So here we are, less than a day ago everyone’s going crazy about Apple’s recent event. With everyone anticipating what Apple has in store, the first keynote after Steve Jobs’ left as CEO. So with Tim Cook taking the helm, will this keynote live up to what we had before? Will there be a ‘One more thing’ extravaganza? Let’s find out.
iOS 5
First of these reveals focuses on the newest iteration of Apple’s popular mobile operating system. iOS currently holds 14% of the total mobile OS market, with Android at second with 33%. With a 10% margin, Apple wastes no time in making more innovations. First is the new Cards app. Now not all will probably appreciate this, but this app is actually a good concept. It allows users to select cards and customize messages. Then afterwards, Apple will actually print a physical card and will notify you once they’ve sent it. Pretty nifty for a simple concept.
Then here are some updates to the current iOS features. The new notifications takes the same route as Android did and is now a panel swiping down from the top, probably for convenience sake as this is one feature that many who use Android appreciate. Next is iMessage which is essentially BBM for the iOS. With this, users can basically exchange messages over any WiFi connection. Then there is the new Reminders app. With location integration, the application can now remind users of location-specific to do lists when in proximity. Very practical to those who roam around for meetings and the like. Another update includes the deep Twitter integration to the core apps. With this, you can tweet anything you do with your Apple device, whether it’s a game achievement or a scheduled task or some other mundane thing, you can always tweet it.
Speaking of deep integration, there’s iCloud. As announced in WWDC, you can basically push anything, from your playlists to documents to video to your iCloud account. With this, it is a no brainer that iTunes will also get to the cloud. In addition to that is the new iTunes Match service which takes you ripped music tracks and matches them with existing ones in Apple’s database. In effect making it as seems that you’ve purchased the track itself. iOS 5 is scheduled for an October 12 release date.
iPod
Earlier during the keynote, Tim Cook said that aside from being the #1 portable music player, the iPod Touch is also the current leader in portable gaming with all the games available for download, even beating the console giants themselves. With that said, they’ve made some announcements regarding the device line. First, for the iPod Nano. Though it isn’t as functional as it’s larger counterpart, Apple still managed to get some goodies in, including new clock faces. Yes, with the multitude of clock accessories out there, Apple made it a point to include new clock faces that will go well with those bracelets. Aside from this, users will now have options to change the default 2×2 icon layout to a single-icon one. And the good news is, these will be available to those who purchased the 2010 Nanos though a firmware update.
For the iPod Touch, there’s not much changes made here, hardware wise. Though we now have an option to purchase a white Touch aside from the usual black. The main selling point of the Touch here is all the updates that it will benefit from once it’s running iOS 5. And like the operating system, the “new” iPod Touch will be available on October 12 as well.
iPhone 4S
So here’s the deal breaker. The one that crushes all those iPhone 5 rumors as well as those lower-spec iPhone hints, at least for the moment. Apple reveals the iPhone 4S, akin to the 3GS years back. So what does the phone have in store for us? First and foremost, if you’re looking for some design changes, then you’ll be pretty disappointed as it’s essentially the iPhone 4, though with different hardware components. Still, you probably won’t recognize a 4 from a 4S at first glance.
And while the look is disappointing, Apple tries to compensate with the beef inside of this smartphone. For starters, it now runs on an A5 dual core processor and graphics processor that promises 7x more graphics power compared to the predecessor. It also houses a new 8 MP rear camera at f/2.4. They’ve mentioned that this camera utilizes a 5-part assembly for maximizing image and video quality. Then there’s the battery life as Apple claims that the 4S can dish out 9 hours of WiFi, 8 hours of 3G, 14 hours of 2G, and 5 hours worth of 3G browsing – that’s a lot of number there.
Now the bulk of the iPhone 4S’ reveal goes to “Siri”, the new voice-activated personal assistant. Once that microphone icon appears on your phone screen, you can basically talk your phone to do things you’d normally use your hands to do. It can reply to messages, send emails, create reminders and to do lists, it can even do wikipedia searches, calculations, calendar schedules and lots more. It is a very promising feature and Apple’s hoping that people will utilize Siri to it’s fullest potential.
