Announced just last week, the new Apple iPhone 5 is officially on sale starting today!

The iPhone 5 can be yours starting today, as the highly anticipated new phone hits shelves all across the world.

Last week, Apple announced the iPhone 5 alongside new iPod nanos and iPod touches. It also announced the release of iOS 6 which hit devices beginning yesterday.

Click here to read about all the new features in iOS 6!

So what’s new with the iPhone 5? It turns out there’s not a show-stopping element to it as in previous iPhone releases from Apple. While it’s certainly an upgrade, it may leave some current iPhone users waiting for another release. Here are some of the highlights you can expect from the iPhone 5:

A slimmer design

While at first glance it may seem very similar to the iPhone 4 and 4S, the iPhone 5 is actually 18% thinner than the 4 or 4S and is 20% lighter! That’s a significant decrease in overall feel of the phone. It also removes the aluminum outlining antennae that caused controversy following the release of the iPhone 4.

4-inch Retina display

Until today every iPhone you could buy has had a 3.5-inch display. Now, the iPhone 5 has a 4″ display adding an extra row of icons to menu screens. All native apps have been updated to adjust to the new real estate of the beautiful high resolution screen.

Why Hypable readers will like it: Trailers, like the new one for The Hobbit, will be bigger so you can appreciate the filmmaker’s detail more.

LTE

The iPhone 5 is the first iPhone to come LTE compatible. This means in areas where LTE is available (check your service provider for details) you could potentially find 20Mbps downloads! That’s several times faster than even the average home WiFi system.

Why Hypable readers will like it: Your Netflix stream of Sherlock will start faster and look better.

A6 Chip

We’re getting into the nerdy part of the post now, but Apple has manufactured its own processing chip inside of the phone called the A6. While you might not care much about this because it’s not exactly bells and whistles, this chip helps make the iPhone super fast. How fast exactly? Twice as fast as the iPhone 4S. In early reviews of the iPhone 5, the quickness of the phone has been the hidden gem of all the new features. Think of it as the difference between walking and driving. One is going to get you there much faster!

Why Hypable readers will like it: Video games like LEGO: Harry Potter will boot faster and future games will have improved graphics.

EarPods

Apple has re-engineered its headphones to give you the absolute best possible sound. The company has even given them a fun new name: EarPods. These come standard with every iPhone 5, but you can also purchase them standalone. The EarPods that come with the iPhone 5 also include a handy traveling case so you don’t rip, tear, or run over them.

Why Hypable readers will like it: That new One Direction song is going to sound great on them.

Lightning connector

If you’ve always used the traditional 30-pin connector for your iPhone, iPods and iPads, it looks like Apple is moving on. The iPhone 5 will ship with a new 8-pin reversible connector known as Lightning that is much smaller than its predecessor. Part of the reason for the change was design: Apple couldn’t make a smaller, thinner iPhone without changing its previous 30-pin connector.

iOS 6

As mentioned above, iOS 6 is available for iPhones 3GS, 4, 4S and of course, 5. It’s available as an update through iTunes, or if you are running iOS 5, you can update to iOS 6 wirelessly. Just go to Settings > General > Software Update and you’ll be able to tap the button to upgrade.

For more information about the iPhone 5 and other Apple products visit Apple.com.

Did you get an iPhone 5 today? Are you planning on getting one? Were you one of the many people who stood in line for it last night? If so let us know what your thoughts are about it in the comments below!