Review: Apple iPhone 4s
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Review on Apple iPhone 4s as seen on Seohyun and Tiffany. Released to smattering approval earlier this Fall, the iPhone 4s is the latest in Apple’s wildly successful iPhone line-up, and sits above the 4 and 3GS in terms of pricing and features. We previously reviewed it’s predecessor, the iPhone 4, here.

For those of you who are wondering whether or not to upgrade from the 4 to the 4s, I will answer that question:…maybe. By and large, the features are similar, with the notable exceptions being Siri(covered later in the review), a bump from 5 to 8 megapixels in the camera with improved quality and low-light performance, 1080p video recording, and a dual-core processor. If none of these seem like deal breakers to you, then I implore to wait for the iPhone 5 to get a full revamp of the phone.

The changes I mentioned earlier range from barely noticeable to “how did I live without this?” Apple’s decision to put in a dual-core processor had many analysts touting the 4s as a “speed demon” before launch, and while it is quite fast, only those moving up from models like the 3 or 3GS will notice a huge difference, as it is still on-par with the 4 when it comes to speed.

Camera performance is much improved, with the aperture now being widened to f/2.4(for those of you not fluent in photography, this means it can take better pictures in darker settings), and the resolution bumped up to 8 megapixels. Though more megapixels don’t necessarily equal a better camera, the internal workings by Apple allow this camera to, for some users, replace a basic digital camera. A friend of mine, who is not well-versed in photography, noted that he felt the images beat out his own digital camera, and for most users who utilize it as a snapshot camera, the results are very good. The addition of 1080p video is a nice feature as well, though ambient noise/wind, and the lack of a filter for such things, can lead to spotty sound quality, and the sensor, while good, still struggles with fast motion subjects.

Siri, the most talked about new feature, can be explained as such: The application uses a natural language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of web services. Siri claims that the software adapts to the user’s individual preferences over time and personalizes results, as well as accomplishing tasks such as making dinner reservations and reserving a cab. (Source: Wikipedia. Yes, really.) It is very useful, when it works, and makes even mundane tasks like asking for weather or stocks seem more enjoyable, with the female voice responding to you dutifully with it’s answer.

With those features out of the way, what’s left? The user interface and overall experience is essentially the same as with the iPhone 4, and for those of you who have never used an iPhone or an iPod Touch, it’s very easy to get the hang of, and after awhile, you wonder how you managed to accomplish so much on non-touchscreen phones, especially with the thousands of apps available on the Apple Store, which range from simple games to translators to guides on how to survive a nuclear blast and bear attacks(Infinitely useful, in my opinion. You never know with those bears…). The beautiful “Retina” display remains, allowing colors and images to pop-out, and the handset comes clad either in glossy black or white, and if neither of those colors match with your wardrobe, you can indulge in the hundreds of cases out there until it has “the look.”

The downsides are the same as previous models: the battery is not user replaceable(unless you are fond of cracking open the phone), iTunes, pricing($199-$299, and most carriers require a data plan of $15/month or more), and limited customization of the user interface(unless you jailbreak, of course).

If you are in the market for a new phone, and feel that waiting until next fall for the iPhone 5 is too much to bear, I highly recommend picking up this phone, and for iPhone 3GS/3G users. For those of you who currently use iPhone 4’s, and aren’t sure whether to pull the trigger or not, I would advise you to wait it out, unless one or more of the above features are something you think you can’t live without until then.

4/5 Stars

The Apple iPhone 4s can be found at store.apple.com, and major network carriers.

NOTE: The following is based off the assumption that the iPhones pictures are indeed iPhone4s’. If they are not, which we cannot confirm or deny, the iPhone 4 review is the correct one.

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  1. Danielimnida ·

    how do you know that she got iphone 4s and not the iphone 4? i mean she doesnt show somthing that it really is iphone 4s?

    • SNSDave ·

      An amendment has been made to the post regarding that.

      The review was based on the fact that both of the instances of the phone appearing, Tiffany’s especially, were recent, and it’s not like the group to behind when it comes to technology.

      And at the same time, the counter argument “It also doesn’t show that it’s an iPhone 4” falls into this. We can’t tell if it’s an iPhone 4s, you are right, but you also can’t automatically that it’s an iPhone 4 when they both look the same.

  2. smurfs ·

    Thanks for the review! It just so happens that I’ll be getting an iphone 4s in a few days so it’s good to see a review before I buy it 🙂
    I was wondering about the battery life and why it wasn’t mentioned considering that’s probably one of the biggest complaints I’ve heard.

    • SNSDave ·

      I honestly haven’t found a problem with it. I suppose “power users” are one to complain, but as I assume most people here use it for pleasure, and not to manage stock-accounts or as a replacement for a laptop, the battery life is quite sufficient.

  3. miss mirror monster ·

    i just ordered a white one and i’m getting more excited as i read your review! the techie in me is just spazzing.

  4. Denise Tan 陈敏怡 ·

    I am currently using the iphone 4 and I just see the 4s as another iphone 4 and my dad says the signal on the 4s is not that good cos his 3G gets cut off sometimes and I never planned on getting the 4s this year 🙂

  5. karaageteba ·

    Er, an f2.4 would only affect the depth of field unless they ninja-changed the shutter as well, would it not? Being able to shoot better in low light would have to come from the change in iso, if there was one.

  6. litney ·

    thanks for the review Dave! ^^
    my mom is planning to get this phone but some of her friends say that this phone has a defect. But according to your review it doesn’t seem to have one.