Apple iPhone 4S review: Fast 4ward

21 October 2011
The last thing you need is one that looks exactly like your ex. On a second thought, it's too early perhaps to end it. You two did look great together, your iPhone 4 and you. In fact you still do. iPhone 4S owners, this is between you and your phone's inner voice - Siri. iPhone 4 owners, this...

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  • M
  • Mark
  • 3pc
  • 28 Oct 2011

As the current owner of a HTC HD2 (running android 2.3.4) and an iPad2 i'd like to think I am unbiased amongst the legions of android addicts and iPhone fanboys who try to score points over each other on GSM Arena.
However I think the iPhone 4S was pretty unbiased and whilst I wish there had been more info on it's camera capabilities (I.e. low light performance, capture of fast moving images, etc) and battery life (there are reports many are unable charge their phones above 92% or 94%) the article had a lot to cover and managed to pack in a lot of information in it's 11 pages.
The only question now is whether I replace my HD2 with the 4S or wait for the next Samsung Galaxy handset..?! Either way I'll be seeking advice from GSM Arena... as will the rest of you
:-)

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • nCi
    • 26 Oct 2011

    Udit, 26 Oct 2011I am an Android user, and I swear by all those customizatio... morewith all respect man :)

      • U
      • Udit
      • uuu
      • 26 Oct 2011

      I am an Android user, and I swear by all those customizations and power available to me. But Android is a resource hog and that is a fact. If iOS has been optimized to work fluidly with 512 MB of RAM, why is that a problem to you guys? Not Apple's fault that they decided to make their OS good. If Apple has a good camera, then why are Android and Nokia fanboys whining? Not Apple's fault. GSMArena is run by humans, humans have views and opinions. iPhone appealed to them, and they said so, why do the Android users need to get so upset about it? Why not make a good Android phone then to get good reviews? GS2 was a great phone and people agreed with it. It had some faults and they were highlighted.

      GSMArena clearly mentions that iPhone 4S is not for iPhone 4 owners, but for others, and that was Apple's aim too. Why are you whining about it then? Some people prefer a small screen.Some people prefer that they should feel the weight of their phone in the pocket, so that they can be aware if it is stolen in a crowded place. I know I can do without a big screen after using O1 for almost a year now. So I don't see why people are cribbing so much about it. For Android users it's all about benchmarks and numbers and high clocks on processors. For Apple users, it obviously isn't. Why can't people make peace with that?

        • J
        • John
        • sSW
        • 26 Oct 2011

        I thought the review was well balanced. Most people are surprised with iphone 4s hardware performance but being handcuffed to iTunes etc in particular turns off a large market, and the major reason for Android's success. Apple has long been a leader but will be a follower if they continue to turn off a market segment. Sure sales are great, and the phone is better than before, but is it really enough. Too little too late? Android still needs some work, so will Microsoft take up the challenge. Perhaps Nokia's punt will prove to be correct and against market perception. Perhaps they are doing an early Apple.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • jYx
          • 26 Oct 2011

          I have been following GSM arena for more than 5 years. It has been the most visited website I visits every few hours. It recently seems like more in favour to Apple products rather than others. I was initially found there are some points make sense but it is getting worse due to saying Apple recent products being the best. I believe for such a website, it should be more subjective rather than objective. Just to be clear, I myself like apple product but at some points hate it.

            • T
            • The Masked Commenter
            • PNX
            • 26 Oct 2011

            IMO, I cant say i am totally surprised by what the iPhone still lacks. Even though its 3 yrs old, my Nokia 5800 still has things the iphone doesnt. Maybe by the iphone 10, it will have everything it should have had in the first place. Apple continue to sucker people in by trickle feeding features.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • 3Yb
              • 25 Oct 2011

              [deleted post]Use respectful language, and you don't even have to worry about other comments, as yours will not be deleted.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • 3Yb
                • 25 Oct 2011

                Nerd, 25 Oct 2011Got this phne a week ago .. Already found some glitch probl... moreRestart the phone. In the beginning, there is a lot of installing of apps etc, syncing all which can sometimes cause memory to be slightly unstable like any normal computer.

                Restarting normally gets rid of a lot of these problems.

                  • N
                  • Nerd
                  • kJr
                  • 25 Oct 2011

                  Got this phne a week ago .. Already found some glitch problems...for example ..tried going to settings it loads the settings then closes by it self.... But overra its a good phne

                    • G
                    • GET REAL
                    • ucv
                    • 25 Oct 2011

                    I find it funny that people keep dissing the iPhone 4S and say all kinds of rubbish to support Android. Heck, the majority of the people out there who buy Apple products don't even have to throng such tech websites nor give a hoot about what Android fanboys have to say here. They line up at the Apple stores and scoop up the iPhones. The sales volume speaks for it all.

