There is no Apple iPhone 5. At least not yet. The much-hyped announcement on Oct. 4 revealed that there will be a new version of iOS and an improved iPhone called the iPhone 4S. But the much anticipated iPhone 5 was never mentioned.

Perhaps the biggest news was that Sprint will finally get an iPhone. But the plans for eventual world smartphone domination by Apple haven't been shelved--those plans are just progressing along a slightly different path than the prognosticators thought.

The bottom line is that the iPhone 4S eliminates many of the iPhone 4 s shortcomings. It has an internal antenna switching system that should reduce if not eliminate the problems with the original antenna causing signal loss if held the wrong way. The new iPhone 4S has a much faster processor, better graphics, a better camera and HD video. Perhaps more important over the long term is that all iPhone 4Ss will be world phones--they will work with both CDMA and GSM networks. The price will remain the same as it was, with the iPhone 4S starting at $199 with a two year contract.

The dual network provision is a real convenience for iPhone customers that travel, but it s better yet for Apple because it simplifies their manufacturing. Apple only needs to make one phone with a choice of case colors. Ultimately this will lead to a lower cost for Apple when it makes the iPhone 4S. That lower cost could ultimately lead to more iPhones globally, where price is a very significant factor and where subsidies are rare.

But Apple isn t planning to build a global market for the iPhone on just the iPhone 4S. The original iPhone 4 will remain on sale and will cost $99 in the Unite States with a two-year contract. The iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a two-year contract. In other words, Apple is bringing the iPhone out of the realm of luxury products and into the world of real people. As long as one of the carriers that sells the iPhone 4 and 3GS is in your area, there's little reason not to buy one.

Perhaps the other reason that Apple will make a big impact on the world of smartphones is the release of iOS 5, which adds a number of much needed features, such as Siri, a personal assistant using voice recognition; a version of Safari with tabbed browsing; iMessage (Apple s version of BlackBerry Messenger), a notifications bar that s revealed by flicking your finger down from the top of the screen like the one in Android devices.

To read the original eWeek article, click here: iPhone 4S, iOS 5 to Allow Apple to Go Global

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