In a very much belated announcement on October 4th, Apple announced its newest iteration of the iPhone. The iPhone 4S,l like the previous model dubbed “S”, doesn’t feature a redesign, but rather an internal hardware upgrade to keep the phone up to par with the high-end smartphones. The specs boast an upgraded A5 processor, 8 megapixel camera, and compatibility with CDMA and GSM on one device. This feature will help avoid a separation of models between the carriers. Speaking of carriers, along with AT&T and Verizon, Sprint has been added to the list of carriers for the 4S, as well as the previous iPhone 4. Along with this slew of hardware upgrades, the phone features the latest iOS 5. This update will be downloadable for all iOS devices this fall.

The new iPhone is said to have 200 new user features, including a revamped notification system that cures the most irritating bubble interruption known to man. We now no longer have to fear receiving a text that ruins our game of Angry Birds. We also have iMessages, which is a universal messaging system similar to Blackberry Messenger, which will be on all the iOS devices. It will also be freeing its iTunes sync requirement, meaning you never have to have the phone synced with iTunes in order to use it. One feature, though, called the Siri Assistant, seems to be the most advanced aspect of this device. It will replace the voice command software and give you the ability to talk to your phone and tell it what to do. We are only a few stone throws away from having a Hal 3000 in our pocket. A little less sinister, though, this Siri Assistant most likely won’t become self-aware and decide to kill you. (For those of you who haven’t seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, go do so right now.) It appears to be innocent, but there is no better way to explain it than by saying if you tell this thing to text your grandmother, it will. All the native iPhone tasks are compatible and we can only expect that developers will begin to utilize this feature if they haven’t already.

There are some disappointments with this upgrade, though. The lack of 4G is shocking, but then again, being familiar with Apple’s early adaptation sickness, it really isn’t. 4G is notorious for draining battery, and the components for the technology are bulky and expensive. The phone has the same design, which features the “antennagate” gap, that can cause your phone to lose signal just because of the way you are holding it. The issue was treated with the Verizon model, it was dulled rather than gotten rid of. We will only really know for sure what we’re dealing with when we finally get our hands on the 4S. The design also isn’t very sturdy. The glass surface is easily shattered, and the stainless steel bands are prone to scratching. However, it is definitely keeping the iPhone line up with the top tier smart phones out there. We know that Apple wouldn’t add a feature unless it was perfected fundamentally, and 4G chips have a way to go before they’re as skinny and efficient as their little brother, 3G chips. To supplement this, AT&T users will be using HSPA+, which is basically a supercharged 3G connection.

All in all, the iPhone 4S is a solid upgrade that is bound to disappoint power users, but the already committed Apple enthusiasts know 4G isn’t ready for the iPhone, and vice-versa. The hardware brings it up to par with the dual core devices that are ruling the roost, and it gives us that cool-looking Siri technology. We only have a few weeks until we can get our hands on the device, but being so far off from the regular WWDC (worldwide developer conference) announcement that takes place in the summer, we were really expecting something revolutionary. I guess we will have to wait and see what next year will bring, but until then I’m sure this will do more than suffice.