Apple unveils iPhone 4S
— -- CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple introduced the sequel to the popular iPhone 4 Tuesday, the 4S, which it says will be available to Sprint customers for the first time and will offer faster processing and downloads, a greatly improved camera and voice-activated assistance.
AT&T and Verizon Wireless customers already have access to the iPhone. The new iPhone 4S will be priced at $199 for a 16 gigabyte model with a two-year carrier contract; 32 GB and 64 GB models are $299 and $399 respectively.
The iPhone 4 will cost $99 and the iPhone 3GS will be free. Preorders will be accepted starting Friday. The 4S will be available on Oct. 14.
It was the first major product unveiling for CEO Tim Cook, who took the reins of the company more than a month ago following the resignation of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. But the product introductions were met with a tepid reception on Wall Street, where Apple shares slipped more than $17.87 to $356.73 midday. Apple was widely expected to introduce an iPhone 5.
With a new feature called Siri, iPhone owners can hit their home button, and ask about the time and weather, or to make a phone call. It also works with reviews website Yelp for help, say, in finding Indian restaurants in San Francisco. Apple purchased Siri nearly a year and a half ago.
The iPhone 4S's camera has an 8 megapixel sensor, up from 5 megapixels in the iPhone 4, and will perform better in low light and offer more vibrant colors.
"For many customers, the iPhone 4S will be the best camera … and video camera they've ever had, and they'll have it with them everywhere they go," said Apple senior vice-president Phil Schiller.
Cook, who took over for the ailing Jobs in August, said: "This is the privilege of a lifetime to be in this role," he said. No mention or tribute to the legendary Jobs was offered.
Cook ran the event for the first 15 minutes, and then handed off to several deputies.
Apple execs touted new features to its iOS 5 software, which eliminates the need to have to sync devices. The software becomes available on Oct. 12.
Apple, which traditionally has introduced new iPods each fall, this year left the current iPod Nano and Touch models intact, except for price cuts. The iPod Touch, Apple's best-selling iPod, now starts at $199, down from $229, and the Nano starts at $129, down from $149.
At the session, Apple updated sales statistics on many area of its businesses.
Lion, the operating system update for its Macintosh computers, has more than 6 million downloads so far, 80% more than the previous edition, Snow Leopard.
Cook said Apple has sold more than 300 million iPod in the 10 years that the devices have been for sale. There are now 20 million songs available in the iTunes Music Store, up from 200,000 when it started.
The App Store has 500,000 apps available, and has seen 18 billion downloads to date, Cook said.
