So much for all of those pundits who had us assuming Apple would introduce the iPhone 5 on Tuesday.
Instead, America’s most revered smartphone maker debuted the iPhone 4S – the next version of a device that has symbolized the mobile computing age.
The iPhone 4S will feature a retina display and dual-core processor that makes it twice as fast as the previous version, Apple said during a media event at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and now Sprint, will sell the gadget, which will be priced at $199, $299 and $399 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB units, respectively, with a two-year contract.
The gadget will be available on October 14 in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. Apple reportedly will broaden distribution to 70 countries and 100 carriers by the end of the year, reflecting the company’s fastest rollout ever for the device.
Analysts had been expecting Apple to debut a brand-new version of its popular gadget – ingeniously dubbed the iPhone 5 – but that didn’t happen. Those looking for a new exterior design were left open-mouthed, jaws on the floor.
Still, the somewhat reasonably priced iPhone 4S could be a huge hit, particularly with Sprint customers and in countries with an insatiable demand for slick mobile devices, but where price may be more of a barrier to purchase. The unknown is the existing iPhone owner: Will there be enough here to get him or her to upgrade?
In the United States, Apple already sells the iPhone through AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the two largest mobile operators whose smartphone sales have been rapidly accelerating. Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless operator, is making a enormous gamble on the iPhone: The carrier has committed to purchase 30.5 million iPhones from Apple despite the fact that it would lose money on the deal until 2014, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The debut of the iPhone 4S is the first major product launch under the leadership of Tim Cook, who replaced Steve Jobs as chief executive officer after the man credited for building Apple into a tech powerhouse resigned over the summer.
