Apple today announced iPhone 4S, the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. With the launch of iPhone 4S also comes the launch of iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features; and iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.
“iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, in the press release. “While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together.”
iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 200 new features including Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption and iMessage, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS 5 users. iOS 5 will also be available as a free software update for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS customers allowing them to experience these amazing new features.*
iPhone 4S also introduces Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Siri understands context allowing you to speak naturally when you ask it questions, for example, if you ask “Will I need an umbrella this weekend?” 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. Siri helps you make calls, send text messages or email, schedule meetings and reminders, make notes, search the Internet, find local businesses, get directions and more. You can also get answers, find facts and even perform complex calculations just by asking.
iCloud is a breakthrough set of free cloud services, including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.
iPhone 4S includes an all-new camera with the most advanced optics of any phone. The 8 megapixel sensor has 60 percent more pixels so you can take amazing high quality photos with more detail than ever. iPhone 4S includes a new custom lens, a larger f/2.4 aperture and an advanced hybrid IR filter that produce sharper, brighter and more accurate images. The Apple-designed image signal processor in the A5 dual-core chip is built for performance, and coupled with the features built into iOS 5, makes the camera one of the fastest on any phone. With iPhone 4S, the Camera app launches much faster and the shot to shot capability is twice as fast, so you’ll never miss another shot.
New features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can also use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject; and the new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organize your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go. New iOS 5 features include built-in Twitter integration and iMessage, so you can instantly share your photos via Twitter directly from the Photos app and send photos via iMessage to individuals or groups. And with iCloud’s innovative new Photo Stream service, a photo you take on your iPhone is sent to iCloud and automatically pushed to your iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC. You can even view your Photo Stream album on your Apple TV®.
iPhone 4S can also now record video in full 1080p HD resolution and with the new video image stabilization feature, you can take richer, smoother videos. Other iPhone 4S video camera improvements include increased sensitivity, sharpness and an increased ability to capture video in low light conditions. With the new iMessage service in iOS 5, you can now instantly share videos with family and friends.
iPhone 4S has the same beautifully thin glass and stainless steel design that millions of customers around the world love, while being completely redesigned on the inside. Apple’s dual-core A5 chip delivers up to twice the processing power and up to seven times faster graphics than iPhone 4, all while maintaining incredible battery life—now up to 8 hours of 3G talk time.
Improving on the innovative stainless steel external, dual-antenna design of iPhone 4, iPhone 4S is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive. iPhone 4S now supports twice the download speed with HSDPA of up to 14.4 Mbps and iPhone 4S is a world phone, so both CDMA and GSM customers can now roam internationally on GSM networks.**
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the new 64GB model.*** iPhone 4S will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on Friday, October 14 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4S beginning Friday, October 7. iPhone 4 will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a two year contract. Siri will be available in beta on iPhone 4S in English (localized for US, UK and Australia), French and German. iOS 5 software will be available on October 12 as a free software update via iTunes 10.5 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch customers.
iPhone 4S will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
*Some features may not be available on all products.
**Carrier roaming policies apply. HSDPA availability and network speeds are dependent on carrier networks.
***Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.
Source: Apple Inc.
Related article:
Apple underwhelms with iPhone 4S – October 4, 2011
It is amazing…but….was wishing for a bigger screen. Guess I’ll pass and wait for the next version…..
Bigger screen means bigger width and bigger height. This is not what most usual people would want, even though not dramatically in case of projected iPhone 5, which will come later and may indeed have bigger screen.
However, Apple had chance to increase screen’s diagonal to almost 4″ without increasing size of iPhone 4 body: they could increase only length/height of the screen from 960 to, say, 1140 pixels (this would make about 16:9 ratio, comparing to current 1.5:1), reserving additional space only for task switching and wide-screen video viewing.
However, they chose to not do so.
That’s because of the nature of the retina display. Remember when they introduced the retina display, the ratio of pixels to screen size was what made it work with all of the existing apps. Even the slight change of a screen barely large would throw all that out of kilter.
If all of additional space will be reserved for OS/wide screen viewing of video, then there will no changes for iOS applications. They would still having the same physical size, the same ratio, the same pixels. About 90 pixels will be black above of an app screen, and 90 pixels would be black below of an app screen.
Then most people are paying for a larger screen that they’ll very rarely use. Apps are FAR more used than video.
NO IPHONE 5 — wtf
NO BIGGER SCREEN – wtf
APPLE omg
OMG Get a grip.
