The
new iPhone is no doubt one of the most anticipated products of this year.
Before the launch, it was shrouded by hearsay and speculation in just about
every aspect, even it's name. A lot of us were expecting the iPhone 5, a
re-designed, thinner phone with a larger screen running on a 4G network. A lot
of questions were answered but a lot of people were disappointed when Apple
unveiled the iPhone 4S at WWDC 2011. Same design, same screen size, same
resolution, looks identical to 2010's iPhone 4 and it still only runs on 3G
networks.
But
keep in mind, just about everything that matters on the INSIDE of the new
iPhone has been newly refreshed with a faster dual core A5 processor, upgraded
camera, new version of iOS loaded with 200 new features (which we will go over)
and a digital assistant called "Siri" that exclusively runs on this
new model. Apple has also expanded to a new U.S. provider this year by adding
Sprint, who joined Verizon and AT&T.
The
iPhone 4S sold over a million units on the weekend of its release and Sprint
has announced that it is its best selling phone of all time. Now that the
weekend fun is over and the excitement has somewhat died down, it's time to
take a serious look at whether it was worth all the hype, how it holds up to
the standards of 2011, and if it's worth the upgrade from the iPhone 4.
Build
& Design
As
mentioned earlier, the iPhone 4S looks glaringly identical to the iPhone 4 in
both design and weight. This year-old design withstands the test of time and is
still one of the most elegant looking phones on the market.
Like
its predecessor, the iPhone 4S retains the industrial solid design with a thin
and sturdy build. It's only 0.37 inches thick, 4.5 inches tall, and 2.31 inches
wide (9.3mm x 115.2mm x 58.6mm); and the familiar form factor is not a bad
thing at all. There is still the one concern: the glass back that is easy to
shatter... but this is still a beautiful phone nonetheless.
Screen
No
it's not a 4+-inch screen as rumored; it has retained the 3.5-inch screen size
since the first iPhone of 2007. The iPhone 4S sports the year old 960 x 640
retina display on the 3.5-inch touchscreen and it still looks fantastic by
today's standards, although some may argue that it's starting to look a little
small compared to the larger AMOLED screens that its competitors are offering.
It would be nice if the screen were upgraded to at least 3.75 inches,
especially for those who are always on the road and are dependent on their PDAs
for emails and work. Even movies and games on the phone would benefit more from
having more screen real estate.
Touchscreen
Keyboard
Because
of how solid the iPhone 4S is built overall, typing on the virtual keyboard is
very easy and accurate, especially for those who have small to medium-sized
hands and the sensitivity is great. Pinch to zoom, swiping, and tap typing are
executed with ease and haven't changed that much over the years. The problem
still remains for those who have larger hands and might find it difficult to
navigate at times so it will take a while to get used to. I have medium sized hands
and I "fat-finger" once in awhile when I type on the screen so a
larger form factor will definitely help alleviate that.
Other
Buttons & Controls
The
accessible buttons are simply laid out with the familiar Home button that we've
seen on all iPod Touches and iPhones (sorry, no narrow-but-wide Home button as
had been rumored): Volume Down and Up which you can now use to snap pictures,
the Mute switch, and the sleep/power button up on top. Nowadays it's all about
the touchscreen.
Apple
iPhone 4S: Performance
PERFORMANCE
Now
that I've over-emphasized the resemblance of the Apple iPhone 4S to the iPhone
4, it's time to take a look at what really matters... the actual performance.
This is what separates the two devices. The new model is armed with an A5 chip (the
same one found in the iPad 2), and boasts faster overall performance than its
predecessor. Apple claims that it's twice the speed and 7X the graphics
performance.
I've
spent almost a week with the iPhone 4S and there is no real obvious difference
in how the basic functions in the operating system works from the iPhone 4.
They are actually both equally smooth when you navigate through iOS 5, use the
phone, send and receive emails, and send text messages. However, if you are
reading this review, it's more likely you will be doing a lot more than what's
listed above.
Apple's
latest smartphone really showcases its processing capabilities through just
about every single app from Angry Birds through Zombie Crisis. They load up a
lot faster, and graphic-intensive games such as Infinity Blade don't slow down.
Now if you just use your phone for a few rounds of Angry Birds, Twitter, and
Facebook, you'll appreciate the faster load time, but those apps will basically
run the same as they did on the iPhone 4.
Communications
The
basic phone functions have pretty much remained the same as all the other
versions of the iPhone. It's very basic, straightforward, and easy to use. The
negative side to that is that it's missing some features that are found on just
about every other smartphone such as Smart Dialing, which I loved on the HTC
Android phones I've used in the past.
