Apple iPhone 4S / Reviews

The iPhone 4S is just as excellent a smartphone as it’s recent predecessors. It delivers a huge range of functionality along with an entire ecosystem that all together makes it one of the best phones in the market right now. Things like AirPlay, which I’m a huge fan of, are neat little features incorporated which Apple has done a good job of pushing. And accessory-wise you’re spoiled for choice with an iPhone.

Admittedly, noone is really a huge fan of iTunes as a software package, but there is a bit of convenience in having a backup of your entire device, along with one app to deliver your music and video. With iOS5 you can choose to just sync to the iCloud anyway.

That all being said, it’s easy to criticize the iPhone 4S. The in-box headphones are poor, the screen could have been bigger, the battery life would have lasted longer, and there is no NFC, Expandable memory or Flash support. It could have gone with a different design than the iPhone 4, and iOS could be more open. I also have issues with the insanely expensive pricing of the iPhone 4S in India.

If these things are important to you, there’s plenty of choices elsewhere. There are more exciting smartphones out there that might draw your eye.

But if not, the iPhone 4S is most likely just exactly what you’re looking for.

Read original review at UnleashThePhones.

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Whilst Apple’s new iPhone 4S may look like the outgoing model, its faster CPU, enhanced antenna and new optics combine to make it one of our top 3 smartphones currently on the market. Regarding Siri - it sure is an interesting concept, but we soon lost interest as the novelty faded. The iPhone 4S comes with an RRP of R7699 for the 16 GB model, R8999 for the 32 GB model and R10299 for the 64 GB model.

Read original review at Techsmart.

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The Apple iPhone 4S is the next step in the evolution of the iPhone. Apple had already set the smartphone bar very high, and this device gives it a substantial nudge higher. The vast selection of iPhone apps continues to grow rapidly, expanding the phone's capabilities almost daily. The iPhone's computing capability is made possible by its fast A5 processor. Its video and still-camera capabilities far exceed previous editions, and the introduction of Siri, even though it's still in Beta testing, position this device far ahead of its competitors.

Read original review at Top Ten Reviews.

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Is the iPhone 4S better than the iPhone 4? Unquestionably. But are the minor speed improvements, upgraded camera performance and Siri enough to justify the upgrade for most iPhone 4 users? I don’t think so.

By all accounts, the iPhone 5 will be a major update to the line, with a larger screen, even faster performance, a new OS, LTE and possibly even new technologies like NFC. If you don’t mind spending $500 or $600 next year to upgrade to a truly new-and-improved iPhone 5, upgrade away. If not, don’t jump ship just yet; your current iPhone 4 with iOS 5 will carry you for the next seven months or so and won’t leave you missing much.

Read original review at Pocket PC Central.

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The iPhone 4S is as easy to use as ever, and sees the arrival of several improvements. The most substantial of these include visibly better photos from the digital camera and the faster processor speeds. The new voice services from Siri are a clear part of Apple's strategy to add more and more services to the basic product—we're just looking forward to seeing it work with some more apps.

Read original review at Digital Versus.

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There were some of you who asked me why I would upgrade from a 4 to a 4S. To be honest, I wanted Siri and a different color.

But as I started using it more, I realized why Apple would release just a simple internal upgrade. This move positions the company to bring a brand new design next year, along with a few better specs, at the same price point. If Apple had chosen to release a new design, it probably would've been stuck running an A4.

That being said, there's no reason you need to upgrade if you've already got an iPhone 4. There isn't enough of a performance boost yet; we'll have to wait for apps that can take advantage of the better hardware. If you've got a 4, you've got a great phone that will still outperform plenty of others.

Still, if you own a 3GS, now's the perfect time to upgrade; unless, of course, you're waiting for the redesign. But even if you are, I'd definitely consider the 4S. It's a great device, and one I know I'll enjoy using for quite some time.

Read original review at Pocketables.

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It’s testament to the quality of the iPhone as a piece of design and a piece of hardware that it remains so competitive. For audio quality, ease of use and the entertainment on offer from apps and iTunes, it’s hard to beat.

But the screen looks small and some of the shine has gone from the iPhone’s crown. With a new model due in the autumn, Apple will surely look to deliver something revolutionary rather than evolutionary.

Read original review at What Hi-Fi.

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The Apple iPhone 4S may not have a brand-new design or some of the features that other top-tier smartphones do these days (such as a larger screen or 4G connectivity), but it does offer what is arguably the best smartphone experience of any device on the market now. It improves upon the massively successful iPhone 4, and takes the crown as the best smartphone you can get. It is not perfect, but Apple's blend of an easy-to-use interface and stellar construction add up to a great smartphone that competitors are still trying to match. Though the iPhone 4S may not appeal to owners of the iPhone 4 due to its similarities to the older model, I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is looking at their first smartphone or is wanting to switch to iOS from another platform. You could certainly do far worse.

Read original review at MobileBurn.

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The iPhone 4S is every bit a smartphone, and an excellent one at that. The range of functionality that it delivers, along with the entire ecosystem that it inhabits, still make it one of the best phones on the market. Apple has done an excellent job pushing things like the App Store and incorporating features that see wider adoption, like AirPlay, its wireless streaming system, for example.
To us, the iPhone 4S feels as though it has responded to the competition, it's adapted a better notifications system, and ushered in new features, but in many ways we can't help feeling it has adopted some of the nice things about Android. For some, the concern might be that it's adapted Android's battery management issue too. The iPhone 4S is likely to be exactly what some people are looking for. For others, the excitement in other smartphone quarters could well draw their eye.

Read original review at Pocket-lint.

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Unless you’re a diehard fan of the iPhone and have an unlimited stash of moolah lying around waiting to be used, or simply have an upgrade available, there’s no denying that you’ll find the iPhone 4S as the most amazing one yet. Sure we love its faster dual-core processor and improved camera, but the single best feature with the smartphone is found with Siri – it simply just works! However, not everything is peachy with the handset, which is evident by its less than gracious battery life. Our biggest gripe with regards to the iPhone 4S's features is the lack of 4G, which means it will provide slower data connectivity compared to LTE handsets on Verizon, for example. However, it should be noted that the iPhone 4S is just as fast as some 4G-branded smartphones on AT&T and T-Mobile.

Well, if you happen to be an Apple iPhone 4 owner, we really don't see too many reasons why you should upgrade. However, if you have an older iPhone, the iPhone 4S will obviously be an awesome choice, due to its beautiful design, outstanding performance and cool features. If we have to compare it to the top of the line Android handsets of today, we believe the iPhone 4S has what it takes to compete successfully. Of course, whether you should side with it or a high-end Android phone depends entirely on your personal needs. One thing is certain – the iPhone 4S is not perfect, and neither is any product from the competition. They all have their pros and cons, but considering the current state of the landscape, we wouldn't go as far as to proclaim an ultimate leader. Frankly, the iPhone 4S will appease the appetite for now, but if it’ll take a full year before we see its successor, it might find itself in a disadvantage in the long run, as Android and Windows Phone continue to gain steam with each device that’s released into the market.

Read original review at PhoneArena.

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