14 DAY TRIAL // If you’re up for some iPhone nostalgia, here’s something that you didn’t even know existed. An iPhone 4S ad that has never been publicly released has just made its way to the web, highlighting some of the capabilities which back then were considered pretty innovative.
Starring John Krasinski, the ad is, well, cringy, to say the least, and it occasionally feels unfinished, so maybe this is the reason Apple decided not to release it.
While it’s interesting to watch, the ad shows just how much the iPhone in particular, and technology in general, has evolved in the last decade.
iPhone 4S was announced by Apple on October 4, 2011, and it came with new capabilities, including a dual-core A5 chip, a significantly upgraded camera with 1080p HD video recording and, as the number one highlight in the ad, the debut of Siri.
Apple itself bragged about the capabilities of Siri baked into iOS 5 (which debuted alongside the iPhone 4S).
“iPhone 4S also introduces Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Siri understands context allowing you to speak naturally when you ask it questions, for example, if you ask “Will I need an umbrella this weekend?” it understands you are looking for a weather forecast,” Apple said at that point.
“Siri is also smart about using the personal information you allow it to access, for example, if you tell Siri “Remind me to call Mom when I get home” it can find “Mom” in your address book, or ask Siri “What’s the traffic like around here?” and it can figure out where “here” is based on your current location. Siri helps you make calls, send text messages or email, schedule meetings and reminders, make notes, search the Internet, find local businesses, get directions and more. You can also get answers, find facts and even perform complex calculations just by asking.”
You can watch the unreleased iPhone 4S ad here.