Updated 8.30pm
SOME APPLE FANS were left disappointed today as the tech giant launched an updated version of its iPhone, the iPhone 4s, but it was not the iPhone 5 that many were expecting.
The company’s share price fell by as much as three per cent during the announcement as news that there would be no major hardware update to the smartphone, as had been widely anticipated, filtered through.
Instead, the iPhone 4s was unveiled featuring an A5 processor which promises to be seven times faster than the older model. There is also a new 8-megapixel camera with 60 per cent more pixels than the iPhone 4 and the ability to handle high-definition video.
The device will rely on an “intelligent antenna system” that’s designed to improve call quality and weed out the previous problems with the antenna on the iPhone 4.
The system also works with both CDMA and GSM wireless standards, according to Bloomberg.
There will be improved batter time with users having up to 8 hours of talk time on one charge. The new device comes in either black or white with 16, 32 or 64 gigabytes of storage.
The new phone has an “intelligent assistant” which will work via voice recognition and is called Siri.
Siri will allow users to check the weather, get directions or set an alarm, all by, for example, asking a question and without having to touch their phone.
The phone will be launched in seven countries on 14 October, including the UK.
It will launch in Ireland on 28 October.
Apple also announced that its new operating system, iOS5, which was unveiled earlier this year, will be available to download from 12 October.
This will feature improved notifications, a new iMessaging system, and a Newstand app for newspapers and magazines. iOS5 will come as standard on the iPhone 4s as will iCloud, an ambitious new cloud computing system also previously announced.
iCloud will automatically back up all your data to Apple’s servers, then push it back down to all your devices. It would mean that if you add a new contact or snap a new photo on your iPhone, it will in theory show up on your iPad or other Apple product.
The launch at Apple headquarters in California was CEO Tim Cook’s first big product launch since he tookover from the company’s co-founder Steve Jobs.
After the launch he remarked, according to the Guardian: ”Pretty incredible isn’t it?”
“When you look at these they’re great and industry-leading, but what sets them apart is how they’re engineered to work so well.
“Only Apple could make such amazing hardware, software and services and bring them together into this experience. I am so incredibly proud of this company … for bringing this to reality.”
Here’s how the iPhone 4s works:
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