Apple iPhone 4S
No game-changer, but still one of the most talented smartphones on the planet
Write your own reviewFor
Solid design; intuitive operating system; bright, crisp images; sounds entertaining
Against
Supplied headphones sound weak; relatively expensive
The Apple iPhone 4S has been greeted with equal measures of adoration and indifference since its launch. With many hoping for a completely redesigned iPhone 5, the unveiling of a tweaked version of the 4 was seen by some as an anti-climax.
But try telling that to the millions who made the 4S Apple’s fastest-selling device.
Compared with the old iPhone 4, the 4S is equipped with a faster processor, the same dual-core A5 chip found in the iPad 2.
The differences can really be seen when opening and flicking between apps, while accessing web pages through the Safari browser happens much more quickly both over wi-fi and a standard 3G network.
The 4S has an 8MP camera (the old one was 5MP), with new optics. You can also now record video in 1080p and play it back via HDMI (or wirelessly via Apple AirPlay and an Apple TV) on a flatscreen TV.
It looks virtually identical to the 4, but the silent switch and volume buttons have been shuffled along the left-hand edge to accommodate a new aerial configuration.
Improved antenna design
To avoid another ‘antennagate’ scandal, where holding the handset a certain way could result in a loss of signal, the 4S now sports dual aerials to help keep the signal robust. It works, and call quality is clear.
There’s no change to the LED-backlit Retina display which made the iPhone 4 such as success.
The resolution remains a not-too-shabby 960 x 640 pixels, but the 3.5in size starts to look a little stingy compared with screens found on handsets from the likes of Samsung and HTC.
Capacity has changed: the 4S is available with 16GB and 32GB of memory, as before, but there’s now also a meaty 64GB version.
Awesome operating system
A smartphone is nothing without an intuitive operating system (OS), of course. Apple’s latest, iOS5, is one of the best, with a range of new features and user-friendly touches including iCloud (see below right).
Combine this with Apple’s slick user interface and you have the recipe for a rewarding and intuitive user experience. Swiping, prodding, double-tapping and pinching have never been so fun.
Apple’s extra addition is Siri, an impressive voice-recognition software that allows you to croon your commands – ‘Call my wife’; ‘Send a text to my boss’; ‘Play the Coldplay album’; etc – with no need for finger contact with the device.
All these changes haven’t had any major impact on picture or sound quality. The iPhone is still as musical as ever. Ditch the (still not great) supplied earbuds, and there’s detail, rhythm and dynamics to enjoy.
Sound at its sweetest
Opting for the 64GB model gives you plenty of room to store Apple Lossless or WAV files and it’s with these that the iPhone sounds at its sweetest. Adele’s Someone Like You flows along with effortless fluidity.
Even with a 320kbps AAC file or a 256kbps download from the iTunes store, the iPhone boasts more than enough insight and rhythmic nouse to keep the listener entertained. Bombay Bicycle Club’s Shuffle is perky and upbeat, with snappy percussion and natural-sounding vocals.
Video playback is near-identical to that on the iPhone 4, although our sample had
a slight yellowish tint to the screen. Online reports suggests this could be due to an adhesive still drying and that it will fade.
Either way, the iPhone displays a crisp, detailed picture. Play a download of Iron Man 2 and the red and gold of Tony Stark’s metal suit look realistic. As Iron Man soars through the sky, the video remains stable and composed and the iPhone refrains from reducing him to a gold and red smear.
While the iPhone 4S might not be the handset the world desired, it has moved smartphones on, and can’t be ignored.
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