-order stock still available although we expect that to be gone pretty soon too.

Source: Apple Store

Pre-orders are now open at EE UK for the iPhone 5 and as well as giving you the ability to get your order in quick I am pleased to say they have some new data packages to cope with the ever evolving cloud options that us smartphone users now get. Users will also have the option to switch over to the 4G service once it goes live here in the UK. As you would imagine prices of Apples new iPhone are pretty steep but EE have some nice options depending on which model and which data allowance you will require. The following information I have acquired from the Orange website, however T-Mobile do have some slight alternatives.

On Orange the phone will be available on four tariffs all with unlimited texts and calls. The 16GB version of the device will be free on the £46 and £51 per month plans for 3GB and unlimited internet respectively, with an up-front cost for the phone of £109.99 on the cheapest available plan – £36 with 1GB of data. Prices for the 32GB and 64GB range from £39.99 to £269.99. The cheapest plan available on T-Mobile costs £36 per month for unlimited data, texts and 2,000 minutes with the an up-front cost of £109 for the 16GB version, £219 for the 32GB version and £269 for the 64GB handset. Full Monty plans are also available at £41, £46 and £61 per month with the most expensive plan charging £19 for the 16GB handset, £29 for the mid-range and £139 for the 64GB iPhone 5. So many options but that is a good thing in my book. Roll on release day!

Source: EE via mobilenewscwp

iPhone 5 pre-orders have begun! Well, sort of. The Apple Online Store isn't working for everyone, some carrier sites are flakier than others, and in general would-be purchasers might be in for a long night.

If Apple.com fails for you, try the Apple Store app for iPhone. If a carrier website fails... try the Apple Store app for iPhone.

If you're pre-ordering, let us know what you ordered, when Apple says it's arriving, how smoothly -- or not smoothly -- it went. If you're having trouble and want help, or just want to blow off some steam, jump into our iMore Forums pre-order pajama party!

The question is simple: what old phone are you ditching to get a new iPhone 5? Is it a previous generation iPhone like last year's iPhone 4S, or an even older iPhone like iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, or iPhone 3G?

Or is it an Android phone, like the Samsung Galaxy S3 or S2, or Galaxy Nexus or Nexus S? Or an HTC One X or Nexus One? Something from Motorola like the RAZR? Another Android phone entirely?

Maybe a Windows Phone like the Nokia Lumia 900 or Lumia 800? Or a different kind of Windows Phone? Something by BlackBerry perhaps, like Bold or Torch or Curve? A webOS device like the Pre?

Or could the iPhone 5 be your very first smartphone? Vote up top and give me the details on what you're switching from and why in the comments!

If you're not pre-ordering your iPhone 5 but instead want to engage in the age-old (since 2007 anyway) tradition of lining up outside your local Apple Retail Store, and enjoy all the pomp and circumstance (and screaming Apple Geniuses) that go with it, good news -- According to Apple.com those stores will open at 8am local time on launch day, September 21.

The Canadian Apple Online Store also lists the factory unlocked price starting at $699 for 16GB. (Which probably means $799 for 32GB and $899 for 64GB... Yeah.)

iMore reported the September 21 launch day back in July, and Apple made it official this week during their iPhone 5 event. First wave launch countries include US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK. The second wave will follow on September 28 and include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland..

So who's planning to line up for their iPhone 5?

• Win a free iPhone 5 from iMore!
• iPhone 5 buyers guide

Yesterday's iPhone 5 announcement brought a flurry of news, including the new reduced-size, reduced-pins, reduced-orientation-dependence Lightning connector. Lightning replaces the previous unbranded 30-pin connector, but in the process of losing a bunch of pins (down to 8), the port also lost a lot of possible functionality. At least out of the gate, that is.

Despite the lack of information on Apple's website, Apple has confirmed to  The Verge that the all-digital Lightning connector will eventually regain HDMI-out and VGA-out thanks to new adapters, though they won't be available until "the coming months", which as any webOS user can tell you can be an interminably long time. Apple's Lightning-to-30-pin adapter doesn't support video out, only working to transfer power, USB data, and analog and USB audio.

With eight pins, the Lightning connector's options are fewer. Power takes two pins, USB takes two more pins, and analog audio takes at least two pins as well. But there's something that we've speculated about since the first leaking of the smaller port, and that's software switching. While the power pins on Lightning are likely hardwired, it's not hard to imagine that the other six pins are of the switchable type and can adapt to whatever's plugged into them to provide the appropriate signal (which would require additional authentication chips in the receiving device). Why not put this in the regular 'ole 30-pin adapter? Two problems: it'd be complicated and thus more expensive, and the current 30-pin connector is pretty dumb as far as communication is concerned, so the adapter wouldn't necessarily know what to tell the Lightning port on the matter of how to configure its software-switchable pins.

