Apple has unveiled an improved version of its iPhone 4 handset at an event in California today, disappointing those who had expected the iPhone 5 to be announced.
The new handset, dubbed the iPhone 4S, is faster and more powerful than its predecessor, powered by a dual-core A5 chip. Due for launch in the US, Australia, the UK, France and Germany on October 14th, the new iPhone will also have an improved camera and voice recognition features.
But Irish users will once again have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the device. The iPhone 4S will hit Irish stores by the end of the month, along with 21 other countries.
It was chief executive Tim Cook’s first major launch since he took over as chief executive of the company at the end of August.
The iPhone 4S will also include a new intelligent assistant, Siri, to send text messages or emails, make calls or notes, search the internet and get directions. Users can also ask the app questions, such as what the traffic is like, and the application can use information it has access to – such as location data – to come up with an answer.
The handset will also be able to roam on both GSM and CDMA networks, and Apple claims to have improved the external, dual-antenna design of iPhone 4, which had been linked to reception problems after the handset’s launch last year.
Apple has faced increasing competition from manufacturers offering handset based on Google’s Android operating system in the past couple of years, including Samsung and HTC. According to Gartner, Android’s share of the global smartphone market was 43.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, while Apple had 18.2 per cent.
And according to Apple’s own figures published at its presentation today estimated the iPhone now accounts for 5 per cent of the overall mobile phone market worldwide.
The company also unveiled new apps for the iOS operating system, including one that will create and send cards, a new location-based “reminder” app, and “Find my Friends”, which makes it easy to share your location with friends and family.
Apple's latest version of its mobile operating system iOS 5, will also include an instant messaging system similar to Research in Motion's Blackberry Messenger. Users will be able to send text messages, photos and videos to other iOS 5 users.