Still trolling there WF?
Perhaps you should consider an iPad.
Jobs (yet) and the company fooled everyone with the fake iPhone 5 test units. ;)))))
Yes, but not in a good way.
For many, yes, but for many, no. While I would like to have 6.5 mm thick iPhone, I understand this variant would have less flash memory in it, and lower battery life.
Also, I do not want any wider/longer phone than the current iPhone (it is already about maximum size when it is still almost convenient to use this device as phone).
Also, please notice that making 4″ phone is going to change the actual size of UI, and Apple (Jobs) would hate that. So there maybe 4″ screen in the future, but, possibly, in variant like I described above, where only height/length is increased, and all of additional space is reserved for task switching/OS functions and wide format viewing of video.
Also, Apple never promised bigger iPhone (and Jobs did not say nice things about Hummerphones last year), so there is nothing to be disappointed about.
3.5 inches.
Somebody shoot me.
It’s okay, stop measuring it and you’ll feel better. Maybe she won’t even notice!
*g* .. perfect reply.
Cheers
Predictions proven true today: http://512pixels.net/iphone-2011-predictions/
* Apple will release something new that will be pretty good.
* People will be disappointed, thanks to the insane rumor mill.
Also worth a re-read: http://512pixels.net/expectations-iphone/
If Apple had simply called their new phone “iPhone 5”, I doubt there’d be so much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Great new innards on the 4S, but honesty, I’m underwhelmed with the lack of a new handset. Anyone else feel the same way? Guess we’re seeing the new “5” as an LTE phone.
So you only would have been impressed if the new iPhone *looked* different?
Is the smartphone market really that shallow?
yep it is that shallow… remember Apple has become a fashion statement in itself so physical appearence for style and bragging rights are more important than specs…. the current iPhone 4 has good enough specs for most people including me…. but i want something as thin as an iPod touch… no need to re-purchase my same iPhone 4.
I guess I’m in the minority, but I’m relieved that Apple didn’t mess with the form factor. The current form is a masterpiece – sleek, yet solid, “like an old Leica camera,” Jobs said at the intro. I’m really happy about this – brilliant form, and upgraded guts!
+1
You nailed it. I LOVE my 4 and will order the 4S on the first day I can do so when my contract expires. Faster processor, better cam, same stunning form factor. Worth every penny, and a perfect companion to my iPad2, which will be updated the minute the iPad3 is available.
Nope, don’t feel that way at all.
This is an awesome phone, can’t wait to preorder it. This 4s has data speeds as fast as the current fake LTE (no one has real LTE yet) and because it’s still 3G, it’s battery will last much longer. What is out now and people are calling LTE is not LTE it’s the precursor to LTE and the iPhone meets those pre 4G/LTE speeds. When power efficient 4G/LTE cards come out, Apple will incorporate those as well.
You have no idea what you are talking about. Peep the droid bionic. now that is a phone with real lte, a screen thats big enough to actually read from. trust me i was hoping praying i would buy this phone but i am not buying a phone and waiting 2 more years for an upgrade with lte
Sorry but there is no LTE yet. LTE is minimum 100mbs. All these things out now are just preLTE.
As for the screen, retina display makes it easier to read from then a crappy droid with a 4″ screen.
how disappointing,,,, This is going to cost Apple a lot..
My wife and I were all ready to get new iPhones – now….
=*^(
You’re either a troll or an idiot. You’d really not get a great iPhone thats way faster and has some cool new features because…what, it doesn’t have a 5 on it?
Why a 4S vs a 5?
because they didn’t change the outside. They usually change the version number when they do a redesign of the outside. The inside stuff is wildly different and this is a real upgrade from current iPhone 4.
No Jobs, no dice.
“The thrill is gone
It’s gone away from me
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Although I’ll still live on
But so lonely I’ll be
…
“You know I’m free, free now baby
I’m free from your spell
I’m free, free now
I’m free from your spell
And now that it’s over
All I can do is wish you well”
Love & respect? Sure. It takes guts to go with an iPhone-4s after 14-15 months of wait in an increasingly competitive market. Kudos for not succumbing to temptations of just slapping on a numero 5 on a slightly different build.
Stayed classy Apple there, a proud and solid engineering pulse; well done.
Except that, somehow, the thrill’s gone. Hopefully, it’s only a momentary lapse of reason, on my part at least.
if this affects you that much, you need professional help.
