Siri takes the spotlight in slick iPhone 4S TV commercial

Apple has begun airing its first television ad for the hyped iPhone 4S, but instead of focusing on improved hardware, the ad’s emphasis is all about Siri, the phone’s handy “personal assistant.”

The iPhone 4S has been a smashing success in the sales department, with more than 4 million units sold in the U.S. in its first three days of availability. Apple’s big three selling points for the new device are the 8-megapixel camera that could viably replace your point-and-shoot, the dual-core A5 processor that speeds it up and the Siri personal assistant. In VentureBeat’s review of the device, Devindra Hardawar noted Siri was easily the most noticeable addition.

The 30-second ad, called “Assistant,” is simple, effective, and maybe most importantly, cool. It runs through several people talking to Siri on their iPhones with various questions and problems. Examples include one woman saying “We have a flat tire,” a man asking “How do I tie a bow tie again?” and a woman asking “Do I need an umbrella in New York this weekend?” Finally, the ad demonstrates Siri helping a woman find telephone numbers for a locksmith after being locked out. And of course it wouldn’t be an Apple ad without a narrator calling the iPhone 4S “the most amazing iPhone yet.”

It’s curious why this ad wasn’t launched even earlier, as Apple usually has a great ad on hand when it launches a new iPhone or iPad. Maybe the company didn’t realize how well-liked and how talked about Siri was going to be when it introduced the software. I know that Siri is the first thing I usually show people when I show off my iPhone 4S, and I’ve even heard people on the street talking to Siri as if it (or perhaps she) is a real person.

Watch the full iPhone 4S commercial with Siri below: