X

Apple unveils iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S has the same design as the iPhone 4, but with upgraded internal components, including a dual-core A5 processor and 1 gigabyte of RAM.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng
2 min read

At the Apple campus today. Kent German/CNET

Apple today unveiled the iPhone 4S, which features a modest upgrade over the iPhone 4.

It's more of an incremental upgrade to the previous iPhone 4, sharing the same size and design. It features a faster dual-core A5 processor and the ability to handle more complex and sophisticated gaming, with a seven-fold increase in graphics speed.

(See CNET's live blog of the Apple event.)

Apple said the phone battery can accommodate 8 hours of talking over 3G, 6 hours of Web browsing over 3G, 9 hours of browsing over Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video viewing, and 40 hours of music listening.

The iPhone 4S also has a redesigned antenna system, which switches between two antennas to transmit and receive for improved call quality and a higher connection speed. Apple marketing executive Phil Schiller said he wouldn't get into the 4G name game but that it would feature download speeds of 14.4 megabits per second and upload speeds of 5.8 megabits a second.

The iPhone 4S will also act as a global phone, with the ability to ride on CDMA networks, popular in the United States, and GSM networks, popular elsewhere in the world. Verizon Wireless executives previously said they had expected the phone to be a global device.

Apple also demonstrated its voice control feature, called Siri, which Schiller called an "intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by talking." When asked the question, "do I need a raincoat today?" the iPhone responded, "It sure looks like rain today." Apple said the Siri software is still in beta testing.

The device also has an 8-megapixel camera and a new system Schiller said would be comparable to a point-and-shoot camera. The camera will be able to capture 73 percent more light, work 33 percent faster, and feature a hybrid infrared filter, which Schiller said is "the kind of stuff you talk about with high-end dSLRs."

The iPhone has quickly become Apple's flagship product and largest source of revenue, with 125 percent year-over-year growth. The product comes out at a critical point for the company, as it is slowly ceding its dominance to Google's Android platform. While the iPhone remains the top-selling phone, many comparable Android phones have sprung up.

The new iPhone, however, is expected to reinvigorate sales. Prior to the launch, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White said the iPhone 5 will "shatter" the sales record held by the iPhone 4 launch last year. Janney Capital Markets analyst Bill Choi said yesterday in a note that iPhone shipments for next year could reach as high as 107 million units.

Updated at 4:02 p.m. PT: to remove the reference to the iPhone 4S's RAM. Apple didn't disclose the details of its RAM.

Updated at 11:16 a.m. PT: to include additional features for the iPhones.