You mean like when the 3GS came out 12 months after the 3G? Yeah, that took guts too.
Oh, wait, we’re seeing a pattern here: Apple saving on engineering and development costs of a new case design to keep the iPhone more affordable.
Not to mention, keeping the same case design also keeps accessory makers from having to redesign and retool every 12 months, which would either make accessories more expensive or drive some out of the market entirely.
Good! No 5 yet. I can let my contract mature a bit, knock down my cost…
Aren’t this phone’s feature exactly like what the iPhone 5 was supposed to be. Sounds like the stock dropped because Apple got the name wrong!
SNAP !!!!!!
This is true but also they didn’t get the name wrong. They reserve a number change for when they redesign the outside.
I can’t wait to order this phone.
Hmm. The whole event is called, “Let’s talk iPhone” and they don’t even get to it until, what, an hour?
Siri looks cool. Weird name for the masses.
The whole thing felt kind of clunky to me, as viewed through Engadget.
Will I buy? … Hell yeah. I would have enjoyed a new look, but whatever. I use the camera all the time and the voice assistant will help me when I’m driving… presumably.
“Weird name for the masses.”
The name may have been inspired by the fact that the company was spun out of SRI (formerly Stanford Research Institute, many years ago).
I was also following on Engadget and I thought their critiques were poor. The two essential ones were:
1. who wants to talk to their phone?
2. you “to speak to Siri ‘like you would to a child or a foreign language speaker.'”
1. very few right now since few have good voice responsive commands that work well. Also, off the top of my head, the utility for people driving seems obvious, just to name one, In the larger picture it slightly reminds me of the quotes attributed to Dvorak about the mouse. It is a different way of interacting with the device with the potential to make use easier.
2. Uh, sorry to break it to Engadget, but most Americans speak relatively simply in everyday life.
Overall, nice improvements in several areas and I think Siri will be useful. The improvements in the camera are welcome. Was hoping for the iPhone 5, as well.
Nice phone but REALLY disappointed!
Why is Apple down almost 3%?
I mean it’s just a name, 4S instead of 5, but it’s got all the features they expected in iP5.
Crazy
No, it’s missing a couple of key features people were attributing to what would be an iPhone 5 instead of an iPhone 4S. Specifically, it’s not a larger screen or thinner “unibody” design.
Additionally, the product line-up shift isn’t what was hoped for either. Many were expecting the 3GS to be dropped, and possibly even the 4 to be dropped with the 4S being free/cheap, and the 5 being the top of the line.
However, I believe this is an over reaction. I know a ton of people who are planning to upgrade, myself included. The iPhone 4 itself has continued to sell very well, and the OS and software will continue to keep it ahead of the competition. The specs are great in every area, except screen size, which the larger size may have been a preference for a minority anyway.
Bullseye.
Also, the whole stock market was down. Apple moves in the same direction as the market most of the time.
agreed! +1
This is clearly, by all measures, by far the most superior mobile phone out there. Talk about understating the changes — iPhone 4S! Looking at the internal improvements, this deserved to be called iPhone 7.
It is just remarkable how it never fails. Apple releases a new device that is leap years beyond anything else on the market, and the core Apple fans immediately start lamenting, protesting and complaining how Apple has totally lost it, how the upgrade was an insignificant spec bump, as if they phoned it in.
Every single aspect of the iPhone 4 hardware was significantly changed and improved. The only thing that was NOT changed was the exterior; the current one appears to be by far the most desired and popular among all we’ve seen so far (according to independent research out there). The screen size is just about as big as it possibly can be without the device becoming a ridiculous brick, and every other aspect of design reflects Apple’s legendary minimalism.
This phone will most definitely shatter all previous records, as soon as people find out what’s in it.
As usual, Predrag chimes in with a reasoned and thoughtful response, soon to be ignored by the vast majority that post on this site.
Spot on!.
I don’t doubt this will be a fine phone. But I am not upgrading my iPhone 4 just to get faster games and Siri, and I feel that I am not alone on this one. Now if I didn’t already have an iPhone 4, sure, it looks like a great phone.
Considering all the 2-year contracts out there, they’re probably not aiming at customers like you. They’re aiming at folks like me, who have iPhone 3GS or earlier.
And there are also a *lot* of folks out there who don’t yet own any smartphone at all, as well as others like some of my friends who are looking to replace their *droid phone with an iPhone.
