Apple unveiled the highly anticipated fifth generation iPhone on October 4, 2011 at a keynote address at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif. headquarters.
The new device, dubbed the iPhone 4S, was introduced by first time keynote leader and Apple’s chief executive officer Tim Cook, who replaced the late Steve Jobs in August. The iPhone 4S will run on iOS 5 and has an updated 8 megapixel camera and the capability to shoot video in 1080p HD.
The iPhone 4S also introduces Siri, an application that allows the user to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more with their own voice. The 4S is also the first iPhone to feature the iCloud, which allows users to store music, photos, and documents wirelessly.
“I believe Apple intends to make quality relationships with its customers that keep them coming back for more, which is one reason why they rule the cellular device market,” says sophomore electrical engineering major Kevin Walther. “I certainly feel an attraction towards Apple for the prestige of its devices and the overall user-friendliness of the interfaces they feature.”
The iPhone 4S will, in addition, become the first iPhone to run on Sprint, the nation’s third largest carrier behind Verizon and AT&T, respectively. Sprint will be the only U.S. carrier to offer an unlimited data plan for the both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.
The smartphone market has seen a tremendous change in the release gap between the iPhone 4 and 4S, particularly due to the rise of Google’s android operating system.
According to comScore, the iPhone lost seven percent of market share in the 13 to 44 year-old demographic between 2009 and 201, but gained the same percentage of users 45 and older. The Wall Street Journal also notes that the last iPhone was introduced 15 months ago.
“A lot more of my friends are buying Androids and Blackberries,” says junior neurophysiology major Pooja Doshi. “Our generation is fascinated by newer products and the iPhone has been around for [four years].”
The iPhone 4S, which became available for presale on Friday, will officially hit the stores on Oct. 14.