Yesterday was a big day for the iPhone as Apple announced the new iPhone 4S at their "Let's Talk iPhone" media event. Here's a quick run-down of the state of the iPhone world now:
New iPhone 4S Announced
- Key Features over iPhone 4:
- A5 Processor
- Greatly improved optics and 8 MP Camera
- 1080p Video Recording w/ image stabilization
- Siri Voice Assistant
- World Mode Phone (Works on both GSM and CDMA networks, as long as it's purchased/activated on a CDMA network, otherwise will only work on GSM)
- Available on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint
- Pre-Orders Start October 7
- Released October 14
- Pricing (w/ 2-year contract):
- 16 GB - $199
- 32 GB - $299
- 64 GB - $399
- For more on the iPhone 4S see http://www.apple.com/iphone/
iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS Pricing reduced
- 8GB iPhone 4 available on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint for $99 with 2-year contract
- 8GB iPhone 3GS available on AT&T for Free with 2-year contract
- To compare features and capabilities for the entire iPhone lineup see http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare-iphones/
AppleCare+ for iPhone announced
- Provides same 2-year coverage as regular AppleCare for iPhone
- Also provides up to 2 replacements due to Accidental Damage, subject to a $49 service fee per incident
- $99 vs. $69 for regular AppleCare for iPhone
- Available at: http://store.apple.com/us/product/S4575?mco=MjU5MTk4Nzk
iOS 5 to be released on October 12 and supports:
- iPhone 3GS and later
- 3rd & 4th Generation iPod Touch
- iPad & iPad 2
- More information on the features and improvements at: http://www.apple.com/ios/
Looking ahead, there's little to no expectation of the iPhone 5 before the middle of next year, at the earliest. At this point the talk is that the iPhone 5 will be the LTE-capable update, but that current LTE chipsets require a 2-chip solution for the radios, and have significant battery-life issues. The earliest single-chip radio solutions aren't expected until early next year.