iPhone 4S: Cool camera, voice control
— -- Following weeks of speculation, there's no new iPhone 5 after all — and that's bound to disappoint enthusiasts fixated on the possibility of sexy new hardware. But in introducing the iPhone 4S at the same time it is poised to bring out the previously announced iOS 5 software and iCloud cloud service, Apple gave the faithful a lot more to chew on than is immediately apparent.
The latest device will be sold by Sprint, AT&T and Verizon Wireless and will hit stores on Oct. 14. It comes in black or white and costs $199 for 16 gigabytes, $299 for 32GB and $399 for a new 64GB model.
On Oct. 12, the free iOS 5 update starts to become available for existing iPhone (3GS or later), iPad and IPod Touch customers. Features range from revamped notifications for messages and reminders to the new iMessaging service, which lets you rapidly swap texts, pictures and videos with other people using iOS devices.
ICloud also arrives Oct 12, as a way to store all your pictures, videos, apps, music and documents on the Internet and sync across your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, PC and Mac.
You'd have to be a geek to distinguish between the physical characteristics of the iPhone 4S compared with the iPhone 4. But
what's inside the devices sets the iPhone 4S apart from its immediate predecessor, including a speedy dual-core A5 processor chip — same as in the iPad 2 — that Apple claims will contribute to zippier performance. Apple says download speeds can hit a theoretical maximum of up to 14.4 megabits per second, putting it in reasonable company with some of the fastest smartphones on the market. I will reserve judgment until I've had the opportunity to put the new iPhone through its paces.
Nifty camera
I would have embraced an iPhone that taps into Verizon's fast 4G LTE wireless network but that didn't happen, partly, I suspect, because of a potential hit to the battery and partly because the size of the phone would almost certainly have to increase. As it is, Apple says it has bolstered talk time on the iPhone 4S to about eight hours when on a 3G network.
The camera also appears to have been greatly improved to the point where you might choose it over your point and shoot. The iPhone 4 can capture high-definition video up to the 1080p specification. And judging by the handsome photos taken with the phone that were shown at the media gathering — granted we never get to see the duds — the 8-megapixel camera is capable of producing some spiffy images, right down to detailed, color rich "macro" close-ups. One feature sure to please parents who have trouble getting their kids to pose: you can launch the iPhone camera quickly, right from the lock screen.
The other big change arrives in the form of a new dual antenna design. Apple says the iPhone 4S is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive, in theory leading to better reception. We'll see. And as a "world phone" able to tap into CDMA and GSM-type wireless networks, folks who travel overseas will be able to roam internationally. It is unclear whether you'll have to alert your wireless carrier ahead of time.
One thing I'm particularly excited about in the 4S is the inclusion of an app called Siri, based on voice-control artificial intelligence technology that Apple acquired in April 2010 when it snapped up the Siri startup. I previously reviewed Siri, which will now disappear as a standalone app. Siri on the iPhone 4S is still in beta.
This virtual personal assistant — it can recognize spoken words and understand the intent and context of a question you throw at it — is tied into other apps on the device. So if you ask Siri to "wake me up at 7:30 in the morning," Siri will fire up the clock app on the phone and set the alarm for the appropriate time. And Siri can deliver results whether you pose a question along the lines of "what is the weather like here today?" or "will I need a raincoat?" If you ask Siri to "find me a great sushi restaurant around here," Siri will find and sort a list of restaurants by rating.
Stay tuned for a deeper dive into the new iPhone, iOS 5 and iCloud.
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Should you upgrade?
Torn about upgrading to an iPhone 4S because you already have an iPhone 4? Here's a look at some major features on the iPhone 4S:
•Faster dual-core A5 chip vs. A4 chip.
•8-megapixel camera with face detection (vs. 5-megapixel without).
•1080p video recording (vs. 720p).
•Built-in Siri voice assistant.
•Weighs 0.1 ounce more.
•Battery offers extra hour of talk time on 3G; 100 hours less of standby time.
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Email: ebaig@usatoday.com Follow @edbaig on Twitter
Baig is co-author of iPhone for Dummies, an independent work published by Wiley.