Apple’s Next Hoopla: iPhone 4S

Being a long-time immigrant resident in the SF Bay Area, local technology news have announced Apple’s next biggest thing since the unleashing of the iPad 2.¹ In fact, everyone around the interwebs have been anticipating that after releasing the iPhone 4 last year that the 5th version of the iPhone would be releasing sometime fall of this year. Everyone thought that Apple was going to do the same marketing tactic as what they did with the iPad.²

Instead, we get the iPhone 4S, rather than the public-anticipated iPhone 5. I’ve actually seen some purported images of what the iPhone 5 may look like,³ but when people unleashed the *real* “iPhone5″, it looked exactly the same as the current iPhone 4. Right then I became skeptical that Apple was going to release another new design and functionality of the iPhone. Despite that it looks exactly like the current iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S does have new features and upgrades on some of their core features.

I am not an iPhone user, nor that I’m a huge fan of Apple in particular, but because I’ve got three members of my immediate family who own iPhones⁴ I decided to provide an inner look of the 4GS’s new and upgraded features.

• New processing chip, which makes the 4GS possess faster processing data time and rendering graphics than the current iPhone 4.
• Meet Siri, your new personal assistant who resides in the 4GS. It speaks to you when you speak to it, translates your spoken word in to text on screen, reminds you of your events in your calendar, you know, your personal assistant and your new friend.⁵
• For the first time, Sprint will be carrying iPhones in their lineup of phones, starting with the 4GS model. AT&T and Verizon would also be selling the 4GS along with the current iPhone models they’re selling.⁶
• Longer battery life. Users may talk on their iPhone for 8 hours before they have to be recharged again.
• It’s a World Phone. You can use your 4GS to call anyone using local wireless networks regardless of which country you’re standing on at th emoment.
• 8 MP camera. So much for my awesomeness 5 MP camera on my BB.
• The 4GS can shoot HD video and also has a stabilizer feature so your YouTube videos won’t be shaky.

Though the 4GS now has more and enhanced features than the current iPhone 4, the cost of the 4GS, again, depending on which internal MB size you’re looking for, has pretty much the same prize as the iPhone 4. In fairness, Apple also announced that an upgraded new OS system for the iPhone will be released sometime later this year and all models of iPhones (3GS to 4S) can upgrade their OS for free.

Now I ponder about the current iPhone 4 users if they’re going to have their phones upgraded to get the new 4S or stick to current model. As for me though, I’ve only had my BB since May this year and I don’t plan on changing it anytime soon. I’m pretty sure the current iPhone 4 users are pulling their hairs out for not being patient enough to wait for these unexpected new features and upgrades.

This is why I love you for strategies like these, Apple. Your products aren’t exactly the greatest, most perfect pieces of innovation around, plus the fact that they cost a lot of arms and legs, but your marketing strategy really amazes me.⁷

If you do decide to go for the 4GS, you can pre-order it starting at Oct. 7th⁸. The actual phone will be on sale on…. Oh my! Oct. 14th!⁹

1. or was there another new Apple gadget released after the iPad 2 and before the iPhone 4S…? I’ve lost count… [↩]
2. The first iPad was released sometime early April 2010. iPad 2 was released earlier this year in March. Barely even a year since its first version. Hmm… [↩]
3. The one I saw was white and it had a physical QWERTY keyboard that could rival the BB. My current BB model, Torch 9800, in particular. [↩]
4. Dad and iPhone 3GS, Sis and iPhone 4, Bro and iPhone 3GS… [↩]
5. First we’ve got HAL back in the 60s. Next, we’ve got Watson. Today, we’ve got Siri. Go AIs! [↩]
6. My god, Apple, you really are good with your marketing strategies… No wonder I applied for a few job positions with you guys a long time ago… Cupertino is so happy to have you. [↩]
7. This isn’t sarcasm, by the way. [↩]
8. I think this is for the U.S. only…? [↩]
9. My birthday! Hinthint? Just kidding! [↩]