Lots of people are scratching their heads over Apple’s iPhone 4S announcement. Did Tim Cook and co. drop the ball? Or is the outlandish iPhone 5 rumor mill to blame for such high expectations?

Regardless of the what you think about the iPhone 4S, Apple certainly knows what it thinks. In fact, you can see exactly how Apple retail employees are being instructed to pitch the iPhone 4S to customers.

Leander Kahney: I’m excited about the iPhone 4S. The old iPhone 4 model is a great handset; probably the best smartphone on the market. It’s a great design: easy to pocket; tough as nails; and very functional. Why mess with success? I know many fans are disappointed by the lack of a bigger screen or new design. Bu tI think the internal upgrades look phenomenal. A better antenna, a much faster chip and graphics, plus a great-looking 8MP camera! The best smartphone is even better.

Siri looks astonishing — truly sci-fi stuff. If it works as advertised — and that’s a big if — it will certainly change the way we use our smartphones. I’m already a big fan of Google’s voice search, which is great while walking or in the car. But Siri greatly expands the things you can do. I’d love to be able to set alarms, reminders, send texts and emails with a few simple commands. And it’s likely that the number of capabilities will quickly expand into other areas.

And being able to dictate everything rather than typing will make a big difference to me. I suck at typing. I can see my iPhone becoming my primary input device for writing and email, rather than my iPad or iMac.

Of course, we’ll see how it works in real life. Talking to my iPhone will undoubtedly feel strange and unnatural. I’m in no hurry to look like Scotty in Star Trek talking into the mouse. But I’ sure I won’t be the only one.

Pre-orders start Friday for the iPhone 4s launched today – more on the specs here. It ships October 14 with Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant app, but it’s no iPhone 5.

Are you ready to buy one? Tell us why or why not in the comments.

How do you follow an act like Steve Jobs, the best presenter in the business?

The answer is you can’t, and you shouldn’t even try.

Tim Cook should be given credit for that, even if his performance at the iPhone 4S launch today was subdued and low-key.

Okay, we all know the next iPhone is going to be announced in a little under three hours… but which one? The iPhone 4S or the iPhone 5?

Claiming they have been “briefed” on today’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event by “sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the guys over at The Next Web say they’ve confirmed the iPhone 4S, which will have the same form factor, an A5 processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera with “improved optics” and more. Don’t expect the iPhone 5.

Editor’s Note: We first posted this yesterday, but for readers who didn’t see it, we’re bumping it to the top of the page so people know what’s coming in just about three hours.

Hey, we know: after sixteen months of rumors, figuring out exactly what to expect from Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event tomorrow can be confusing. Well, let us break it all down for you. Here’s everything we know (or think we know) about what Apple’s going to announce tomorrow. It’s going to be a hell of a show.

Case company Hard Candy is busy manufacturing 50,000 cases for a mystery Apple device.

The device probably looks like the mockup above. It might be the iPhone 5 or a new, bigger iPod touch. It has a 4.44-inch diagonal screen, which is much larger than most observers are expecting for a new iPhone.

Whatever it is, Hard Candy expects Apple CEO Tim Cook to unveil the device at today’s press event. And the company is busy churning out a range of different cases that will be on store shelves when the device ships.

Analysts foreseeing Apple introduce two iPhones at Tuesday’s event should get their eyes fixed. That’s the message from a Wall Street expert predicting the tech giant will unveil one new handset, but reduce prices on the iPhone 4 to $99 and the iPhone 3GS to free with carrier contract.

Verizon Wireless has reportedly offered staff at its call centers ‘unlimited overtime’ this Tuesday — the day Apple is set to announce its fifth-generation iPhone. Although recent reports claim the device will launch a week or two after the event, Verizon is “expecting something big to drop THAT DAY.”

Apple’s upcoming ‘iPhone 4S‘ seems to have appeared all over the place over the past few days. Firstly the Cupertino company itself leaked the device within an iTunes beta, then Cincinnati Bell listed it — along with the iPhone 5 — on its website. Vodafone Germany is the latest to claim its share of the free publicity, listing the device on its website with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage.