Introducing the iPhone 4S
Posted on 04. Oct, 2011 by KrebStar [archives]
Today in Apple’s keynote address, they unveiled what we’ve all been clamoring for: an update to the iPhone. The iPhone 4S looks similar on the outside, but gets some serious improvements. Here’s all the new stuff:
-A hugely improved camera: 8-megapixels, a CMOS sensor that lets in 73% more light, and its 1/3rd faster than the 4G camera. (For real camera aficionados, it goes down to f/2.4 and has an IR filter for more accurate colors!)-Dual-core A5 chip, up to 2x faster than before.
-Dual-core graphics, which are supposedly seven times faster than the iPhone 4.
-Battery life: 8 hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of browsing (9 on WiFi), 10 hours of video, and 40 hours of music.
-Claims better call quality now that it can intelligently switch between two antennas between transmit and receive. Theoretical download speeds are doubled.
-Siri: A new voice command program that seems to be unprecedented in its intuition. Say “What’s the weather today?” or “Will it rain in Manhattan” and either will deliver the info you want. Say “Wake me up tomorrow at 6am” and Siri gives you a verbal confirmation. Say “Remind me to call my wife at 6pm” or “What’s a good Thai restaurant in DUMBO Brooklyn”, and… well you get the idea. They claim it works well out of the box, but gets better as it learns your voice.
Pre-orders for the 4S start Friday 10/7, and the phone is available on 10/14. Starts at $199 with a 2-year contract. Oh, and if for some reason this matters to you, it will now be available on Sprint.
Check out the video below!
Other Keynote highlights
-iCloud: All your media from all your devices get shot up to the cloud automatically, then get pushed to all your other devices. It also backs up your calendar and contacts daily. 5GB of online data storage is free.
-A new Reminders app that’s aware of your location, reminding you about things to do when you’re nearby where you need to be to do them.
-Greeting Card app: You design a greeting card, Apple prints it out and delivers it, and lets you know when it’s been delivered. $2.99 each ($4.99 to send internationally).
-New messaging service between iOS users, pushed to all devices (so you can send a message from your iPod and hear back on your iPad.)
-A Reading List for websites that pulls the real content out of the junk and puts it all onto a single, readable page.
-Location sharing. Find your friends easily. Friends can even opt in for a limited time so they don’t give up all of their privacy.
2 Responses to “Introducing the iPhone 4S”
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So, technically what’s new. These features can already be found in HTC and some other smart phones.
iPhone is a marketing success and a hip brand but it is far behind when it comes to features and technical specs and still end up charging its customers more.
So, now they have started targeting the mid-market with iPhone4 which will soon be available at $99 with contract and iPhone3Gs for free with contract.
Sure, the iPhone has a hipness associated with it, which Apple fuels with its slick marketing, but I think people flock to the iPhone because people love using them.
While other phones beat it on individual tech specs like bigger screens and more megapixels (although the 4S snaps photos in 1.1 seconds while the HTC Sensation takes 2.1), one could argue that the iPhone is the most well-rounded and easy-to-use smartphone out there. They seem to adhere the theory that if they can’t do something very well, they won’t do it at all.
That’s why I’m especially intrigued by Siri. I haven’t heard of a successfully intuitive voice recognition program on a smartphone yet. While Apple is not immune to mistakes, odds are if they roll it out it will work very well. And judging by the live demo in yesterday’s keynote, it does.