While it does look like the spitting image of its predecessor and the upgrades aren’t that striking either, in the end the iPhone 4S will leave you pleasantly surprised and satiated. With less than 2 days left until the “best iPhone yet” goes on sale, not to mention the one million plus pre-orders of the unit IN A SINGLE DAY, we can imagine diehard fans camping outside their closest Apple AT&T, Verizon or Sprint stores, desperate to get their hands on the newest iPhone , and here’s why.
Apart from the looks, the iPhone 4S keeps the incredible 3.5inch Retina Display and those antennae around the sides that troubled so many users. But, as expected, the issue has been resolved, with the OS now programmed to intelligently switch between dual aerials to whichever is getting the strongest signal.
The 4S uses a dual-core A5 CPU, the same processor used in the iPad 2, which gives it twice the power (compared to iPhone 4) alongside a new dual-core GPU that delivers graphics up to 7 times faster. This means launching apps, browsing the web, gaming, etc will be a breeze .And because the A5 chip is so power-efficient it’s not hard on the battery either.
Apart from the processor, the camera and the OS also get upgraded. The phone comes with an 8 mega-pixel camera with a custom lens with a larger f/2.4 aperture. It is backed by a decent sensor, and of course the A5 processor, and can now capture even sharper shots as well as true HD 1080p videos. As stark an improvement as it may seem though, this is still only at par with the imaging capabilities of its rival smart phones such as the Galaxy S 2. The OS is upgraded to iOS 5 which brings 200+ new features to the device. The most notable and obvious is the new notifications style for texts, tweets and other events. Another useful addition is the ‘To do list’, which allows you to schedule events by time, date and even as you arrive or leave locations thanks to tracking your location.
The most impressive addition to the whole package however, is Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri. Now voice recognition isn’t a new concept, but according to Apple, “Siri not only understands what you say, it knows what you mean.” And Siri does appear to have taken things to a new level. It isn’t integrated into everything that the iPhone 4S does, but Siri does link up with some key features, making it a useful gizmo.
Like the other voice control software, Siri can accomplishing simple tasks such as entering text, checking the weather, setting reminders or perform web searches with ease. But what really sets it apart is that it understands what the user wants to say, even when he speaks like yoda. Also, Siri’s responses to some oddball questions were fun too. For example, Siri’s reply to “I love you,” was, “I hope you don’t say that to your other mobile phones, [NAME].” We see that all reviews are full of praise and admiration for Siri and Apple promises that it “gets better” as it learns your voice (and this is the beta version). Note reviewers now seem to call Siri a “she” instead of an “it.”
The iPhone 4S will be available in 16, 32 and 64 GB memory options priced at 199$, 299$ and 399$ respectively, with a two year contract. It has garnered some glowing reviews and we think it’s safe to say it is a clear step up from the iPhone 4 and the best iPhone yet. But can it topple its immediate rivals? We will just have to wait and see…
