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 is between you and your inner voice. Yes, we know your inner voice is telling you to go for the NEXT iPhone. And no, we're not telling you not to listen to it. Just hang on. Maybe this review will help.
Apple iPhone 4S official pictures
But let's go back and start at the beginning. Every year, a new iPhone is raising the bar for the industry. Usually, it's half a point up - a full point on special occasions. The iPhone 4 was such a special occasion. The iPhone 4S is the half-point type. There probably is nothing special about it. At least, not on the outside.
No, we didn't mean that. The iPhone 4S is still one of the best looking smartphones we've seen. There's just nothing new on the outside to suggest the amount of work done on the innards. And the iOS 5 is only half of the story.
The iPhone 4S is promoted to the dual-core league and has more powerful graphics. There's a major boost to imaging too, with 8MP stills and 1080p video. And on top of it all, Apple try to take voice recognition to a new level with Siri. All in all, the iPhone 4S is a completely different phone under the hood. A brand new device that has been developed for months.
Key features
- iOS 5 with iCloud integration
- Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support with 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
- Dual-band CDMA and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO support
- 3.5" 16M-color LED-backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 960 px resolution
- Scratch-resistant glass front and rear, with fingerprint-resistant coating
- 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU, PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU, Apple A5 SoC
- 512MB of RAM
- Voice recognition, Siri virtual assistant
- 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and touch focus
- 1080p video recording at 30fps
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotpsot
- GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
- 16/32/64GB storage options
- Accelerometer, proximity sensor and a three-axis gyro sensor
- Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary microphone
- Standard 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth v4.0
- Excellent audio quality
- Slim waistline at only 9.3mm
- Secondary front-facing VGA camera
- Built-in Picture and Video editors
- Rich AppStore
- New antenna design and improved signal reception in poor signal areas
Main disadvantages
- MicroSIM card support only
- No Flash support in the web browser
- No true multitasking for all applications
- FaceTime video calls work only over Wi-Fi
- No file transfer over Bluetooth or USB Mass Storage mode (independent from iTunes)
- No FM radio
- No stereo speakers
- No microSD card slot
- Non-user-replaceable battery
- Siri still a beta, location services not enabled outside US
- Stuck with iTunes for loading content
On the other hand, it’s a phone you've already seen. You probably have it in the pocket as we speak. And the list of cons does sound familiar, doesn't it? Ah, there you go. We knew you’d notice. The last thing Apple needed was another Antennagate – and as far as we can tell, they’ve had it sorted out.
Apple will probably let this one slip by with a shy, almost apologetic, “Don’t mention it”. But they’ll certainly feel entitled to at least some gratitude for the other stuff in the new iPhone 4S. Things like the dual core CPU and upgraded GPU, iOS 5 and iCloud integration, the new cameraphone credentials and Siri, the she-Jeeves of the digital age.
The iPhone 4S live pictures
The iPhone 4S is here, and ready for our traditional hardware checkup. Follow us on the next page where we intend to fast-forward through the familiar design. Just don’t put money on it. It’s a phone we may fall back in love with before we know it.
Unboxing the Apple iPhone 4S
No surprises with the packaging. As usual, the box is barely bigger than the iPhone 4S itself and has room for just the bare essentials. We found the usual charger, a USB cable and the same set of 3.5mm earphones as the one we got with the 3GS and the iPhone 4.
Nothing surprising in the Apple iPhone 4S box
Amidst the booklets (an iPhone 4S brochure and product guide) there are the SIM eject tool and a couple of Apple logo stickers. That’s that.
We though we'd find the newly announced microUSB adapter in our European retail package, but there’s no such thing. We wonder what the EU commission has to say about it.
Apple iPhone 4S 360-degree spin
The iPhone 4S has exactly the same size and styling as its predecessor. It's still one of the best-looking smartphones we’ve seen. The impressively slim handset measures 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm and has put on only 3 grams of weight as compared to the iPhone 4.
The Retina display - we know you want one
The iPhone 4 had probably the best screen on the market in June 2010. Of course Super AMOLED’s and ClearBlack’s had a thing or two to say, but the LED-backlit IPS Retina screen had the highest resolution at 960 x 640 and eye-popping pixel density.
The gorgeous Retina display
A year later, Super AMOLED screens are making their HD debut in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus we have the first HD display on a mobile phone. That’s obviously something for the iPhone 5 to try and best but the old Retina is still among the standard-setting screens.
If you’re looking for hard arguments in favor of upgrading from an iPhone 4, the display is not one of them. But the honest truth is few can match the Retina for its crisp graphics, vibrant colors, deep blacks and remarkable sunlight legibility and viewing angles.