Been using Siri for awhile now. It’s my killer app. I don’t need to find my glasses to use it. It can find a swizzle stick in a glass cathedral.
So are you using Siri beta on a iPhone 4? I’m wondering if its hardware specific or will be downloadable once it leaves beta.
I use my iPhone 4 and an iPad 2 all day long for my real estate business, and the two in some respect act as one device.
IOS 5, iCloud and Siri is going to be a game changer for business professionals. Here is a quick tip to consider. If you want a 4g LTE iPhone 4s and IPad 2 just get a 4g MiFi hotspot and you have the best of both worlds. These three devices plus my bluetooth keyboard for my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 translates in to the perfect moble office. And yes, I will purchase the iPhone 4s, and when I need 4g download speeds my MiFi is ready to do it’s job.
Agreed +1
“The screen size is just about as big as it possibly can be without the device becoming a ridiculous brick”
I agree with everything you wrote except for this. Somehow, others have made smartphones that have larger screens without them being “bricks”. I have to say I’m somewhat jealous of the larger screens. It was hoping Apple would come out with at least a 4″ screen (with the same resolution and lower ppi).
Still, it’s Christmas in October for me.
I’m going to love having 64GB, and the other spec upgrades. And the software…oh, the software!!!
Couldn’t agree more!! I have had my iPhone 4 less than a year but will be updating fur sure. I’m spending a hundred bucks a month for service so it should be used on the best device out there or why spend $1200 a year and then worry about a hundred or two to update. The sale of my iPhone 4 will easily pay for the upgrade cost.
Agreed, Predrag. And for all you whiners about a larger screen: If you want to carry a TV in your pocket, go get a ‘Droid powered phone.
I’ll be pre-ordering a 32GB model and I’ll be naming it “Hal.”
Disappointed…
No 4in screen and no 4G what’s the deal here apple? Are you trying to stay behind the times or what?
Yeah, because 4G is sooooooo ubiqutous…
So will Siri work on iPhone 4 with IOS 5?
I don’t think so.
Siri already works on iPhone 3GS and 4
No. Just go to Apple’s website and you will see all the specs and comparisons. My husband is going to be ticked off since he just purchased the unlocked iPhone 4 version a few months ago for $659.00.
The wife is still getting in iPhone 4S. Although not sure how well this voice thing will work for her. English is her second language.
Does she speak one of the other languages that are supported? Maybe she could just talk to it in her native language. Also they’ll add more languages as fast as they possibly can. If her language isn’t supported now I bet it soon will be.
I just can’t believe it’s taken this LONG, for practically an iPhone 4 with souped up internals. I am happy to hear Sprint has the iPhone now.
It’s not the hardware that took a while, it’s the software and iCloud.
I think people are sick of carrying a glass brick in their pockets. People are tired of replacing glass constantly. Internals are only so good. And AAPL being down 16% now speaks volumes!
Right, because Apple stock has *never* dropped on the back of a keynote before…
WTF are spreading?!!! 16% my ass!!
Troll.
Here’s right. Now it’s down $19.50!
crazy, obviously the Street really only wanted a name change too! LOL!
I like my glass brick and of the 24 people I know who have iPhone 4 none have had any glass replaced. Try not to carry it in your back pocket, then you will be oK.
The whole market is down idiot. I just bought another 100 AAPL, it will go up soon. Go back to your Android forums and leave us alone.
See, iOS 5 not the iPhone 5. iPhone 4S was the only thing that was ever leaked. 5/S look a lot a like.
I’m glad. Maybe people will learn not to buy into the rumor mill or listen to the so-call-expert analysts’.
apple.com is down too???
Access Denied
You don’t have permission to access “http://www.apple.com/” on this server.
Reference #18.d4e943f.1317755250.9f86d1ab
Yup. Same here.
I love what I saw of Siri.
But if my iPhone suddenly starts singing “Daisy, daisy…” to me I probably will crap myself!!!
I did too, but if it doesn’t work on the iPhone 4 I bought two weeks ago I am going to be PISSED!
Doesn’t help my attitude that Safari keeps crashing on Lion.
If you really bought to two weeks ago Apple has a return policy. Go to a store as soon as the new ones are available!
Did they not call it the iPhone 5 because the body design didn’t change? It seems like there are enough new features on it to warrant a number version change…
Yes thats the only reason. They have so far reserved a new number for a new outside design.