For those considering the upgrade, the iPhone 4S is on pre-order starting at October 7 for $199 for 16GB and $299 for the 32GB version… and a 64GB version is also available at a whopping $399 price tag. And to not repeat the mistakes of the iPhone 4, the 4S will be available in black and white on the get go. It will start shipping in the major countries on October 14. As treat, we’ve mirrored a comparison the great guys at Engadget made between the iPhone 4 and 4S. Press releases are also provided below. For more coverage, head onto the link provided.
iPhone 4 & 4S Comparison
Official Press Release – iPod Nano / Touch
Apple Brings Great New Features & More Affordable Pricing to iPod touch & iPod nano
CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today announced great new features and more affordable pricing for both iPod touch® and iPod nano®. iPod touch will be available in new black and white models starting at just $199, including Apple’s new iOS 5 and iCloud® services. The new iPod nano is available today starting at just $129 and features a redesigned user interface, 16 new digital clock faces and improved built-in fitness features.
“iPod has revolutionized the way we listen to music and with over 320 million sold is the world’s most popular music player”
“iPod has revolutionized the way we listen to music and with over 320 million sold is the world’s most popular music player,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “iPod touch, now available in both black and white, is the best selling iPod ever, and with iOS 5 and iCloud it is better than ever.”
The new iPod touch includes iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 200 new features including iMessage™, Game Center, Notifications and Wi-Fi Syncing to iTunes®. iMessage brings the functionality of iPhone® messaging to your iPod touch, so you can easily send text messages, photos, videos and contact information to an individual or group on other iOS 5 devices. It also allows you to easily maintain one conversation across all your iOS devices-for free-with notifications, read receipts and typing indication.* Game Center enhancements include the ability to add photos to your profile, purchase new games from within the Game Center app, and even easier ways to find friends and new games.
iPod touch also works with iCloud, Apple’s breakthrough set of free cloud services, including iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to your devices. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.
iPod nano now features larger icons for even easier navigation of its intuitive Multi-Touch™ user interface, and you can choose from 16 new digital clock faces, ranging from classic analog looks to your favorite Disney characters including Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. iPod nano now tracks your runs and walks right out of the box with no accessory required, making it even easier to get your fitness program up and running. iPod nano can track the time, pace and distance of your run, the calories you burn, and the number of steps you walk. iPod nano encourages you with motivational real-time voice feedback during your run, available in seven languages, while listening to your favorite music or FM radio station. You can also easily upload workouts to the Nike+ website to set goals, track your progress and challenge friends. The ultra portable iPod nano is available in seven colors including silver, graphite, blue, green, orange, pink and (PRODUCT) RED.
With the App Store™ on iPod touch, users have access to the world’s largest and best collection of over 500,000 apps, including over 100,000 game and entertainment titles. Customers also have the iTunes Store® at their fingertips, giving them instant access to the world’s largest catalog of over 20 million songs, 85,000 TV shows and 14,000 movies to purchase and download directly to their iPod touch.
iPod is the world’s most popular family of music players. Apple’s holiday lineup includes iPod shuffle® for just $49; iPod nano with Multi-Touch starting at just $129; iPod touch available in black or white, including iOS 5 and iCloud, starting at just $199; and iPod classic® in a 160GB model for $249.
Pricing & Availability
iPod nano is available today for a suggested price of $129 (US) for the 8GB model and $149 (US) for the 16GB model. Both models are available in silver, graphite, blue, green, orange and pink through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 8GB and 16GB iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED is available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com) and Apple’s retail stores. iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS® X v10.5.8 or later and iTunes 10 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 10 or later.
iPod touch with iOS 5 and iCloud will be available October 12 in black and white for a suggested price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model, $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod touch requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later and iTunes 10 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 10.5 or later. iOS 5 will also be available as a free software update for iPod touch (third and fourth generations) customers allowing them to experience the amazing new features including iMessage, Game Center, Notifications and Wi-Fi Syncing to iTunes.