If
you're a huge fan of widgets, you'll be disappointed that the iPhone 4S and iOS
5 are still lacking in that department, although there is a sort of stock
ticker widget on the Notifications Menu. I just wish they had something similar
to the Jailbreak app called SBS Settings where you can immediately access a menu
to turn off and on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
With
the "improved" antenna and using the phone all day without a case,
I've had no dropped calls thanks to the new configuration, and calls came out
as clear as they can be on the AT&T network. There's also an improvement on
data speeds since the iPhone 4S now supports HSDPA+, and quite a few people
have reported online that they are able to get 8MB+ in download speeds. I'm
based in the Los Angeles Metro area and I've been getting about 4MB-6MB on
average on the iPhone 4S vs getting about 2MB-3.5MB on the iPhone 4.
Software
iOS
5 is Apple's new mobile operating system which launched officially a few days
before the release of the iPhone 4S. Although not the greatest of leaps from
iOS 4.3, there are definitely a lot of enhancements that are appreciated. There
are 200 new features listed on iOS 5, but we are going to take a look at the
biggest and obvious additions.
Notification
System
Since
the release of the first iPhone, people have longed for an improved Notification
System. In iOS 5, Notification Center solves the problem of those obtrusive
pop-ups that interrupt the game that you're playing or the movie that you're
watching on your phone. Just like the Android, if someone sends you a text
message or if you get tagged in Facebook, a notification will appear on the top
of your screen and fade away without stopping whatever you're doing. You can
pull up whatever you missed; see your missed calls and messages by pulling down
the menu from the top of the screen. Sound familiar? Android has been doing it
for years without a Jailbreak!
Wireless
Syncing and iCloud
Steve
Jobs called this a Post-PC World, so why do we need to plug anything in the
computer anymore? iOS 5 cuts the cord where you never have to plug your iPhone into
a PC or even own a computer. Updates are now done over the air and, better yet,
you get delta updates meaning that you just download whatever that needs
updating instead of downloading the entire firmware file like we did in the
past.
Syncing
music and apps with iTunes on your desktop are now done through Wi-Fi. I can
drag and drop songs, edit my playlists and download apps from my iPhone or
docked MacBook Pro without ever having to use a cable. It can be charging in
the other room or downstairs and it will sync and be ready to go.
iCloud
is a new feature in that syncs your contacts, calendar, and photos wirelessly
onto a remote server when Wi-Fi access is available. The Photo Stream part of
iCloud still needs a lot of work. It would be nice to be able to have some
basic management functions such as DELETE instead of just leaving all your
pictures on the cloud and having them pushed onto every single iDevice with
your AppleID on it!
As
for backup and restore via iCloud, I strongly recommend leaving a backup on
your local computer. I actually did a restore from data I backed up from the
iPhone 4 over to the 4S and it was not a good experience. It took almost an
HOUR to sync back my contacts and apps even on my 100MB connection, which would
only take about 15 minutes if I used a USB cable.
Twitter
Integration
You'll
now be able to tweet directly from your photos and other apps without having to
open the Twitter app, making it convenient to share pictures, web links, etc.
You will also be able to sync Twitter with your contacts list.
Reminders
I've
been waiting for this feature since the first iPhone. In iOS 5, you will now be
able to sync with your Outlook and Outlook Exchange Reminders to the phone
without a third party app. This is a pretty welcome addition especially when I
need to create a quick to-do list or need some reminders without having to
flood the Calendar with my personal stuff. What makes this app stand out is
that it has location based notifications meaning that instead of setting a time
on when to remind you to do something, you can set it based on location. For
example, if you arrive at your home, you can have it remind you to put your
wedding ring back on so your spouse doesn't get suspicious...and so on.
iMessage
Apple's
answer to RIM's Blackberry Messenger is now included in iOS 5. It is cleverly
built directly into the text-messaging program so you can send texts, photos,
and videos to anyone running iOS 5 around the world using data and will not
count towards your SMS/MMS limit with your carrier if you aren't on an unlimited
texting plan.
The
limitation to iMessage as that the other side needs to have iOS 5 as well. If
the other party is not running iOS 5 or is on a different platform such as an
Android or Blackberry, then it will go off your SMS quota.
Siri
Currently
exclusive only on the iPhone 4S, Siri is a digital voice assistant that is
built into the OS. You can think of it as JARVIS from the Ironman movies --
it's quite not that advanced, but it is getting there. Those who have used
Google Voice Search or Vlingo on the Android will find Siri similar to those
apps. What separates Siri from its rivals is that you don't have to talk to it
like a robot, but instead talk to it like a person and ask it questions or to
do tasks for you. For example, you hold the Home button down to activate Siri,
and then say, "Text Joe, 'hey man what's up?'" instead of saying
"Send a text to Joe Schmoe, 'hey man what's up?'" If you want Siri to
play a song... you can say "Play something from Green Day" and it will
automatically do it.
The
app itself is very intelligent. Just for my own personal ego boost, I have Siri
call me "Master" from now on. All I had to do was say, "Call me
Master" and Siri will remember it. You can also assign aliases on your
contact list as Siri will remember who your brother is or if you have nicknames
for your friends.
