The iPhone 4S has launched Friday a few months later than Apple has usually launched its iPhone products in the past.

Could this extra time have been used for Apple to make the latest version of its iOS software, which became available yesterday as iOS 5?

The iPhone 4S has an exclusive voice assistant that makes the new smartphone unique from competitors. But that’s not all that’s different.

Where as in the past the only carrier you could get the iPhone on in the U.S. was AT&T now customers have other options with the addition of Verizon and newcomer Sprint.

The new iPhone is also launching outside of U.S. in countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. By December Apple is set to get the 4S into 70 countries on more than 100 carriers.

An unlocked version of the iPhone 4S will also soon be offered by the company in places like the U.K. and Europe. In the U.S., an unlocked iPhone 4S is promised in November.

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There are more stores other than regular network carrier retail stores to get Apple’s new phone, which include Sam’s Club and Target. Sam’s Club announced that it will sell Apple’s iOS gadgets last October and Target began selling it last November.

More configuration choices include 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models and it is claimed to have data download speed that is nearly twice as fast as the older iPhone 4.

iPhone 4S also provides a service called AppleCare+ that boosts the iPhone’s warranty from 90 days of tech support to two years. For customers that purchase the service for $99, if they damage their iPhones in an accident they are able to get a replacement for a $49 fee.

The new iPhone went on sale today at 8 a.m. local time at Apple Stores and retail partners.