Apple iPhone 4S Announcement

Many feel let down by the recent iPhone announcement because they expected to hear about the iPhone 5. And then, Steve Jobs passed away the next day. Maybe it was a good thing. The tame announcement allowed the world to reflect on Steve Jobs’ incredible life and contributions.

Initial Reaction to the iPhone 4S

In times where many companies release products to make a date, they sacrifice quality and risk losing customers. Apple’s holding off on the iPhone 5 implied that it needed more work. Too often, companies release products for the sake of company financials and not for delivering what customers need. How does a company know when a product is ready? It’s ready when it does what the product’s plans said it needed to do and it has passed all tests.

While the 4S didn’t impress, its features brought it to up to speed with the other devices on the market and delivered an easier to use product. Unlike many companies, Apple didn’t roll out a product with more features slapped on. Instead, it thoughtfully considered how users will use the 4S and produced a phone to do that.

Besides, what if Apple had called this its iPhone 5? Imagine the disappointment considering many refer to it as a minor upgrade. This article isn’t complete without a highlight of the iPhone 4S features.

iPhone 4S Features

• 4S has a dual-core A5 chip — same as the iPad 2 — for a faster experience with two times faster processing and seven times faster graphics.
• The digital camera has 8-megapixel resolution and a larger aperture for sharper photos and improved white balance.
• The 1080p HD video records up to 30 frames per second for clearer videos and includes video editing right from the phone.
• 4S uses iOS 5, which integrates Twitter and adds a notification center displaying latest texts, emails, reminders and more.
• It turns a cloudy day into a sunny one with iCloud so you don’t have to worry about losing your data as it stores up to 5GB for free.
• The 4S relies on two antennas for sending and receiving to up the speed from the iPhone 4’s 7.2 Mbps to the 4S’ 14.4 Mbps.
• It introduces Siri Assistant for barking commands to the iPhone.
• The 4S retains the same design and material, so it’s just as breakable as the iPhone 4.

Reading Apple Tea Leaves

Thanks to iPhone 4S release, the iPhone 4 became more affordable. While the iPhone 5 would’ve led to lower iPhone 4 prices, not releasing a major upgrade made it easier for people to decide what to do.

The prediction is that few will upgrade from iPhone 4 to 4S. Most of the people getting the 4S will be new iPhone users or those wanting to dump their pre-iPhone 4 phone. For the price-conscious, they’ll go for the more affordable iPhone 4.

No matter the outcome of the iPhone 4S, thanks goes to Steve Jobs for making this and many other articles possible because writing about Apple products is always exciting because it creates exciting products even when they disappoint.

What do you think of the iPhone 4S features? What phone do you have? How will the announcement affect your future phone plans?