Apple's latest iPhone, the 4S, is here. Is it evolutionary, or all-new? Most of us already know it's a small step forward. Still, we take a technical look at what makes the iPhone 4S different, noting why you shouldn't judge a phone on appearances alone.
Apple's iPhone is now the benchmark by which all smartphones are measured. No matter your opinion of Apple as a company, you have to acknowledge that there's clearly something special about its products. Chalk it up to unparalleled design or simply being in the right place at the right time (if you must), but the iPhone is a device that everyone seems to want.
iPhone 4 (left) & iPhone 4S (right)
Of course, it's one thing to set a standard. It's another to continue redefining that upper bound of innovation. There's certainly a case to be made that the new iPhone 4S doesn't change the game in the same way Apple's iPhone 4 improved on the 3GS. But that ignores Apple's proclivity for building something more than just impressive specs on the foundation of great hardware.
iPhone 4 (left) & iPhone 4S (right)
That's why it's wrong to judge the iPhone 4S on appearance alone. Yes, it looks just like an iPhone 4. And if you set aside the fact Apple is adding Sprint to its list of carriers, you can still count the changes on one hand. Notably, the iPhone 4S features the A5 SoC, an improved antenna design, HSPA+ support, and better camera hardware. However, those evolutionary improvements, taken together, make for a more compelling experience on a day-to-day basis.
- iPhone 4S: Looks Can Be Deceiving
- More CPU Horsepower Equals Better Experience
- GPU Performance: Leaving The Competition In The Dust
- Better Gaming: Infinity Blade And Real Racing 2 HD
- Antenna-Gate: Cellular Signal Woes, Be Gone
- Wireless Speeds: Big Improvements In 802.11n
- First Impressions Of iPhone 4S' New Hardware
Are we to think the iPhone 4s is equal to a tablet? Especially considering the Bionic has a faster dual core (1GHz Core), more RAM (1GB), Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and is a phone, like the iPhone.
Honestly this review is lacking since it doesn't compare actual phones from other companies (be it Android or WP7) and instead compares it to tablets.
Agreed. Excellent point. We'll add other smartphone as reference points.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
Are we to think the iPhone 4s is equal to a tablet? Especially considering the Bionic has a faster dual core (1GHz Core), more RAM (1GB), Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and is a phone, like the iPhone.
Honestly this review is lacking since it doesn't compare actual phones from other companies (be it Android or WP7) and instead compares it to tablets.
I'm not a zealot or apologist, just pointing out most consumers....not nerds like us....just dig the warm and fuzzy of a phone that works and lets them play Angry Birds.
Thanks for catching that. Fixed!
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
Are we to think the iPhone 4s is equal to a tablet? Especially considering the Bionic has a faster dual core (1GHz Core), more RAM (1GB), Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and is a phone, like the iPhone.
Honestly this review is lacking since it doesn't compare actual phones from other companies (be it Android or WP7) and instead compares it to tablets.
I don't know about you but I also think it is amazing that a year later any iPhone can hold its value much better then its competing Android counterpart. When I purchased my Nexus S it wasn't to bad, but a couple months later and a huge chunk of the value was lost. Whether you like it or not the iPhone can hold its value due to the large demand.
The GSII some would say is not revolutionary as well compared to the GSI which is the same approach it seems that the iPhone took from the 4 to the 4S. Even though the GSII has amazing hardware, the software still crashes quite often. You would think that with all the power under the hood that it would work more smoothly but it does not. My Nexus S with the most up to date Android software is still buggy at the most annoying times. If I weren't with T-Mobile I would have probably gotten the 4S. Hopefully the Nexus Prime will come to T-Mobile as well and ICS will have fixed even more bugs and work on a seemless and fluid user experience without crashing or having to send an error report.
Are we to think the iPhone 4s is equal to a tablet? Especially considering the Bionic has a faster dual core (1GHz Core), more RAM (1GB), Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and is a phone, like the iPhone.
Honestly this review is lacking since it doesn't compare actual phones from other companies (be it Android or WP7) and instead compares it to tablets.
Agreed. Excellent point. We'll add other smartphone as reference points.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
I have yet to find someone how thinks the 4S is revolutionary. Innovative, yes, but not revolutionary. And people think iOS5 has new features which Android had simply because people are more aware of the iPhone rather than Android phones. Living in NY, there are a lot of busy routes. One such route which is commonly used to get to Manhattan has a huge billboard advertising the iPhone. Remember, these routes are full of busy people getting to work and so on. The iPhone is going to look appealing to such people. Why? Because they make of majority of the market for smartphones.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
I just happen to have gone from a LG Ally to a Droid Bionic (holy crap major difference.
I can give you my sores but I am a bit afraid they might be off since Verizon tend to load the most crap they can.
Overall its not too bad, its got a PowerVR SGX 540.
I'm not a zealot or apologist, just pointing out most consumers....not nerds like us....just dig the warm and fuzzy of a phone that works and lets them play Angry Birds.
You can't play angry birds on any previous smartphone. The 3GS or iPhone 4 are not up to snuff on that one.
This point alone makes me come to the conclusion... upgrading today is pointless. More so when even with a new contract you still need to burn a few Benjamin.
I play angry birds on my iPhone 3g, and aside from some jitters after loading a map for like 5 secs, it works smoothly after that.
On a different note, I bet the save a bunch of money by using the same body style as the iPhone 4. Not really sure why you need a new body every year anyways, if it ain't broke why fix it?
Well, it has the same processor as a tablet, so in that matter it is equal to a tablet. But totally agree with comparisons to phones, just had to make the point.
S2 may have a better CPU on paper but it's slower than 4S in benchmarks.
Also,screen size is something personal IMO.For me anything up to 4.0" is perfect,also 4S has a better screen resolution.
As for features,well I definitely agree that the notification center looks awfully similar to Android but aside from that,what features were copied ?
Overall,4S is a decent phone IMO,but I really wanted to see a re-design too.