Apple has unveiled the new iPhone, and much to the disappointment of the tech world, it's not the iPhone 5.
The iPhone 4S has the same design as the iPhone 4, but is significantly different under the hood and Apple says “it is the most amazing iPhone yet”.
Analysts are, however, split over whether the upgraded handset is enough to offset the pressure from competition in the smartphone market.
The new device has the same thin glass and stainless steel design as the iPhone 4, but has a dual-core A5 chip, said to be up to seven times faster than its predecessor. It also has a new camera with an 8MP sensor and full 1080p HD resolution video recording.
The new iPhone will also run Apple's new mobile operating system, iOS 5 and will have access to iCloud - free cloud services that work across the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC (due to be released on 12 October).
Apple's senior VP of worldwide product marketing, Phillip Schiller, said at the launch: “iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever.
“While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together.”
High expectations
Since the announcement, Twitter feeds have been filling up with mixed reactions to the unveiling of the iPhone 4S.
One user tweeted: “No death ray. No teleporter. No atomic battery. Disappointed. #iphone”
Other responses included: “Many are upset with iPhone 4S. I guess they would have been happier if the same was just named iPhone 5.”
“Quit complaining about the iPhone announcement. There are starving kids in Africa who still have BlackBerrys.”
As expected, one of the most notable announcements made by Apple yesterday was the release of Siri, an “intelligent assistant” that uses advanced voice recognition technology and artificial intelligence software.
Siri can also assist in making calls, sending text messages or e-mails, scheduling meetings and reminders, completing Web searches, finding locations and getting directions.
“You can also get answers, find facts and even perform complex calculations just by asking,” says Apple.
World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says Apple fans will probably excuse the company's failure to deliver an iPhone 5 by pointing to all the innovations on the 4S.
“However, the market was not only expecting an iPhone 5, but also expecting Tim Cook to show that he could follow in the footsteps of Steve Jobs. While no one expected Cook to have his version of Jobs' 'one more thing' catchphrase, they did expect to be surprised by something new.
“In terms of the next big thing, the biggest surprise was that there was no surprise,” says Goldstuck.
Strategy Worx MD Steven Ambrose says the new device from Apple is essentially an iPhone 5, only the body has not changed.
“The hype around the event and the build-up left many disappointed, but this is exactly what Apple did with the iPhone 3,” notes Ambrose, referring to the iPhone 3S upgrade.
Ambrose, however, predicts the new handset will once again set new records for sales and adoption.
“Apple have their distribution well organised and the fact that the form factor has not changed will allow for a faster global rollout. The combination of updated internals with the new iOS 5 will take the iPhone right to the top of sales in many markets in my opinion.”
iDisappontment?
On the other hand, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, David McQueen, says the iPhone 4S could be the first disappointing device since the launch of the brand.
“Apple revealed a warmed up version of last year's iPhone following 15 months without any hardware upgrade.”
McQueen says the faster processor, better camera and ability to roam between CDMA and GSM networks “may float some people's boat”, but he adds that it may not be enough to seduce all Apple lovers to upgrade.
“While Apple announced improvements in the hardware performance and on the service layer, it has been let down somewhat by having almost no change in the user experience and in the industrial design,” says McQueen.
“Unfortunately for Apple, this is happening at a time when competitors are aggressively bringing new products to market with superior user experience in the form of wider and better screen, intuitive UIs, and more integrated apps.”
McQueen, however, notes that by keeping both the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 models in the market at significantly reduced prices (free and $99 respectively on contract) the company may have created opportunities in the mass market without having to resort to a lower-cost product.
iPhone 4S comes in either black or white, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the new 64GB model.
The Siri edge?
Another principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, Malik Saadi, says: "In light of all these super-smartphones coming to market from the likes of HTC and Samsung, the iPhone is no longer a champion in terms of user experience."
Goldstuck says phone manufacturers will be relieved that Apple has not managed to raise the bar beyond their ability to compete.
Ambrose disagrees, however, and argues that Siri will put Apple ahead of the curve: “The Siri integration is a very clever move and gives Apple the edge it has been conceding of late to the competition, notably Android.
“The usability enhancements, coupled with a form of easy to use artificial intelligence via Siri, will differentiate the iPhone from the competition once again. The iCloud offering is also long overdue and will help Apple in its fight for dominance with Android and Microsoft, who both have an extensive cloud offering.
“Once the disappointment dies down over the lack of a new form factor, the combination of far superior internals and in combination with iCloud, Siri and iOS 5 I think Apple once again have a winning combination,” says Ambrose.
Goldstuck is more sceptical: “Until they can provide applications that leverage Siri, and make it make sense to consumers, it is not going to be a differentiator. The 4S is a great phone for those who had been considering the iPhone, but offers too little to set the market alight the way the previous version had done.
“The pressure will now be on Tim Cook to deliver in spades on the Apple brand promise of setting the standard all others must follow. He may well be keeping his powder dry to come out guns blazing at Macworld in January,” concludes Goldstuck.
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