The Apple iPhone 4S powered by iOS 5 that has finally launched only goes on to show how good Apple seems to have become with keeping secrets. With confusion running all through among fans, Apple has given the iPhone 5 a miss and stuck to just one new 4S model, contrary to popular assumption. While it may sound a bit disappointing on the face of it, the next generation iPhone is equipped with a dual-core A5 chip, a new Siri assistant and a completely revamped camera supporting full 1080p HD video recording.
With no real design overhaul, the iPhone 4S retains the thin glass and stainless steel construct Apple fans know well. Picking up from the dual-antenna tailoring of the iPhone 4, albeit a notch up, the stainless steel external antennas make the 4S the first phone capable of switching between two antennas seamlessly. As for the A5 chip, its horse-worked to cough up double the processing power and faster graphics without compromising on battery life. Users can anticipate around 8 hours of 3G talk time.
The newly introduced Siri assistant allows the iPhone 4S to handle tasks efficiently. Simply asking Siri questions which it is said to understand without any glitch should enhance the user experience. The intelligent incorporation puts accessible personal information too to good use, like ascertaining the current location when the user says ‘here’. Whether it’s making calls, sending text or email or even surfing the internet, Siri will be more than handy.
“iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever,†mentioned Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together.â€
iOS 5 in this version of the iPhone brings to the table a host of new features including a new Notification Center, deep Twitter integration, iMessage and improved camera. While on camera, it’s an 8MP sensor for high-quality images courtesy advanced optics, a new custom lens, wider f/2.4 aperture and improved hybrid IR filter. The camera can now be instantly accessed via the lock screen or volume-up button thanks to fresh functions in the Camera and Photos apps. Support for full 1080p HD resolution and a new video image stabilization feature are among the other niceties on offer. In addition to this, on the connectivity front, the Apple iPhone 4S is enabled for HSDPA download speeds of up to 14.4Mbps while being a world phone working on both CDMA and GSM networks too. The device will be available in black or white colors. The company also revealed iCloud that’s set to make the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC work efficiently in the cloud.
The price of the 16GB Apple iPhone 4S in the U.S. is $199 (approx. Rs. 9,811) while the 32GB and 64GB models are priced at $299 (approx Rs. 14,742) and $399 (approx Rs. 19,671) respectively via AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, the Apple Online Store and other Apple retail stores. Availability in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK begins October 14 onwards, with users being able to pre-order the device from October 7. By the end of this month, enthusiasts can expect the handset to reach Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. There’s no word on the pricing and availability details for this phone in India though.
The iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS get a much-expected price cut, with the former now available at a price of $99 (approx Rs. 4,880) in the U.S while the latter will come free with a two-year contract. iOS 5 will be available from October 12 onwards for free to existing iPhone users as a software update.
