The Apple iPhone 4S is finally official, Complete Review iPhone 4S on way. Though it is not dramatically different from the iPhone 4, the 4S features a faster processor, better graphics performance, and other improvements. Find out more in our First Take and Before you Buy.
 |
| Explore Tomorrow Apple iPhone 4s Offical View |
As expected, Apple introduced the iPhone 4S at its "Let's Talk iPhone" event on October 4. The news was underwhelming and disappointing to many who were also expecting an iPhone 5. There's also the fact that the iPhone 4S looks almost identical to the iPhone 4. However, there's more than meets the eye, as Apple made a number of changes under the hood to improve on performance, including a faster processor, a more advanced camera, and a new antenna design. In addition, Apple expanded its family to include Sprint and a 64GB model (finally!).
Offering more choice will certainly help Apple's cause, but is there enough to persuade iPhone 4 owners to upgrade? Read on for more about the iPhone 4S and our initial hands-on impressions--we took a Sprint handset for a brief spin just after the event--and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Processor and battery life
The iPhone 4S features Apple's A5 dual-core 1GHz processor along with a dual-core GPU. Apple says the new chipset will make the iPhone 4S twice as fast and offer graphics performance that is seven times faster than the iPhone 4's. Despite the more powerful processor, the company claims the smartphone will be able to provide 8 hours of talk time over 3G, 14 hours over 2G, 6 hours of browsing over 3G, 9 hours via Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video playback, and 40 hours of music playback.
The iPhone 4S features Apple's A5 dual-core 1GHz processor along with a dual-core GPU. Apple says the new chipset will make the iPhone 4S twice as fast and offer graphics performance that is seven times faster than the iPhone 4's. Despite the more powerful processor, the company claims the smartphone will be able to provide 8 hours of talk time over 3G, 14 hours over 2G, 6 hours of browsing over 3G, 9 hours via Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video playback, and 40 hours of music playback.
 |
| Explore Apple iPhone 4S Processor |
The performance upgrades are indeed welcome. We're never ones to pass up more speed in a mobile device, and if Apple can make that happen without hampering battery life, then the entire better. The promised times are impressive, but manufacturer promises can be just that. Though the Samsung Epic Touch 4G and Motorola Droid Bionic had rated talk times of 8 hours and 10.8 hours, respectively, they actually lasted a less stellar 7 hours each in of my test.
During our brief demonstration of the iPhone 4S, the handset did operate smoothly and speedily. We weren't able to test it against the iPhone 4 in a side-by-side comparison to notice exactly how much of a boost the new A5 chip offers, but a change for the better is definitely there.
Siri
The feature that Apple touted most during the event was the new voice assistant called Siri. It doesn't completely replace the current Voice Control feature, but it certainly does a whole lot more. Basically, Siri is designed to deliver information or follow commands that you give it. For example, you can check the weather, ask for a contact's address, set up a reminder, get directions, and ask for obscure trivia like the height of Mount Everest. You speak to a robotic female voice (you can't change her identity) and access the feature by holding down the Home button.
The feature that Apple touted most during the event was the new voice assistant called Siri. It doesn't completely replace the current Voice Control feature, but it certainly does a whole lot more. Basically, Siri is designed to deliver information or follow commands that you give it. For example, you can check the weather, ask for a contact's address, set up a reminder, get directions, and ask for obscure trivia like the height of Mount Everest. You speak to a robotic female voice (you can't change her identity) and access the feature by holding down the Home button.
We used it a few minutes and asked for, among other things, the next day's weather, the mileage between Cupertino, Calif., and Seattle, a reminder to book air tickets to Chicago, and information about the capital of Canada. It responded to most of our questions and commands quickly, but it flaked on finding that Ottawa is the capital of our neighbors to the north (according to Siri, she "didn't have enough information"). We're not sure why that was a problem for her; Siri uses Wikipedia to check facts, and we know that Wikipedia has an article on Ottawa.
Despite the omission, it's a fun and useful feature that we imagine many people will like. The challenge for Apple will be to fully integrate hands-free technology. You will be able to activate Siri with a Bluetooth headset (no word on if you can do it with a wired headset), but we understand that car integration is "coming." Given the abundance of hands-free driving laws, Apple will need to make Siri fully accessible to drivers while they keep both hands on the wheel. Siri will be in beta mode when it launches and will support English, French, and German. More languages will come later.
Camera
The iPhone 4's 5-megapixel camera was already great, but it's about to get better. The iPhone 4S has an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, flash, f/2.4 aperture lens, and a backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that allows 73 percent more light than the previous sensor and should deliver better low-light performance. A hybrid IR filter is also onboard for better color accuracy. Apple also claims the new camera performs 33 percent faster than the iPhone 4's camera, and the A5 processor has a built-in image processor that adds face detection and 26 percent better auto white balance
The iPhone 4's 5-megapixel camera was already great, but it's about to get better. The iPhone 4S has an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, flash, f/2.4 aperture lens, and a backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that allows 73 percent more light than the previous sensor and should deliver better low-light performance. A hybrid IR filter is also onboard for better color accuracy. Apple also claims the new camera performs 33 percent faster than the iPhone 4's camera, and the A5 processor has a built-in image processor that adds face detection and 26 percent better auto white balance
 |
| Explore Apple iPhone 4S Camera 8.0 MegaPixel |
We tried a few indoor shots with the camera and definitely noticed a change from the iPhone 4. In addition to the sharper details, most colors were brighter. We'll have to save our final opinion until we can gauge the camera under several conditions (a sunny day, with a flash, and so on), but we like what we see so far.
Videos also get a boost with the ability to shoot 1080p HD video clips at 30 frames per second and with video stabilization. Yet, even with all the improvements, it's no camera killer.
New carrier
Though it received very little attention during Apple's presentation, the addition of Sprint is one of the day's high points. Over the past few weeks, it was pretty obvious the iPhone family would expand, but that doesn't take away from the fact that millions of new people can now join the iOS family without switching carriers. What's more, Sprint is promising that it will keep its unlimited data plans, at least for now. That alone is a big point in the carrier's favor over AT&T and Verizon Wireless. On the other hand, we'll have to see just how the increase in data-hungry users will test Sprint's network and how the carrier's strong Android lineup will withstand the new competition.
Though it received very little attention during Apple's presentation, the addition of Sprint is one of the day's high points. Over the past few weeks, it was pretty obvious the iPhone family would expand, but that doesn't take away from the fact that millions of new people can now join the iOS family without switching carriers. What's more, Sprint is promising that it will keep its unlimited data plans, at least for now. That alone is a big point in the carrier's favor over AT&T and Verizon Wireless. On the other hand, we'll have to see just how the increase in data-hungry users will test Sprint's network and how the carrier's strong Android lineup will withstand the new competition.
Once we get iPhone 4 review devices we'll do a close comparison of how the Sprint models stack up against the AT&T and Verizon versions in both data speed and call quality. But at the very least, we're always glad to see more customer choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment