The iPhone 4S supports CDMA and GSM, and sports faster 3G, dual-antennas, a better camera and a clever voice-activated assistant

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

October 4, 2011

1 Min Read
Apple's Latest Is a Faster 3G 'Worldphone'

Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) included many of the updates expected for the iPhone 5 in its latest smartphone launch Tuesday but actually dubbed the device the iPhone 4S.

New CEO Tim Cook unveiled a faster 3G smartphone that can support both GSM and CDMA at an event at the company HQ in Cupertino, Calif. As expected, the phone also sported a better camera and a clever little voice-activated personal assistant called "Siri."

Here's a rundown of some of the new features:

  • It's a "worldphone" that supports both CDMA and GSM that will be available for AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), Verizon Wireless and -- for the first time -- Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S)

  • Faster data transmissions and better voice quality through intelligent switching dual-antennas

  • Support for High-Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) 3G on the GSM side. The maximum download speed possible over this network upgrade is 14.4-Mbit/s, and 3-Mbit/s or less is more typical on average, although Apple's antenna update may juice that up

  • New A5 processor that will allow eight hours of talk time on 3G and six hours of 3G browsing

  • A voice-activated personal assistant on the phone that can let users make appointments, search, set alarms and dictate documents over the phone. According to The Guardian's live stream, the voice-recognition capabilities of Siri are impressive

  • A new eight-megapixel camera with faster point-and-shoot capabilities and 1080p video capture



The new phone will be launched on Oct. 14 in the U.S., Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Japan. It will be priced at $199 for $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB version and $399 for the 64GB monster.

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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