Iphones
In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone, which instantly became one of the most talked-about consumer products ever. Thousands of customers lined up to be the first to buy the phones, which featured computing and Wi-Fi capabilities, along with a crisp, computer-like display on an innovative touch screen. Rivals, including Google, rushed phones with similar features onto the market.
In October 2011, the company unveiled an eagerly awaited new version of the device, the iPhone 4S, that included a “virtual assistant,” Siri, that recognized voice commands by users to schedule appointments, dictate text messages and conduct Web searches.
Although the new phone was virtually indistinguishable on the outside from its predecessor, the iPhone 4, it was packed with better technical innards, including a more advanced camera. The phone also included a more powerful chip known as the A5, the same microprocessor that acts as the brains inside the iPad.
Though many Apple fans expressed disappointment about the lack of a design change, consumers reacted very differently. Apple said it sold more than four million iPhone 4S’s during the device’s first weekend on sale.
In January 2012, after a blockbuster fourth quarter, Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said the iPhone 4S accounted for the majority of iPhone sales. This statement took on added significance considering that at the time, the iPhone 3GS was free with a two-year contract, and the iPhone 4 cost $100. Even in a down economy and with a free iPhone in its portfolio, Apple still managed to sell the expensive, newer 4S to most of its customers.
