CUPERTINO, CA – Apple held its ‘Lets Talk iPhone’ event today on its home campus, boasting a big announcement that everyone seemed to be waiting for. Rumors came in all shapes and sizes, from tear-dropped shaped to larger screens to multiple versions of the phone being released. But in the end, the new ‘iPhone 4S’ was announced and has a familiar look.
“As you’ve heard, it’s the number one smartphone in the world. People have been wondering, how do you follow up a hit product like the iPhone 4? The iPhone 4S.” Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President announced.
The new iPhone will have the same body as the iPhone 4, but holds the A5 chip and a dual core CPU, which is two times as fast as its predecessor. The iPhone 4S will have 8 hours of talk-time battery life, a significant upgrade. The phone has also received a major antenna upgrade, increasing connect ability by allowing the phone to switch between antennas intelligently to establish a better connection and increasing data download by 2-times.
“Where have I heard these numbers before? This is what our competitors call 4G… the iPhone 4S is just as fast as all of these phones, even faster in real-world use.” Schiller said.
The camera has received a major upgrade as well, 8-megapixels. The upgrade will cause for 60% more pixels in a picture, shooting at a whopping 3264×2448 resolution. The camera’s CMOS backside illuminate sensor takes in 73% more light than the iPhone 4, and shoots 1/3 faster. The major camera announcement, causing for crowd applause, was the ability to shoot in full 1080p with real-time video stabilization and temporal noise reduction.
Apple’s new hardware giant wouldn’t be able to run without its famous operating system. The iOS will also be receiving a revamp, iOS 5.
With over 100 new features in the operating system, one stuck out above the rest, Siri, the intelligent assistant. Siri is a voice responsive controller for your entire device, responding to unique questions.”What’s the weather like today?” Scott Forstall, Senior VP of iOS asked Siri, which promptly gave the forecast.
Siri will also read your messages, record calendar events, type your text messages as you speak them, and if you ask Siri what it is, it’ll respond, “I am a humble personal assistant.”
Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S begin October 7 and it is released on October 14, the fastest iPhone roll-out ever. The new phone also has made its way to a third carrier, Sprint.
Along with the new iPhone announcement, Apple showcased their new iPod Nano, which will now allow you to track health and fitness right out of the box, “We’ve improved the fitness experience, no sensors needed,” Schiller announced today.
Along with the new feature, they will have 16 new watch interfaces for those who like to wear the Nano on their wrist. Schiller went on to say, “it was fun seeing people create all sorts of accessories and watch bands for the device, why not, right?”
The Nano will be priced at $129 for the 8 GB and $149 for the 16 GB.
The new iPhone may look the same, but packs a huge punch. Are you going to sell your phone for the iPhone 4S?