Apple unveils iPhone 4S, but no "5" this time

SAN FRANCISCO - For many Apple fans, this may rate as the biggest disappointment since Geraldo came up empty after breaking into Al Capone's vault

Apple on Tuesday introduced the iPhone 4S at one of the most anticipated product announcements in its history - as much for the absence of its legendary co-founder as for the display of its newest piece of gadgetry. The company took the wraps off the latest version of its wildly popular smartphone - more than a year after launching the iPhone 4 - during a press conference at the company's Cupertino, Ca. headquarters. But with Apple's newly-appointed chief executive Tim Cook talking for more than an hour and a half without dropping any bombshell announcements, the blogosphere impatiently waited for him to reach for the same playbook used by Steve Jobs on so many occasions and come up with "one more thing" before packing it in.

In other words, the iPhone 5.

It was not to be.

Meet the iPhone 4S

Instead, Apple introduced an upgraded iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S powered by the same A5 chip that's used in the iPad 2. It comes with a retina display, glass on the front and a black stainless steel band around. Company vice president Phil Schiller said the big power boost will be especially apparent when playing games on the device.

The iPhone 4S will get eight hours of 3G talk time as well as nine hours of Wi-Fii browsing. Apple said one charge would be good for 10 hours of video. Elsewhere, a new antenna system allows users to switch from one antenna to the other to maximize reception quality while also allowing for the data downloads twice as fast as the current iPhone 4. Best news of all for people who travel abroad with their iPhones: the units will work both on GSM and CDMA networks.

Also, the 4S camera has an 8 megapixel sensor that Apple says is 33% faster at taking photos. It also claims that the update will allow users to print out 8 x 10 photos. The units, which come in black and white versions, list for $199 for a 16 gigabyte version to $299 for 2GB to $399 for the 64GB model.

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Apple introduces iPhone 4S
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The product announcement was also notable in that there was no Steve Jobs on hand to wow the crowd. Apple's co-founder and nonpareil master of ceremonies during the company's major product releases resigned in August as CEO because of failing health. All eyes were obviously on his replacement, Apple's former chief operating officer, who immediately addressed the elephant in the room.

"I love Apple," Cook said to the audience shortly after walking out on stage. "And I consider it the privilege of a lifetime to have worked here almost 14 years to work in this new role."

How to unload your old iPhone for the best price

Apple vp marketing Phil Schiller

(Credit: Getty Images)

Like Jobs, Cook's presentation focused on Apple's achievements, highlighting the progress registered by the company's sundry product lines. Among other things, he noted that:

Video: Tim Cook takes the stage
Video: Apple announces greeting cards app

Given the non-stop hype about the imminent arrival of the iPhone 5, the announcement was bound to be a letdown for some. Check here for a representative Twitter stream of Apple watchers who at times seemed besides themselves as the presentation drew to a close without the expected denouement. Still, the upshot was that the iPhone will be faster by a wide margin and feature an improved camera with speedier mobile web access. It also was outfitted with a better antenna design and longer battery life.

One rumor that did bear fruit: Starting Oct. 14. Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 wireless provider in the U.S., will join AT&T and Verizon Wireless as the carriers authorized to sell the iPhone.

[Bojax39]

Who the hell cares if self absorbed glitz-hounds can now buy the latest piece of crap techie gadget with a shinier case and go-faster stripes?

Apple products are over hyped, over rated and over priced. But so long as people with more dollars than brain cells are willing to shell out, I reckon Apple is smart enough to take the money and run. :-)

[ojossogood]

May be Apple should just cool it for awhile until some other genius surfaces in their company and takes products or new ideas into a new realm.

Apple makes a fine product. I love the designs of their products. The fit and finish brings out the tactile in me. Touchy feely, YES.

I can curb my enthusiasm as I am very satisfied with their products. No, I do not go out and purchase each and every new iteration of product they produce.

BTW, I use a HTC smartphone offered by T-Mobile. It uses a discontinued version of Windows Mobile but I like it very much. Great screen, terrific camera, great reception and speaker. It does way more than what I ask of it.

Everyone, enjoy all your gadgets even if they are not Apple. Many, many companies offer excellent choices.

[roblearns]

Tim Cook = Failure.

He talked for 20 minutes and then disappeared like he doesn't give a crap. And lets face it, he doesn't. Not like Steve Jobs did. He isn't Steve Jobs, and it showed.

Instead of everyone being excited, the silence today is deafening - since when in recent memory did we wait over a year for an announcement, and you can't drum up a comment thread. 18 comments at the time of this writing? For a front page story on Apple's latest product?

Guys - wake up to reality.

[notyrants]

Wow, only apple can make a glass store with a beautiful glass staircase in China. Impressive corporate empire.

[notyrants]

I just watched the Keynote in the Apple Town hall. Is Apple Chinese based?

[roblearns]

You know blame the early rumors all you want, but when you take a year to release a single phone - when Android vendors would have released multiple phones in that same time period - you are building expectation.

This is the beginning of the end for Apple.

Not only did they just cut iPad production thanks to the Kindle Fire, but now they just blew it with the iPhone, and no updates beyond price cuts to the touch either.

What happened they've run out of ideas already?

Pathetic.

[bobnjersey]

[This is the beginning of the end for Apple.]
----------------------------------------------
bet everything you have on that one ... and come on back in a year and tell us all how that turned out.

[roblearns]

@bonjersey, I'll short Apple any day.

They are way overpriced. Tim Cook was a complete failure - Apple needs the Jobs reality distortion field now, more than ever - but guess what Bob - he's gone. The corporation is still here in name, but Jobs Co. is never coming back.

[bobnjersey]

[Apple has sold more than 300 million iPods around the world]
--------------------------------------------
this one product alone ... now roughly 10 years old ... has changed the way music is distributed and consumed forever moving forward ... and multiplied by a couple hundred dollars a piece (on average) ... is really just staggering.

any company would be happy with this singular success ... much less the other record setting metrics they've racked up within that same 10 years.

as far as this announcement being a disappointment ... if nobody knew what exactly the 'iphone 5' was going to be ... why exactly would all the stated improvements in the 4s be a letdown? what's in a name ... whether it's iphone 4s or iphone 5?

[tmittelstaed]

the operative words are "has sold"

It wasn't too long ago that General Motors sold more vehicles every year than all the car companies put together.

[thoughtxchange2]

Epic fail. No 4G, no NFC, no bigger screen? After 16 months? For your flagship product? At the most valuable company in the world? No. Maybe they need to let go of some of the what, 60 billion they have in cash and accelerate their product cycle to keep up with the competitiom. Ya think? LOL! Was so totally not expecting this after all the hype. They didn't even manage that like they did with screen resolution for the Ipad 2. Apple??!!?? What happened??

[AmazedEveryTime]

No, people will always complain. They turn around the models of phones faster, people will complain about that. There are people who do not like Apple. They will always find their way to an Apple news article... and then write a nasty comment. Apple has never let me down. I am excited to see what is around the corner.

[DocD--2008]

Gore was wrong again and he's on the board!

[stefanlyl]

i love this phone! first heard of it on http://www.iphone4sblog.net/ cant wait to get me one!

[Scimajor]

No Jobs no excitement.