HDMI and VGA adapters are coming for the iPhone 5 and its Lightning connector. You won't have to rely on AirPlay, an Apple TV, and a wireless network if you don't want to. Eventually.

Source: The Verge

This year, like the last few years, one of the biggest decisions you have to make about buying an iPhone 5 is which color will you get? Unlike the new iPod touches, the iPhones are still a two color affair -- black and white. But this year, they're also a two-tone affair, with a metal back plate breaking up the glass on the back. And for the black version, it's a blackout affair, which the aluminum anodized as dark as the glass.

Technically Apple is calling the iPhone 5 color options Black & Slate and White & Silver. So while you still have only two choices of iPhone color, with the iPhone 5 those choices are more extreme than ever before. So here's the story...

Is the White & Silver iPhone 5 more distracting?

TV sets are almost always black for a reason -- when you're watching a show or a movie, or playing a game, you want the TV set to disappear, so you can enjoy what you're doing without noticing a big colored rim around it.

The same goes for iPhone 5. Some people find having a white faceplate very distracting when they're watching videos or gaming, and others just don't like the contrast between the white border and the black screen when the device is off. It's very "panda".

Others aren't bothered by a white border at all and really like the two-tone look of the iPhone when its off. This year, however, you also have something else to consider. Until apps update for widescreen, they'll be letter-boxed or pillar-boxed on the iPhone 5, which means black bars. Those will almost disappear on a black iPhone 5. On a white iPhone 5, not so much...

I've had both a Black & Slate and a White & Silver iPhone 4 and have never been distracted nor irked by either one. If White & Silver catches your eye a little too much, however, you might want to stick with Black & Slate.

Will the White & Silver iPhone 5 discolor?

Rumor has it Apple delayed the launch of the white iPhone 4 in order to improve the UV protection and prevent discoloration. That's just a rumor, however. The white iPhone 4 has been on the market for over a year and a half now and there haven't been any widespread accounts of discoloration, and my own white iPhone 4 looks as white now as it did the day I bought it in 2011.

If you like White & Silver, so far the evidence says you'll be just fine.

Does the Black & Slate iPhone 5 look better?

Black is almost always the most popular color for electronics and electronics accessories. That's why it's so common. It's literally the hot little black number. So it's no wonder the Black & Slate iPhone 5 can't help but impress. That said, some people just love the look of a white phone, whether it's iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, or whatever. They sometimes get shipped in more limited quantities so, rightly or wrongly, there's a perceived air of exclusivity about them.

Whatever.

At the end of the day, you need to buy what you like. White & Silver tends to stand out more and can be more obvious with brightly colored cases. Is that something that appeals to you?

I loved the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in white. But the anodized Black & Slate this year really has my attention.

What about two-tone and anodized aluminum on the iPhone 5?

It would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to get glass and aluminum to blend together absolutely seamlessly on the back and sides of an iPhone 5, so Apple wisely isn't trying. They're going two tone. Namely Black & Slate and White & Silver.

Like the watch or race car trend, the Black & Slate is blacked out. White & Silver appears brighter and flashier. Think Darth Vader vs. Storm Trooper. Both mix texture and sheen to great effect. Both look hot.

Unless and until a significant flaw shows up in one or the other, you're fine with either.

So which iPhone 5 color should you get?

At the end of the day, the only real answer is get the color you like better. Everything else is manufactured anxiety at this point. Just close your eyes, picture your iPhone in your hand, and carefully look at what color you're picturing.

Then buy that.

iPhone 5 buyers guide

iPhone 5 pre-orders will begin tonight at 12:01 am Pacific Time (that's 3:01 am ET, 8:01 am BST). Sprint will star pre-orders at the same time, Verizon will start 1 minute earlier, and AT&T... hasn't said yet. Apple, for their part, has confirmed the time to Wired.

If you are going to brave the web tonight, make sure you join our waiting for iPhone 5 pajama party. We'll be hanging out with the staff and readers, having fun, and giving away cool accessory prizes to the people posting.

• Join our iPhone 5 pajama party now!

iOS-style Notes, Reminders, and banner notifications are now live... IN SPACE! Well, sort of. The web app versions are now out of beta and available to one and all via iCloud.com. Even though Notes, Reminders, and Notification Center are all available already on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac, it's nice to have iCloud.com as a backup option.

If, for some reason, you run out of power on your mobile device, or you're using someone else's computer, you can quickly log in, look up something in your notes, check your reminders, and if something important comes up, get alerted to it right in the browser.

The Notes, Reminders, and notification banner design and interfaces looks exactly like the iPad, You can create, read, write, and delete Notes and Reminders, and individually enable or disable notifications for Mail, Calendars, Reminders, and Find my iPhone.

All that said, I don't think I've used iCloud.com in a year or more. How about you?

Source: iCloud.com