Apple on Tuesday unveiled an updated iPhone complete with a built-in “personal assistant” in a move that failed to dazzle investors but promised to keep the smartphones ahead of the pack. Apple shares slipped on Wall Street after the California gadget maker showed off a slick, improved version of the iPhone but not the revamped next-generation iPhone 5 smartphone many had hoped for. The iPhone 4S features a speedier processor, a “personal assistant” that responds to voice commands and a more powerful camera.
Apple’s stock price slid more than four percent at one point as it became clear the company was not going to wow the world with its latest product. The iPhone 4S will be available in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Britain on October 14 with pre-orders commencing Friday. It will be rolled out by the end of October in 22 additional countries including Austria, Italy, Singapore, Spain, and Switzerland. In the United States, iPhone 4S prices will start at $199 for a 16 gigabyte model and top out at $399 for a model with 64GB of memory. “This new iPhone 4S announcement was a real yawner,” independent technology analyst Jeff Kagan said.
“This iPhone is really not much different than the current iPhone,” Kagan said, wondering whether Apple’s product-launching magic departed with Jobs. “So un-Apple like.”