                      • D
                      • AnonD-1825
                      • p77
                      • 25 Oct 2011

                      AnonD-12210, 25 Oct 2011Thats the point . if u see my comment which is deleted nw, ... moreAre you for real? :) You wonder why you post got deleted? Clearly people dont understand how to behave in internet... I give you hint, it was the way and words how you wrote your comment. Is it hard for you write normal comment without those useless extra words what you used? Which made your comment useless bashing/hating comment.

                        • D
                        • AnonD-12210
                        • 7tx
                        • 25 Oct 2011

                        Blankman, 24 Oct 2011Yes, but the N8 only has its Camera as its big feature. The... moreThats the point . if u see my comment which is deleted nw, i dont know why.... i said gsmarena should compare i phone 4s camera with N8 (only cam)

                          • t
                          • thecalmcritic
                          • tV3
                          • 25 Oct 2011

                          From the get go of the announcements, I would have bat an eyelid for the 4S if it wasn't for the pitiful 3.5" screen and the usual Apple way of sticking with incremental product generations. Once you've gone to 4" screen, anything less just can't scream ridiculous unlocked RRPs anymore. Unfortunately for the iPhone it seems that Apple are adamant that the RRPs are complementary to its perceived stature and product ID. It's comical when you read that iFans drew parallels with marque cars such as Mercedes Benz, BMW and Ferrari to the iPhone when none said car makers afaik nned to guarantee that each dealership will impose 1v1 exchanges for e.g cracked back screens etc the way carriers warrant the iPhone 4 previously. Let's not kid ourselves. Those cars aren't made by Foxconn. But of course marketing to fools is more of an art than science.

                          And the much perplexing iTunes file transfer dependency? I wonder if Tim Cook has any inkling of a fantasy to leave his own mark at Apple (to which it's literally blasphemous for most Apple stakeholders and cult followers alike to even consider) I'd wish him the best of luck. For future iOS considerations, he may have to pull some brave yet necessary stunts to risk the game. As it stands however I highly doubt that Tim will ever enjoy the same late Mr.Jobs' luxury of full de facto Apple control.

                          Apple would do well to recognize that iOS from this point on REQUIRES the full creative cooperation of its jailbreaking community. Incentives, outright hires and other legitimate methods are at their disposal to achieve that. Willpower and executive decisions however..

                          /sent from my SGS2 G.

                            • j
                            • jay
                            • 3Jg
                            • 25 Oct 2011

                            what about reviewing battery performance?

                              • B
                              • Blankman
                              • sXG
                              • 24 Oct 2011

                              [deleted post]Yes, but the N8 only has its Camera as its big feature. The "icrap" has a better UI, an App Store that gets all the latest software, a better web browser, is faster...need I go on? I love the N8 for all of its quirks, but Symbian has pretty much been abandoned by the most important developers.

                                • h
                                • hitman
                                • fu$
                                • 24 Oct 2011

                                Dude, 24 Oct 2011You are right. The camera made by Sony. But if Sony is the ... moreits not one element that makes up a camera, Sony only provided the sensor. Optics and IPS make a huge difference

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • mTW
                                  • 24 Oct 2011

                                  How about Consumer Reports? Last year, Android fanboys swore by it due to it not recommending iPhone 4 for antennagate. Unbiased, brave, courageous, honest etc.

                                  Now, Consumer Reports says that the iPhone 4S has one of the best cameras in a mobile phone:

                                  http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2011/10/test-report-apple-iphone-4s-has-one-of-the-best-phone-cameras.html

                                  I am SURE that Consumer Reports are now biased, corrupt, paid by Apple, etc etc conspiracy theory blah blah blah right Android fanboys? Lol

                                    • G
                                    • Geoff Burns
                                    • SwR
                                    • 24 Oct 2011

                                    Sam o2 Guru, 24 Oct 2011The hardware and new ios5 is a spectacular feature for the ... moreMaybe you need to change your network Provider. I had the same problem on three but I changed to Vodafone and it's much better in Sunderland.
                                    Great phone

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-21645
                                      • Gjj
                                      • 24 Oct 2011

                                      I'm not an apple fan, but can appreciate that it has improved on the iphone 4 quite a bit..
                                      And as for a biased review - no - I think it's very good...

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-1825
                                        • p77
                                        • 24 Oct 2011

                                        Anonymous, 24 Oct 2011What leaves me intrigued is the fact that GSMArena claims t... moreExmor R sensor is designed to take good low light photos¨, so i don't know about that.

                                        ""Exmor R" CMOS image sensor features Sony's independently developed back-illuminated structure, realizing significantly higher sensitivity as well as lower noise. In this back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, light is directed onto the silicon substrate from behind, allowing light to be used with a level of efficiency not possible with conventional front-illuminated structures."