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Summary of Apple's Keynote on October 4th

by SK / October 4, 2011 4:00 PM EDT

Hello iPhone users! Finally, the long-awaited day has arrived: it's Tuesday, October 4th, and the iPhone presentation, better known as "Let's Talk iPhone," just began. Today we bring you a complete summary of all the new features about iOS 5, the new iPhone 4S, and much more.

Cook focused on the figures Apple currently handles. His brief overview of the company's current state included some of the following impressive numbers:

  • Mac OS X 10.7 Lion has been downloaded 6 million times from the Mac Store.
  • 10% of Apple's user base switched to Lion in just 2 weeks. (It took Microsoft 20).
  • MacBook Pro and iMac computers are the best-selling computers in the United States right now.
  • Virtually 1 in 4 computer users in the United States uses a Mac.
  • Over 300 million iPods have been sold during the 10 years (in its different models)
  • The iTunes Store has a catalog of 20 million songs, with over 16 billion sold.

Scott Forstall, who talks about iOS, says that iOS has a 43% market share compared to Android's 33%, and that the App Store is the leading app store with 500.000 apps, of which 140.000 are for the iPad.

It tells us the top 10 options of iOS 5:

  1. Notifications, which can be viewed from above
  2. Swipe to the side
  3. iMessage (Apple's messaging system to compete with BBM).
  4. Push notifications for all devices compatible with iOS 5.
  5. Reminders app
  6. Twitter integration
  7. Newsstand
  8. New camera app to take photos in a faster and simpler way: Double click on the home button and bam, you take a photo and you can use the volume up button to take photos.
  9. A new Game Center to include friends, points, and recommendations for the best games.
  10. The new version of Mail allows you to edit and write more attractive emails.

iOS 5 will be released on October 12th

Furthermore, it's worth noting that over 250 million iOS devices have already been sold, and 18 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store. These are undoubtedly impressive figures that benefit not only Apple but also developers. Cook also mentions that over $3 billion has been paid to the people behind the apps—the developers.

Cards: Create your postcards from iOS

After a brief summary of their product sales figures, the presentation of new products and services begins. The first surprise of the day is the unveiling of a new application called "Cards," designed to create cards directly from your device.

Choose your photos and the folks in Cupertino will print them for you, turning them into postcards and mailing them to your home for $2,99 ​​(€2,20) if you live in the United States, or $4,99 (€3,70) worldwide.

This app will be available for free download from October 12th, the same day iOS 5 will be released!

New features and colors for the iPod Nano

Available starting today, the new iPod Nano comes in seven new colors and offers two models: an 8GB version for $129 and a 16GB version for $149 . Furthermore, recognizing that many companies saw an opportunity and began making accessories for this device (to transform it into a wristwatch), Apple has opted to offer 16 new watch faces for users to choose from.

New iPod Touch

The new iPod touch also shares iOS 5 with the iPhone and iPad, benefiting from all its advantages. Thanks to this update, users can use iMessage and iCloud, making it a much more powerful device.

This new player will be available in two colors: black and white. Its price:

  • 8GB for $199 (€150)
  • 32GB for $299 (€225)
  • 64 GB for $399 (€300)

All iPod touch models will be available on October 12th.

Find My Friends

This is a feature that had been rumored for some time, and Apple hadn't revealed its hand until now. It's probably the most social tool to come out of Cupertino in the last year, and I bet it's going to be widely used by close friends, couples, and families who use Apple mobile devices.

The four main features of this new service are:

  • Parental controls to adjust our children's location
  • Controls privacyto adjust our own privacy
  • Flexible Payment temporary location to prevent them from being shared with others after certain times of the day

The benefits of this tool are easy to see. For example, when trying to locate family members, it can help you make better use of certain trips. Imagine your partner is still at the mall and you remember a product you need. It's also useful for knowing where your children are at all times.

New iPhone 4S

The first thing that stands out about this new model is the dramatic increase in power. An A5 dual-core processor, similar to the one in the iPad 2, guarantees excellent performance for any complex task. Thanks to this, gaming apps, augmented reality services, and especially the newly introduced voice assistant will run effortlessly. During the presentation, the phone was shown running Epic Games' Infinite Blade 2, which will be released on December 1st exclusively for the iPhone 4S , and it truly performed much faster. "Up to seven times faster than the previous model in terms of graphics performance and twice as fast in terms of CPU performance," Phil Schiller stated.

Features of the new iPhone 4S

  • A5 dual-core processor
  • Video processor that is up to 7 times faster than the one in the iPhone 4
  • 8 megapixels (3264 x 2448 resolution)
  • 73% more light per pixel and the new lens is F/2.4 and allows recording full HD video at 1080p with image stabilization and noise reduction.
  • 8 hours of battery life with 3G
  • 14 hours with 2G
  • 6 hours of 3G browsing
  • 10 hours of video
  • 40 hours of music.

iOS is compatible with the following models:

  • iPhone 3GS
  • iPhone 4
  • iPhone 4S
  • iPod Touch 3G
  • iPod Touch 4G
  • iPad
  • iPad 2

Infinity Blade 2 is announced as an exclusive for the iPhone 4S and will be available on December 1st.

The new personal assistant Siri

Personal productivity is taken to the next level, as we'll be able to request information from the device simply by speaking to it. Ordering a nearby Greek restaurant, checking tomorrow's weather, adding tasks to the calendar, arranging dinner with a friend, having unread emails read aloud… these are all things we can request from the iPhone using our voice. Phil Schiller said:

For years, technology experts have dreamed of talking to devices, but until now it has not been possible.

A smart voice-controlled assistant available in English, French, and German.

The new iPhone 4S will be available for pre-order starting October 7th, and will go on sale on the 14th of this month in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan. An additional 22 countries will receive the device on October 28th, including Spain and Mexico, and a total of 77 countries will receive it before the end of the year.

Interestingly, this new model hasn't removed the 8GB iPhone 3GS from the catalog, as it will continue to be available in stores at no cost with a carrier contract. The iPhone 4 follows suit with its 8GB capacity, though it will cost $99 with a contract.

The available models are black and white, and the prices are:

  • iPhone 3GS 8GB free with contract.
  • iPhone 4 8GB for $99.
  • iPhone 4S 16 GB for $199.
  • iPhone 4S 32GB for $ 299.
  • iPhone 4S 64GB for $ 399.

Thank you for your visit, the keynote has ended.