*iMessage requires Wi-Fi.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.
© 2011 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPod touch, iPod nano, iCloud, iMessage, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, Multi-Touch, App Store, iTunes Store, iPod shuffle, iPod classic and Apple Store are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Official Press Release – iPhone 4S/iOS 5/iCloud
Apple Launches iPhone 4S, iOS 5 & iCloud
iPhone 4S Features Dual-Core A5 Chip, All New Camera, Full 1080p HD Video Recording & Introduces SiriCUPERTINO, California-October 4, 2011-Apple® today announced iPhone® 4S, the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri™, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. With the launch of iPhone 4S also comes the launch of iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features; and iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.
“iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together.”
iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 200 new features including Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption and iMessage™, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS 5 users. iOS 5 will also be available as a free software update for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS customers allowing them to experience these amazing new features.*
iPhone 4S also introduces Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Siri understands context allowing you to speak naturally when you ask it questions, for example, if you ask “Will I need an umbrella this weekend?” it understands you are looking for a weather forecast. Siri is also smart about using the personal information you allow it to access, for example, if you tell Siri “Remind me to call Mom when I get home” it can find “Mom” in your address book, or ask Siri “What’s the traffic like around here?” and it can figure out where “here” is based on your current location. Siri helps you make calls, send text messages or email, schedule meetings and reminders, make notes, search the Internet, find local businesses, get directions and more. You can also get answers, find facts and even perform complex calculations just by asking.
iCloud is a breakthrough set of free cloud services, including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.
iPhone 4S includes an all new camera with the most advanced optics of any phone. The 8 megapixel sensor has 60 percent more pixels so you can take amazing high quality photos with more detail than ever. iPhone 4S includes a new custom lens, a larger f/2.4 aperture and an advanced hybrid IR filter that produce sharper, brighter and more accurate images. The Apple-designed image signal processor in the A5 dual-core chip is built for performance, and coupled with the features built into iOS 5, makes the camera one of the fastest on any phone. With iPhone 4S, the Camera app launches much faster and the shot to shot capability is twice as fast, so you’ll never miss another shot.
New features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can also use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject; and the new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organize your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go. New iOS 5 features include built-in Twitter integration and iMessage, so you can instantly share your photos via Twitter directly from the Photos app and send photos via iMessage to individuals or groups. And with iCloud’s innovative new Photo Stream service, a photo you take on your iPhone is sent to iCloud and automatically pushed to your iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC. You can even view your Photo Stream album on your Apple TV®.
iPhone 4S can also now record video in full 1080p HD resolution and with the new video image stabilization feature, you can take richer, smoother videos. Other iPhone 4S video camera improvements include increased sensitivity, sharpness and an increased ability to capture video in low light conditions. With the new iMessage service in iOS 5, you can now instantly share videos with family and friends.
iPhone 4S has the same beautifully thin glass and stainless steel design that millions of customers around the world love, while being completely redesigned on the inside. Apple’s dual-core A5 chip delivers up to twice the processing power and up to seven times faster graphics than iPhone 4, all while maintaining incredible battery life-now up to 8 hours of 3G talk time.
Improving on the innovative stainless steel external, dual-antenna design of iPhone 4, iPhone 4S is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive. iPhone 4S now supports twice the download speed with HSDPA of up to 14.4 Mbps and iPhone 4S is a world phone, so both CDMA and GSM customers can now roam internationally on GSM networks.**
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the new 64GB model.*** iPhone 4S will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on Friday, October 14 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4S beginning Friday, October 7. iPhone 4 will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a two year contract. Siri will be available in beta on iPhone 4S in English (localized for US, UK and Australia), French and German. iOS 5 software will be available on October 12 as a free software update via iTunes 10.5 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch customers.iPhone 4S will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
*Some features may not be available on all products.
**Carrier roaming policies apply. HSDPA availability and network speeds are dependent on carrier networks.
***Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.
