UPDATE 5-New iPhone on sale, fans buy in tribute to Jobs
* Critics rave about phone’s voice control, otherwise no
revolution* Users report glitches with iOS 5 operating system, iCloudBy Michael Perry and Mayumi NegishiSYDNEY/TOKYO, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Apple Inc’s new
iPhone went on sale in stores across the globe on Friday, with
fans snapping up the final gadget unveiled during Steve Jobs’
lifetime, many buying the phone as a tribute to the former Apple
boss.Hundreds queued around city blocks in Sydney and Tokyo to
get their hands on the iPhone 4S, ahead of store sales in
Germany, France, Britain and North America.”I am a fan, a big fan. I want something to remember Steve
Jobs by,” said Haruko Shiraishi, waiting patiently with her
Yorkshire terrier Miu Miu at the end of an eight block queue in
Tokyo’s smart Ginza shopping district.The new model looks similar to the previous iPhone 4 but has
an upgraded camera, faster processor and highly regarded
voice-activated software, which allows users to ask questions.Australian Tom Mosca, the first to buy the phone in Sydney,
said he would ask his new white iPhone: “Where’s Steve?” Many
Apple fans believe the phone was called iPhone 4S to mean “for
Steve”.Apple CEO Tim Cook and his executive team hope the first
device sold without their visionary leader at the helm will
protect them against a growing challenge from the likes of
Samsung Electronics .The South Korean firm, Apple’s arch-rival with smartphones
powered by Google’s Android software, expects to
overtake it as the world’s biggest smartphone vendor in terms of
units sold in the third quarter.The iPhone 4S — introduced just a day before Jobs died —
was dubbed a disappointment because it fell short of being a
revolution in design, but glowing reviews centred around its
“Siri” voice-activated software have helped it set a record pace
in initial, online sales orders.In Tokyo, 24-year-old Ryosuke Ishinabe said: “I just wanted
the newest iPhone. I want to try out iCloud.”Despite the enthusiasm at Apple stores, the launch was
marred somewhat by widespread complaints this week on the
Internet about problems downloading iOS 5 — the latest version
of Apple’s mobile software.There were also problems with iCloud, Apple’s online
communications, media storage and backup service formally
launched on Wednesday, with users reporting glitches such as
losing their email access.Those concerns pale compared to the problems for rival
Research in Motion , which has been grappling
with an international outage of its Blackberry email and
messaging services for several days.JOBS SHADOW OVER iPHONE LAUNCHThe vast majority of the iPhone 4S buyers at the Sydney
store appeared to be existing Apple customers, many having
bought the original iPhone and its subsequent upgrades. Only one
out of 10 people surveyed by Reuters was a new Apple customer.”I have been waiting for the iPhone 5 for a long time. But
since Jobs died, I wanted to make sure I had a new iPhone with
some advantages over the old,” said iPhone devotee Mark Du,
concerned over future Apple gadgets without Jobs in charge.Apple fans in Sydney and Tokyo made sure Jobs was part of
the iPhone 4S launch, with flower, candle and photo shrines to
the late Apple boss erected outside the stores.Underscoring the enthusiasm for the new phone, Japanese
mobile carrier Softbank Corp had to temporarily stop
contract applications after its computer system was overwhelmed
with more requests than it had expected.Apple said it did not release sales figures on launch day,
so gauging initial sales is difficult. Apple said it had taken
more than 1 million online orders in the first 24 hours after
its release, exceeding the 600,000 for the iPhone 4, though that
model was sold in fewer countries initially.Some analysts expect fourth-quarter iPhone shipments to
reach 30 million or more, almost twice as much as a year ago.Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone uses chips from Qualcomm Inc
, Toshiba and a host of smaller semiconductor
companies, according to repair firm iFixit, which cracked the
device open on Thursday.APPLE SOFTWARE CRITICISMApple’s iOS 5 software became available this week and is
intended to upgrade older phones and enable new features such as
better Twitter integration.But glitches with the new iCloud service and mobile software
sparked a chorus of user complaints.”This would be a great time for like, Samsung or something,
to take out a sponsored ad,” user Ryan James Kirk tweeted.The iPhone — seen as the gold standard for smartphones —
is Apple’s highest-margin product and accounts for 40 percent of
its annual revenue.Analysts point to several factors in Apple’s favor: a $199
price that matches up well with rival devices; availability
promised on more than 100 carriers by the end of 2011, far more
than its predecessors; and glowing reviews.In a sign of how tough the competition is, two doors along
from the Sydney Apple store, Samsung has been selling its new
Galaxy SII for only A$2 to its first 10 customers each day,
prompting Samsung fans to also camp out on the footpath.
