The iPhone 4S wasn’t quite what many expected, and to be fair, we did contribute to the iPhone 5 hype by reporting on the various pre-launch rumors, but now the iPhone 4S is here, and it is selling well. The question is: how good is it, and is it for you? While the hardware changes are few, some are significant, and the iPhone 4S has the advantage of using a largely proven design, which is “mostly” compatible with existing accessories. It also has the most apps, and often the best apps. But is that enough to counter a relentless Android eco-system that improves day after day? After the announcement of the Droid RAZR and the Galaxy Nexus, this is a legitimate question.
In this review, I will go over the pros and cons of the iPhone 4S, including the new A5 processor, the low-light camera and of course… Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant. Are you ready? Let’s take the iPhone 4S for a ride.
Context
We all use smartphones differently, so it’s important that I tell you what I do with my smartphone: I typically check my email often with the built-in email app (via Microsoft Exchange), and I reply moderately because the virtual keyboard is slow, even on large displays. I browse the web several times a day to check on news sites, but I rarely watch movies or play music. I don’t call much – maybe 10mn a day, if at all. On the “apps” side, I have a couple of social networks, a receipts manager, but I rarely play games or do something super-intensive. This usage pattern will affect battery life and the perception of what features are useful.
External design (“same same”, excellent)
iPhone 4 legacy: the iPhone 4S looks, and feels, just like an iPhone 4. Although there are minor differences that may make some smartphone cases not compatible (my Belkin transparent case is not compatible for example), both phones feel extremely similar. I don’t think that covering this aspect further will do any good (you like it, or you don’t), except for one aspect: the display size.
The case designs are so tight that tiny differences in button placement can make cases incompatible
Display: For those who aren’t playing with smartphones all the time like we do, you should know that the current trend is going towards larger displays of 4”, 4.3” 4.5” or even 5”. As of now, the iPhone 4S has kept the same 3.5” format than its predecessors, with the same high resolution (960×640) that is still one of the best today. However, 1280×720 pixels displays are scheduled to come out next month, so the sharpness of the the Retina display won’t be so unique anymore.
Modern smartphones have gotten bigger, more comfortable -and lighter- than the iPhoneResolution aside, the sheer size of the display can be an important factor in the level of comfort of a smartphone. It makes text and virtual keyboard keys bigger and that increases both comfort and productivity, which is why so many iPhone die-hard fans were hoping for a bigger screen. To put it simply, the “one size fits all” design policy of Apple doesn’t quite work anymore. Just like they do with laptops, Apple will eventually have to cater to the needs of their clients who want a larger display.
It’s really up to you to decide which form factor works best for your own usage, but I would strongly recommend looking at larger alternatives – just for the sake of making an informed decision.
Despite its age, the iPhone 4 design still feels "premium" and that is very attractive to many buyers
Good design sells: a large number of people who want to get the iPhone 4, do so because it is a nice object. We can argue about its size, thickness and even weight, but in the end, it’s only fair to say that despite its age, this is still a beautiful smartphone design, possibly the nicest one out there. The downside of all this glass and metal is that it makes the iPhone 4 much heavier and fragile/brittle than other phones. Look at the iPhone 4S versus Galaxy S2 drop tests, this pretty much says it all.
Display quality: as it has been the case since the iPhone 4, Apple is using an LCD IPS display, which is one of the best out there. It is very bright and has great color accuracy. It’s nemesis, the AMOLED display has superior contrast, but colors are often too saturated (some would say psychedelic), which some people like, while others don’t.
Networks & Carriers (many!)
Sprint: The recent availability of the iPhone 4S with Sprint brings more choices to iPhone users, but the differences can be subtle, so I’ll share with you how I thought of it for myself: AT&T is the legacy carrier, so chances are that many 3G and 3GS users would be tempted to stick with it, to avoid the hassle of changing carriers. However, if your 2-yr contract has expired, there is little downside to switch network.
International GSM for all: AT&T runs on a GSM network, which has been typically been handy when roaming worldwide, and for resale value (as I could resell internationally to someone who would unlock the phone, somehow) – that was my pre-iPhone 4S thinking.
Some iPhone 4S have support for both CDMA and GSM, CDMA users from Verizon and Sprint can roam on GSM networks worldwide so the 4S has changed the game for international travelers.
“Legit” unlocking is now an option: AT&T has clearly stated that it would never unlock any iPhone (this is outrageous, and a mistake), while both Sprint and Verizon have pledged that customers with an account in “good standing” may get a GSM network unlock after 6-months. This means that you can use a foreign SIM card and get cheap rates (voice+data) outside of the USA. That said, U.S GSM networks (basically T-Mobile+AT&T) would still remain out of reach of Verizon+Sprint customers.
To me, this is huge, because this means that I can unlock my phone to use SIM cards worldwide, and even resell my iPhone 4S to a GSM user anywhere in the world, when I’m done with the phone. Obviously, I could also jailbreak my phone to unlock it, but I really dislike the hassle of re-doing this every time I update the OS. The availability of the Jailbreak may also not fall in line with my travel plans…
Data speeds: Finally, I should add that AT&T’s HSPA+ should *in theory* be faster than Verizon and Sprint 3G in terms of peak download performance. However, in my case, the AT&T network if often clogged and within the city of San Francisco and Boston, my experience has been that Verizon’s iPhone 4GS offers a comparable experience with better coverage (using email, some web browsing and Facebook mainly). Results will vary depending on who tested it (and where). Sprint was generally the slowest iPhone 4S network in the independent reports that I looked at.
The iPhone 4S is a 3G phone on Verizon and Sprint, and a 3.5G (HSPA+) phone on AT&T’s network. Remember that with Verizon and Sprint, you cannot use voice and data simultaneously. It is usually not a big deal, but some people really like searching for stuff on the web while carrying a conversation.
T-Mobile USA: network-unlocked iPhone 4S will be available in November, but they unfortunately don’t support the frequency used by T-Mobile to run their HSPA+ “4G” network, so you would be stuck with the older data protocols. In short, it will work, but the network will be slower than it normally would.
