This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After months of speculation, rumor-mongering and supposed leaks, Apple finally announced the next version of its best-selling iPhone on Tuesday. It's called the iPhone 4S, and the reaction from longtime Apple fans was tepid at best.
The new phone, which sports a faster processor and a better camera, was unveiled by Apple's new chief executive, Tim Cook, at the company's Cupertino, Calif., campus. It was the first media event hosted by Cook, who replaced Steve Jobs earlier this year after Jobs stepped down amid health problems.
"I think it was pretty much what I expected," said Mike Gifford, 57, West Jordan, who works at Apple reseller Expercom. "I was hoping for more but there were no big surprises."
The iPhone 4S was not the anticipated iPhone 5 enthusiasts had hoped for, but rather more of an incremental upgrade that uses the same body design and screen size as last year's iPhone 4.
The phone will go on sale Oct. 14 with preorders starting Friday. It will cost $199 for the 16 gigabyte model, $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64 GB with a two-year contract. The phone will be available for Verizon, AT&T and now Sprint. Meanwhile, the price of the older iPhone 4 dropped to $99 for the 8 GB model, and the iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a contract.
Along with the iPhone 4S, Apple also introduced a white iPod touch, the touchscreen version of its music player, and an iPod nano that can display a clock face so it can be worn like a watch. But the main event was the introduction of the new phone.
"Despite competitors trying really hard to copy the iPhone 4, they haven't really been able to come close," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.
While it's been the longest wait between versions of the iPhone since it was introduced in June 2007 (a new iteration has been introduced every 12 months in June), the 4S could be considered one of the least radical upgrades.
Similar to the speed upgrade of the iPhone 3GS from the iPhone 3G in 2009, the iPhone 4S will have a faster processor. The new phone will utilize the same dual-core A5 processor used in the iPad and will also have dual-core graphics processors.
To show off the speed of the new phone and the way it can handle graphics, gaming publisher Epic Games demonstrated the new "Infinity Blade 2" iPhone game which is being developed by Salt Lake City developer Chair Entertainment. The game will launch Dec. 1 on the iTunes App Store.
The new iPhone 4S also will be a "world phone" with one chipset that can operate on both AT&T's GSM cell network as well as Verizon's CDMA network.
Apple also announced Tuesday that Sprint will become the third U.S. carrier to sell the phone after AT&T and Verizon, a move rumored for months.
The new phone also will have a better 8-megapixel camera that Schiller said will not only shoot more-detailed still pictures but higher resolution video than the iPhone 4.
"A lot of people thought the iPhone 5 was coming out but they [Apple] don't jump that far ahead. They stay ahead of the competition," said Mike Aller, creative director and co-owner of Salt Lake City-based Integrated Marketing Group, who has owned every version of the iPhone. "But there are changes. It is a faster phone. And I would get it just for the camera."
Another new feature of the phone is the voice-activated personal assistant called Siri, which will answer questions and perform commands by voice.
For example, the user can ask for the weather forecast in different ways and the phone will provide the answer, or it can give the definitions of words or provide Wikipedia entries. It also can calculate directions and take voice dictation for emails as well as read back text messages. The feature will only be available on the iPhone 4S.
But the iPhone 4S will not change in some areas that fans had hoped for. The new design is exactly the same as the iPhone 4, utilizing the same 3.5-inch screen size and breakable glass back that has posed problems for some owners.
The phone also will not be compatible with faster 4G wireless data networks being deployed by AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Instead, Apple opted to create a dual-antenna design that works with existing legacy 3G networks but offers twice the download speeds.
Apple also introduced a Cards app that allows users to make their own custom greeting cards that can be printed on high-quality paper by Apple. The company also said its new iCloud service, in which users can store music, documents and other files on Apple servers, will ship Oct. 12. The new iOS 5 operating system for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad will also be available for free on Oct. 12.
Twitter: @ohmytech
Google+: +Vincent Horiuchi —
Salt Lake City video game introduced at Apple event
For the second time in less than a year, an iPhone game made by Salt Lake City developer Chair Entertainment took center stage at an Apple media event.
During Tuesday's presentation of the new iPhone 4S, Epic Games president Mike Capps introduced Chair's new game, "Infinity Blade 2," the sequel to its hit iPhone/iPad game that was introduced at last year's Apple iPod event. Epic is publisher and owner of Chair Entertainment.
The game is a role-playing fighting game in which the player controls a knight that must fight a series of monsters. The game uses an advanced graphics engine that shows off the processing power of the iPhone and iPad. "Infinity Blade 2" will be released Dec. 2 on the iTunes App Store.
"With 'Infinity Blade 2', we're pushing the boundaries of everything achieved to date and adding a ton of new content and unique new features to create the must-have gaming experience on iOS," Chair Entertainment creative director Donald Mustard said in a statement Tuesday.