Apple today threw iPhone pundits a curve ball when it failed to announce an iPhone 5. Instead, much like the iPhone 3G matured into the 3GS, the iPhone 4 begat the iPhone 4S.
Courtesy of Apple
The iPhone 4S may share a bit of its name with the previous generation, but inside, it's a whole new story, starting with the dual-core A5 processor, the same one used in the iPad 2.
Dual-core graphics, for amazing graphics acceleration.
8 megapixel cam with image stabilization.
1080P video.
Amazing battery life.
World phone with both GSM and CDMA networking compatibility.
New dual-antenna design.
But perhaps the most interesting feature of the new iPhone 4S is the voice recognition system, called Siri. Siri is meant to be your personal assistant. It goes far beyond the basics of simply calling a phone number or executing a command by voice. Siri uses an advanced AI system to understand the context of what you are asking. For example, Siri was asked if a raincoat would be needed today. The response, "It sure looks like rain today," was followed by the iPhone bringing up the weather app and displaying the forecast for the day.
Siri works in the abstract; think along the lines of the Star Trek computer. Asking Siri to remind you to call your wife when you leave work sets up a reminder in the calendar, but instead of being triggered by time, it's triggered by the GPS, which notices that your location has changed when you leave the workplace.
Of course, it won't be long before we have examples of Siri doing silly things, but for now, Siri was an impressive demonstration and really puts the smart in smartphone.
The iPhone 4S will be available October 14th, with pre-orders being accepted starting October 7th.
iPhone 4S pricing:
- White or black: 16 GB $199, 32 GB $299, 64 GB $399
iPhone 4 pricing:
- White or black: 8 GB $99
iPhone 3GS pricing:
- Black (with contract) Free
You can find more iPhone coverage from Sam Costello, About Guide to iPhone and iPods.
Siri, not Sari