Since
Siri is integrated into the OS, you can simply ask what the weather is like in
Rome, what time it is in Hong Kong, etc and it will give you an answer. The OS
integration reaches into the email program as well. You can simply tell Siri
who you want the email sent to, what the subject line is, and then dictate your
message. Once you're done, you can have it read out to you before sending, and
make modifications if you have to (just like in iMessage).
You
can also use Siri to set your appointments or even location-based reminders
when using your voice. What's really cool about this is that Siri will tell you
if you're going to be running into a schedule conflict and you can give it
another time in a conversational manner instead of having to re-initiate the
entire voice command.
To
be honest, my first impressions of Siri when it was announced was that it was a
gimmick used to give people the incentive to buy the iPhone 4S, but as I use it
more and more, it has become a very useful tool, especially when I'm driving.
Being able to send messages and play songs that I want on my iPhone while on
the road using my voice is a very useful feature. It's also much safer than
fumbling with the phone and or the head unit of the car while driving.
I
can go on and on about this as there are a lot of possibilities. Siri is still
in beta at the time of the iPhone 4S release and I'm excited about the upcoming
and ongoing improvements in the near future.
Entertainment
When
it comes down to the variety of mobile applications and games, the iOS platform
is still the one to beat -- there are over 500,000 apps to choose from, If you
are a fan of video games, you should be happy to know that Konami, Square Enix,
Capcom, and Electronic Arts are among Apple's third-party lineup. And for the
most part, Apps usually come out on iOS before they reach Android and
Blackberry, such as Angry Birds and Spotify. The App Store itself is well
organized and the issue of fragmentation is nearly nonexistent since only Apple
makes the iPhone.
And
of course, there's the built-in Music and Movie Player with AirPlay support, so
if you have an Apple TV or AirPlay capable device, you can stream your audio
and video collection to it. There's also a variety of Apps that support AirPlay
as well. My favorites are Crunchyroll and Stream to Me which I use to stream my
movies and anime onto my TV. If you don't have an Apple TV, you can buy an HDMI
adapter and connect it directly to your TV as well.
Camera
If
you're a point-and-shoot photographer/blogger, then you'll be happy with the
8MP camera on the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 4 itself already took great pictures
and video, and I've been using it daily to post photos on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, etc... It has completely replaced my point-and-shoot camera which
has been collecting dust over the past year.
Now
comes the new camera on the 4S with higher megapixels, a CMOS sensor that
improves photography in low-light situations, and faster camera performance thanks
to the A5 processor. Photos are noticeably sharper and clearer and pictures at
night come out a lot better.
With
iOS 5, you can crop and auto-enhance your photos directly from the camera roll
without a third-party app. One thing that could be improved about the photo
edit feature is that you should be able save your edited image as a different
file, instead of overwriting the original one. Here are some photos to compare
between the 4 and the 4S.
Battery
Life
Editor's
Note: Several weeks after the debut of the iPhone 4S -- and after this review
was published -- Apple released a system software update that significantly
improved the battery life of of this smartphone. It is now capable of going
several days with light to medium usage.
This
is where the iPhone 4S falls short. The battery actually drains quicker than
the iPhone 4, which had excellent battery life. In doing some intensive battery
testing between the two devices, the iPhone 4 outlasts the 4S more than 2X
longer. I spent a day with each phone doing similar tasks: texting, web
surfing, scheduled talk times, etc. In fact, I had a much busier day when I was
testing the iPhone 4 where I took it off the charger at 8:12AM with 100%
battery life, and then didn't even plug it in overnight. The next day, about 24
hours later, it still had 16% battery life left!
On
the iPhone 4S, I took it off the charger at 8:31AM at 100%, but at 8:45 pm that
night, it was already down to 1% left!!!
CONCLUSION
To
sum it all up, the Apple iPhone 4S is one of the best phones out in the market
today, with a massive variety of apps and third-party developer support, a
familiar industrial design that still works, and improved hardware to a
year-old phone that was already great.
Now
the big debate is if it is worth upgrading to if you are a current iPhone 4
owner. This is a tough question to answer because aside from Siri, there really
isn't anything revolutionary about the iPhone 4S. And if you are an iPad 2
owner, you are already familiar with the capabilities of the A5 chip and the
gaming experience is better on the tablet's larger screen.
In
the practical sense, the overall speed increase and better camera is welcome
but the iPhone 4 can handle iOS 5/Apps, as well as take good photos already.
Unless you really need all these improvements and Siri, you can survive another
year with the iPhone 4 instead of paying more for the early upgrade to the 4S.
Now
if you are coming from a 3GS or below or are tired of Windows Mobile and
Android, this is definitely the phone to get.
If
you can afford it and want the latest and greatest, you won't be disappointed
with what the iPhone 4S has to offer.
Pros:
Faster
Processor
Better
Camera
Siri
Voice Control
500,000+
Apps Available
It's
more or less a speed-bumped iPhone 4
64GB
Storage Space Now Available
Cons:
No
LTE/4G Support
iOS
still lacks widgets and customization
It's
more or less a speed-bumped iPhone 4
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