Apple Inc. unveiled Tuesday the latest generation of its iPhone, featuring a faster processing chip, better camera and voice-command capability.
The new device, dubbed the iPhone 4S, will be priced at $199 for a 16 gigabyte version, $299 for 32 gigabytes and $399 for 64 gigabytes, along with a two-year contract from either AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless or Sprint Nextel Corp.
Apple also will sell an 8 gigabyte version of the iPhone 4 for $99 and offer an 8 gigabyte 3GS for free, also with a two-year wireless contract. Preorders begin Friday, with the phone shipping Oct. 14.
The demonstration seemed to underwhelm investors and online tech bloggers.
Shares of Apple fell 3% recently to $362.79.
IPhone 4S is Apple’s first overhaul of its popular smartphone in 16 months and comes at a different time for the company and the market. Phones that run on Google Inc.’s Android software are now the market leader, although the iPhone remains the most popular individual smartphone, and Tim Cook has since replaced Steve Jobs as Apple’s chief executive.
«This is my first product launch since being named CEO–I’m sure you didn’t know that,» Mr. Cook said at the event’s start. He noted the company «has enormous momentum» and spoke about the success that the company has had with its retail stores and devices.
Mr. Jobs, who has been on medical leave since January for an undisclosed illness, did not appear to be in attendance.
Besides Mr. Cook, other Apple executives spent significant time on stage, including Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS software, who talked about Apple’s wireless operating system; Eddie Cue, senior vice president of internet software and services, who discussed the company’s iCloud product; and Phil Schiller, senior vice president of world-wide product marketing, who showed off the new iPhone.
The new iPhone, which comes in black or white, will have an Apple A5 processor, the same chip found in Apple’s iPad 2 tablet. The new chip can download data twice as fast and can handle graphics seven times faster, making it better for videogames, Apple said. It also has an 8 megapixel camera sensor, which is 33% faster at taking photos, a complaint with older iPhones.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing Phillip Schiller announced the new Apple iPhone4S today in Cupertino, California.
The chip and new camera sensor will provide an iPhone for customers that is «the best still camera they ever own,» Mr. Schiller said during his presentation at the company’s Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. IPhone 4S also will work on both wireless standards, meaning the same phone can be used around the world and with most wireless carriers. The phone’s battery now offers eight hours of 3G talk time, nine hours of Wi-Fi browsing and ten hours of video.
Apple also showed off new voice-command tools for retrieving everything from exchange rates to reminders, called Siri. Mr. Schiller said Siri takes dictation and noted that the service is both contextual and conversational. Siri first will be available in English, French and German.
The company also discussed a service that will back up and synchronize data between Apple’s devices and computers. Dubbed «iCloud,» the service allows customers to tie its gadgets together and share photos, music, address book contacts, calendars and other data through the Internet. Apple first unveiled the free service in June but is making it available now, shipping Oct. 12.
The free iCloud eliminates a $99-per-year fee Apple had charged for its previous cloud-storage service, called «Mobile Me,» which could synchronize information such as passwords between multiple computers and devices, host family websites and remotely store files.
online.wsj.com