Meh.

In text-speak, that is the impression left by Apple's AAPL +1.39% presentation of the new iPhone 5.

It isn't to say that it won't prove a huge seller. The new smartphone will have a larger and sharper screen, a thinner and lighter profile, a faster chip and an updated voice assistant that Apple hopes will work better.

From a hardware perspective, Apple is just catching up to rival devices already in the market. That applies to the fact that the new iPhone will finally operate on carriers' next generation LTE networks. Even so, that addition alone may make the iPhone 5 an even bigger seller than its blockbuster predecessor, the iPhone 4S. That phone also received a lukewarm reaction at first. And though it didn't include any upgrades as significant as running on a faster network, sales were through the roof.

Apple sold 37 million iPhones in last year's fourth quarter, the first full quarter after the 4S was released. That compares with 14 million in the first full quarter that the iPhone 4 was available.

One indicator of huge pent-up demand is the number of iPhone users looking to trade-in their old devices with secondhand-phone specialists like Gazelle and NextWorth. Respectively, those two report a five times and seven times increase in folks looking to trade in their old Apple smartphone in the weeks before this announcement, compared with the same period ahead of the launch of the 4S.

Part of the increase surely is due to more people becoming aware of such trade-in services, yet it still suggests that iPhone fans are more eager to get their hands on this model than the last.

And yet, the wind at Apple's back may soon taper off. Rival devices now surpass the iPhone in many crucial respects. As well, Apple is running out of new carriers to stock the phone and boost distribution. IPhone 5 may be the last Apple smartphone whose sales blow the market away.

ROLFE WINKLER

• impression [im´preʃən]   n.印刷；印象；效果   (初中英语单词)
• screen [skri:n]   n.银幕 vt.遮蔽   (初中英语单词)
• assistant [ə´sistənt]   n.助手；助理；助教   (初中英语单词)
• operate [´ɔpəreit]   v.(使)运转；操作；经营   (初中英语单词)
• generation [,dʒenə´reiʃən]   n.发生；世代；同龄人   (初中英语单词)
• addition [ə´diʃən]   n.加；加法；附加物   (初中英语单词)
• reaction [ri´ækʃən]   n.反应(力)   (初中英语单词)
• running [´rʌniŋ]   a.奔跑的；流动的   (初中英语单词)
• distribution [,distri´bju:ʃən]   n.分配；分布(状态)   (初中英语单词)
• seller [´selə]   n.销售者；行销货   (高中英语单词)
• significant [sig´nifikənt]   a.重要的；意义重大的   (高中英语单词)
• announcement [ə´naunsmənt]   n.通告；宣布；言谈   (高中英语单词)
• launch [lɔ:ntʃ]   vt.发动 n.发射；汽艇   (高中英语单词)
• surpass [sə´pɑ:s]   vt.超过，胜过   (高中英语单词)
• presentation [,prezən´teiʃən]   n.介绍；赠送；提出   (英语四级单词)
• hardware [´hɑ:dweə]   n.五金器皿   (英语四级单词)
• predecessor [´pri:disesə]   n.前任；前辈   (英语四级单词)
• network [´netwə:k]   n.网状物 vt.联播   (英语四级单词)
• respectively [ri´spektivli]   ad.各自地；分别地   (英语四级单词)
• profile [´prəufail]   n.侧面 vt.画...侧面   (英语六级单词)
• perspective [pə´spektiv]   n.望远镜 a.透视的   (英语六级单词)