Here's our Retina display brightness test:
| Display test | 50% brightness | 100% brightness | ||||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | |||
| Nokia N9 | 0 | 349 | ∞ | 0 | 596 | ∞ |
| LG Optimus Black P970 | 0.27 | 332 | 1228 | 0.65 | 749 | 1161 |
| Apple iPhone 4S | 0.14 | 205 | 1463 | 0.52 | 654 | 1261 |
| Apple iPhone 4 | 0.14 | 189 | 1341 | 0.39 | 483 | 1242 |
| HTC Sensation | 0.21 | 173 | 809 | 0.61 | 438 | 720 |
| Samsung I9000 Galaxy S | 0 | 263 | ∞ | 0 | 395 | ∞ |
| Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc | 0.03 | 34 | 1078 | 0.33 | 394 | 1207 |
| Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II | 0 | 231 | ∞ | 0 | 362 | ∞ |
| Nokia E6 | 0.52 | 757 | 1456 | 0.57 | 1004 | 1631 |
| Nokia 701 | 0.64 | 619 | 964 | 1.12 | 1022 | 905 |
Design and construction
Alright, Apple may’ve raised their own bar too high with the Retina display, but we think they’ve got an even bigger worry. Improving a screen is a game of numbers. If all else fails, up the resolution. But what about something intangible and elusive like personality and good looks. They’re in for a massive challenge with the iPhone 5.
And it’s all their fault. We think it’s next to impossible to repeat the iPhone 4 magic. But go ahead, prove us wrong, Apple.
The iPhone 4S next to the iPhone 4
It’s been more than a year and we still find the iPhone 4 hard to resist. One of the most minimalist phone designs is one of the most compelling. Of course, there is a flipside. The handling is a bit tricky, so be careful at least in the beginning. The finish just doesn’t allow as secure a grip. The glass back is relatively resistant to scratches but unlikely to survive drops. The design has a weak spot - four of them actually - the corners. And the antenna issues were embarrassing, to say the least. The good thing is they’ve been sorted.
The iPhone 4S next to the iPhone 4
In the end though, the iPhone 4S is nothing short of beautiful. Fifteen months and counting, and very few flagships have been able to come close.
Let's get back to work though and put things into a more practical perspective. Although it’s virtually the same design, some of the old iPhone 4 accessories won’t fit the 4S. The Mute button is the reason, it’s slightly offset compared to the iPhone 4, but it’s just the same as on the iPhone 4 for Verizon.
Let’s have a closer look at the iPhone 4S then shall, we? There is nothing surprising at the front. The VGA back facing camera and the earpiece are above the screen, with hidden proximity and ambient light sensors in the vicinity, The round Home button is below the display doing its usual job of closing apps and opening the multi-tasking bar. It now launches the Siri virtual assistant too.
The iPhone 4S front
The left side of the Apple iPhone 4S has the usual Ring/Silent switch and the two round volume control knobs. In iOS 5 the volume up key doubles as a camera shutter too. This part of the iPhone 4S is the main reason your old case may not fit – the Mute key has been moved a few millimeters down, the volume keys have moved a millimeter too. We guess the new antenna design might have something to do with that.
The left side has some changes
On the right side is the microSIM card slot. To open it you'll need the enclosed SIM eject tool. A paper clip or a pin would do too.
The microSIM slot is on the right
The top is where the Sleep/Wake button is, as well as the standard 3.5mm audio jack. There is an extra mic too used for the active noise cancelation.
The 3.5mm audio jack is on top
The iPhone 4S has the proprietary Apple USB cable/charger/dock connector at the bottom, as well as a tiny loudspeaker grill and mouthpiece either side of the connectivity port. No stereo speakers, yet again.
The bottom side of iPhone 4S with the usual inhabitants
The rear features the 8 megapixel camera lens and the single LED flash. The iPhone 4S Li-Po battery has been upgraded to 1430mAh and is non user replaceable. There is no microSD card slot either, not that we expected to see one.
One last change to mention is the antenna design. Speaking of which, the bumper cases are no longer needed other than for protection. Apple learned their lesson from the iPhone 4 and while the iPhone 4S looks practically the same, it features two antennae to combat the "death grip" issue. Note that we don’t mean the dual GSM / CDMA radios. It’s actually two separate antennas, each of which support both standards.
The phone can intelligently switch between the two as needed (even in the middle of a call), so if one antenna is blocked, the other takes over. This means no death grip, no matter how you hold the iPhone 4S.
