Apple iPhone 4s review

This is not an Apple iPhone 5, however the new update is also somewhat sufficient to quench our thirst for something more out from the stable of the Cupertino-based mobile phone manufacturer. If you have also attended the “release of iPhone 4S’’, you must have gotten the aches of dissatisfaction by now, as this gadget was not expected by one. This device is actually a new spin on an aged handset that will stun no one however give it some chance & it manages to impress, as a unique feature known as “Siri’’ is present in this updated version of iPhone 4.

If you don’t mind paying for some improvements, then this device could be your next purchase – and I personally commend this amazing inclusion of a voice-operated smart assistant. Similar to what iPhone 3GS did to the iPhone 3G, the 4S pushes the iPhone 4 down to second-rate position. Apple iPhone series is notorious for its call-drop issues, however here some improvements try to solve this issue as this handset is capable to switch between different exterior antennas.

Software (iOS and Siri):

iOS 5 brings a plethora of enhancements, some minor and some rather more major. The update has broken all records, with millions downloading within the few initial days of its release. The one aspect we will chatter on about is Siri, the remarkable digital helper. This feature is the result of the evolution of the Siri Virtual Assistant, a result of a DARPA project known as CALO. Apple bought the firm in the beginning of 2010 & now that feature is included right into the heart of the new operating system.

Siri is only available on the iPhone 4S, a questioning & apparently illogical rejection of other iOS-running gadgets. Interestingly, since you require an active data-connection to utilize Siri so it’s obvious that the heavy-lifting for voice recognition is occurring through the Apple’s huge data centers, so why doesn’t Apple permit lower-spec products to enjoy this facility. It seems that they want to make this feature exclusive to the iPhone 4S, however there is no stopping the spirit of jail-breakers. And, as the iPad 2 runs the A5 chipset at an even superior clock speed, we can’t find any good reason of making Siri an exclusive property of the iPhone 4S.

Siri can accomplish several tasks, such as sending text messages & e-mails to locating your favorite restaurants & receiving directions. This feature, however, was available on other gadgets & platforms even before it was included in the iPhone 4S. It’s actually the enhanced capability of Siri to recognize carelessly spoken English that allows it to stand out from the crowd. Also there is one great part that makes this feature excellent: users do not have to memorize every command.

Hardware:

Apple has stuffed quite an impressive number of enhancements, such as the A5 chipset – and yes this is the same chip powering the iPad 2. The device is running at 1GHz, which is a little below the desired 1 GHZ mark, anyway RAM is still stuck at 512MB. The memory capacity is doubled this time to 64 GB, making this device a good substitute to its sibling, the iPod. The latest craze in the industry is the quad-core processor and the 4G connectivity, unfortunately here you get none. The obvious 3G network support will however not make you feel lost, although if you already have an iPhone 4 do not buy this update just for its connectivity traits.

Appearance:

The exterior is fairly same as we have seen on its predecessor, and if you desire for a new layout then look somewhere else. Very few will be impressed with the design, and quite frankly we were disappointed on seeing the same framework. The handset is truly a fine piece of technology from inside, however the manufacturer needs to understand the importance of innovation before designing any new handset. Hopefully the iPhone 5 will bring a breeze of freshness with it, otherwise tech buffs will again get disappointed.

Battery life:

Apple iPhone 4S ensures that you continue your communication life without worrying about the battery-life, and quite frankly we care more about being the battery being more frugal than becoming heftier. Some simple tweaks internally can do the job efficiently, and here Apple does the same thing. However, the Cupertino-based mobile phone manufacturer has extended the talk time on 3G network but decreased the stand by time, which has made us curious. If you don’t care about the longevity of your battery, and are more concerned about the performance iPhone 4S performs similar to a young smartphone despite the fact that most of its assets are now outdated.

In our tests, the video playback time came out to be around 8 hours. Thus, watching movies is possible on this handset, although the small screen can spoil the mood. The 40 hours of music play back, however, eliminates the need for buying a separate music player.

Display:

Apple iPhone 4S still flaunts a 3.5-inch screen which again raises the same question – is Apple ignoring the ground realities in the smartphone market? See, the display is great but it’s the same screen that we saw on the iPhone 4 around 16 months ago, and the whole world is busy observing much-bigger panels and seeing the world with a 3.5’’ screen appears a tad narrow. However, when tried watching Infinity Blade 2, the graphics of that awesome game were impressive and this ensures that the gaming urges of gaming-fanatics will certainly be satisfied.

Camera:

Apple is so conceited of the iPhone 4’s reputation as the most admired handset on photo-sharing websites such as Flickr. Here, falling in perfect line with all the rumors the camera is 8 MP, which eliminates the need for purchasing a new digital camera at least for amateur photographers.

We also tried clicking some snaps, and the first thing that struck us was the speed with which this snapper works. Hopping from one shot to the other is now a pleasant experience, which makes us commend the smartphone. Like a tourist, we clicked some snaps for our testing purpose and the phone was not restricted by alterations in the level of contrast as we have seen in Samsung Galaxy S2. Video-recording is also remarkable, and the lens was never hunting for focus during our test.

On the whole, the camera is great but there is one aspect that Apple missed out – its location. The location is a bit close to the edge as per our observance. Next time we would like it to shift a bit towards the center of the handset.

Conclusion:

So, what’s our verdict on this miracle? This is obviously the most-excellent handset in the market, however should we upgrade from our existing iPhone 4 to this handset. At the moment, the lack of 4G connectivity and the small 3.5 inches screen discourages us from recommending this product. Although, the 4G technology is still in the nascent stage and quite frankly it will take some time for the market to be mature enough to offer decent downloading speed over the new network. Apple’s logo at the back should not be the only reason you to purchase this handset.