Apple did not release the much anticipated iPhone 5, but sprang a surprise by introducing an upgraded version of its iPhone 4 and slashing prices of its older models.
The company boasts that its new iPhone4S comes with 200 new features, and claims that while the new phone is not 4G enabled, it works much faster and better than 3G phones.
Apple says on its website, "With every iOS advancement come even easier ways to do everything. That’s what makes iOS years ahead of anything else. iOS 5 leaps even further ahead, bringing over 200 new features to iPhone 4S."
The iPhone 4S looks just like the iPhone 4, but on the inside it has several new features, including voice command.
The new app ‘Siri’ allows users to interact verbally with the phone.
Apple says, "This intelligent assistant will help you get things done, all you have to do is ask. Siri understands context, allowing you to speak naturally when you ask it questions. Ask if you will need a jacket for your trip to London this weekend and it understands you are looking for a weather forecast."
"Siri is also smart about using the personal information you allow it to access, for example, if you tell Siri ‘Remind me to call Mom when I get home’ it can find "Mom" in your address book, or ask Siri ‘What’s the traffic like around here?’ and it can figure out where "here" is based on your current location," says Apple.
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"Siri on iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk. Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean, and even talks back."
Apple Worldwide Product Marketing senior vice-president Philip Schiller said the new device also comes with Apple’s dual-core A5 chip, which is built by Samsung.
Schiller said, the A5 offers "seven-times faster graphics" and is "up to" twice as fast as the A4 chip in the iPhone 4. "Because the A5 chip is so power-efficient, iPhone 4S has outstanding battery life," said Apple.
The iPhone 4S battery life is eight hours of talk time and 40 hours of music, said Apple. The new phone has a new wireless system that can "intelligently switch" between its two antennas to "make even better call quality," Schiller said.
Apple has upgraded the camera to 8MP, which is capable of shooting images at a resolution of 3264×2448 pixels, which is nearly 60% more pixels than what the 5MP camera in iPhone 4. The camera is capable of shooting high-definition resolution of 1080 pixels.
The new phone is also supported by Apple’s iCloud, and features FaceTime. The company said, "Making a FaceTime call is just as easy as making a phone call. And it’s even easier with Siri. Just tell Siri ‘FaceTime with Mom’ and you show up, smile, and wave hello. You’ll never miss a big event, an important meeting, or a good laugh. And who wouldn’t be happy to see your face?"
Users can also print email, photos, Web pages, and documents from the iPhone 4S over Wi-Fi.
"There’s no software to download, no drivers to install, and no cables to connect. With just a few taps, you can go from viewing something on the iPhone screen to holding a printed copy," said Apple.
Downloads speeds are set to increase with HSDPA data speeds to 14.4 Mbps, double that achieved by iPhone 4’s 7.2 Mbps.
Importantly, Apple said that iPhone 4S is a world phone, "so you can use it almost anywhere. Whether you’re a GSM or CDMA customer, you can roam GSM networks in 200 countries around the world."
Recently, China’s mobile operator China Mobile had revealed that it had discussed prospects of introducing an iPhone exclusively based on its network standard.
At present, Apple products do not support the 3G mobile network operating on China Mobile’s home-grown TDSCDMA standard.
Apple has also reduced the iPhone 4 price to $99 and the 3GS was moving to a price of free, both with 8 GB. Both also require a two-year service contract. But only the iPhone 4S will run Siri.
The iPhone 4S is hitting stores on 14 October, on Sprint. Pre-orders will begin on 7 October, said Apple.
Apple’s newly appointed CEO Tim Cook said about the products, "When you look at each of these, they’re great and fantastic and industry leading in and of themselves … But what sets them apart and puts Apple way out front is how they’re engineered to work together so well. I am so incredibly proud of this company and all of the teams that worked so hard to bring all of the innovations you’ve seen today to reality."