Unfortunately, the SAR values of have gone up and are twice as high on the iPhone 4S. Those are still within the accepted standards for these sorts of things, but it’s something that’s worth noting.
Handling the iPhone 4S
What we know for sure is the iOS 5 is not skimping on the upgrades. A beautiful phone has just become better and faster. Twice faster at times, which was really impressive. The iPhone 4 is nowhere near sluggish but it’s good to know you have the extra torque when needed. And last but not least, the iPhone 4S finally makes the A-list with 8MP stills and Full HD videos. We’ve got a dual-core smartphone and a full fledged cameraphone waiting in the lab. Let’s not keep it idle
iOS 5 on iPhone 4S
We have a comprehensive review of the iOS 5, which we tested on an iPhone 4. There's nothing dramatically different on the iPhone 4S, except you get two things that won't work on the iPhone 4. One is the Siri virtual assistant and the other is dictation support. Across almost the entire interface, text entry can be based on voice-recognition - you can dictate instead of type. That's it as far as the iPhone 4S exclusive software goes. And in case you've missed our iOS 5 review, this review tries to cover everything there is to know about it.
Simplicity is the philosophy of the iOS. You have a homescreen and apps, no layer upon layer of advanced menus hidden deep. The Settings is the only place where you'll find sub-menus. Basically, the way you interact with the device isn't different to what we saw a few years back in the first iPhone. And we can still safely call it the standard-setting touchscreen interface.
OK, that's where the iOS 5 starts. Let's see where it's heading. Apple say it rings more than 200 new features. We didn't bother counting, but the really interesting things amount to at least 40.
There have been virtually no visual changes to the core interface. In terms of design, the only new thing you'll notice around the Settings menu is the new look of the toggle switches – they're now circles instead of squares.
The familiar homescreen • the new toggles
To go straight to one of the most important novelties though - the iOS 5 has a new approach to Notifications.
Users receive notifications both on the lockscreen and on the homescreen - and there's a pull-down Notification center a la Android. You can set the behavior for each notification: view in Notification Center on/off, view on Lock Screen on/off, Badge icon on/off, number of shown items 1/5/10 and alert style - off/banner/pop-up alert.
The system is pretty flexible and configurable now.
The notification settings
Notifications display on the lockscreen too and they're active. When you respond to a notification by sliding it across the screen, it will take relevant action (return a missed call) or launch the appropriate app. Not bad at all, but not perfect either - if you have more than one missed event. Let's say you have a new email and a missed call notified on the lockscreen. You decide to return the call and when you're finished you go back to the lockscreen to find nothing. A minor thing, but not typical of Apple.
Notifications on the lockscreen
The homescreen notifications (or any app screen for that matter) can be displayed in two ways - as a banner at the top of the screen or as a pop-up.
Notification banner and pop-up on the homescreen
The notification banner at the top stays on for a few seconds and then disappears. If you tap on it you will be taken to the relevant app. The pop-up alert appears at the center of the screen and has two buttons - View and Dismiss.
Finally, the pull-down Notification Center works just like the Android notifications. You can access the Notification Center from anywhere in the interface. If you are in an app, let's say a game, if you accidentally swipe near the notification area, you won't open the notification center, but just a small virtual handle. If you do need to access the Notification Center, you'll have to pull it down using that handle. It does pause the app beneath, so there’s no way you accidentally stray off the road while playing Real Racing.
The Notification Center
The Notification Center displays all your pending alerts. You can enable/disable and rearrange the alerts in the Notification settings.
The Notification Center supports widgets too. Currently there are only two to choose from - Weather and Stocks.
Apple has added dictionary support working in all the native iOS apps such as Safari, Mail, Notes, etc. If you tap and hold on a word and then choose Define from the popup balloon, you'll be redirected to word definition in the integrated iOS dictionary.
The Dictionary works throughout the interface
The dictionary is not a stand-alone app, it works just when you select a word.
There are two more things we need to mention related to the general interface. The first one is the dedicated Camera shortcut on the lockscreen. You can bring it up the same way you invoke the music controls - with a double click of the Home button. The camera key appears right next to the Unlock slider and will launch the Camera app when tapped.
The camera shortcut on the lockscreen • the Newsstand
The other thing is the Newsstand app on your homescreen, which displays as a homescreen folder. All the periodicals you buy at the App Store will go there.
As usual, we conclude our user interface section with some performance notes. You must've already seen the iPhone 4 vs. 4S head-to-head article. Anyway, to summarize, the iPhone 4S is at times almost twice as fast as its predecessor is when it comes to CPU and seven times faster (Apple didn’t lie about this) when it comes to 3D performance.
Here are the results of our benchmarks:
