We may have been sad not to have been given a totally new iPhone 5 at Apple's launch event, but the iPhone 4S packs some great features and some pleasing improvements over previous models.
Let's take a look at how it stacks up against the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS.
Design
Outwardly, the new iPhone 4S shares the same design and build quality of the iPhone 4. They both have flat front and back glass panels with a metal band around the edge that functions as part of the antenna. That band caused some controversy with the iPhone 4, as many users lost signal when they held it, but we're told that issue has been resolved on the iPhone 4S.
The 3GS is somewhat fatter than the 4 and 4S and we don't think it sits as snugly in the hand. Its extra size won't be good if you make a habit of wearing super-skinny jeans.
The 4 and 4S are available in white, which is great news if you don't like all the drab dark phones on the market at the moment. The 3GS is only available in black on Apple's online store, but you can pick up a white version from various resellers online.
Screen
The iPhone 4 was the first of Apple's phones to use what it calls a retina display, which basically means it's supremely sharp. It makes reading even the tiniest of text on webpages perfectly comfortable. It also displays colours very well, so photos and videos both look awesome.
The iPhone 4S has exactly the same screen, which means you're still getting probably the best mobile phone display on offer at the moment -- although we were hoping for a larger screen as part of the iPhone 5.
Of course, such a high-quality screen comes at a price, so if super high definition and glorious colours aren't as much of a priority you can save yourself a few bob and plump for the 3GS -- it's still a good screen and does the job well for apps and such, you just shouldn't compare it side-by-side to the iPhone 4 or it may make you weep.
Performance
All three phones pack different processors capable of varying levels of power. The iPhone 3GS's processor was a pleasing step up from the 3G, but the iPhone 4 saw the inclusion of Apple's A4 chip bringing speedy performance and impressive graphical ability for running the 3D gaming apps such as Infinity Blade.
The iPhone 4S however is packing the new dual-core A5 chip Apple reckons will make its graphics seven times faster than the iPhone 4. If that's true, expect apps to load in super-quick time and demanding 3D games to run very smoothly. We'll have to wait until we spend some real time with the new phone to see if those claims stack up.
The iPhone 4S also promises data download speeds of up to 14.4Mbps, which is a decent improvement from the roughly 10Mbps offered on the iPhone 4 and a leap ahead of the 3GS's 7.2. The higher speeds offered on the iPhone 4S mean that Web browsing and downloading songs and videos should be much quicker -- good news for those of you wanting to use Apple's iTunes Match service.
These speeds are all very much dependent on our own UK networks as well as the phone's connectivity, so we'll have to wait and see how they measure up when we get our hands on for a full test.
Camera
One of the main upgrades of the iPhone 4S is the camera. It now uses an 8-megapixel sensor that's back-illuminated, which should make it much more capable in low-light situations. It can also shoot 1080p video.
The iPhone 4 packed a 5-megapixel camera that could shoot 720p video. We liked the 4's camera and love editing our pictures on the plethora of photography apps available on the App Store. But it was definitely starting to lag behind much of the smart phone competition who were flying ahead with full HD video.
The iPhone 3GS has only a 3-megapixel camera and no flash, so low-light photos are pretty much out of the question. If you'll be wanting to get some shots of your friends in a dingy bar, we suggest you go for the 4 or 4S, unless you plan on carrying around studio lights.
The iPhone 4S promises a much better camera experience, so if you're a massive shutterbug you should think about stretching your wallet. We're yet to give it a thorough test though, so make sure you check out our full review before you splash your cash.
The iPhone 4 and 4S both feature front-facing cameras so you can enjoy the delights of FaceTiming -- that's video calling -- other iPhone owners.
Price
Which phone you eventually plump for will probably be determined in large part by the amount of money sat gathering dust in your bank. UK providers are yet to announce their price offerings for the iPhone 4S, but it will be available to buy SIM-free from £500, which is usually the cheapest way of doing it if you've the cash spare.
The iPhone 4 is now available in an 8GB version, which brings with it a lower price tag. You can buy it SIM-free from Apple for £430 or get one free on a contract of around £40 per month. These prices are likely to change when the iPhone 4S lands in stores, so keep your eyes peeled.
The iPhone 3GS is by far the cheapest offering, so if you don't need
the higher end features of speed, cameras and voice control you can
pick yourself up a bargain. It's available SIM-free from Apple
for £320 or free from most networks from around £15 per month.
Extras: Voice control, AirPlay
Voice control has been present on iPhones before, but has never really worked that well and pretty much only allowed you to say "Call Steve", which it never seemed to get right. Sorry about all those wrong calls, Dave.
The iPhone 4S brings a service called Siri that makes voice control a much more usable feature. Asking "do I need an umbrella today?" for example, will result in your phone automatically searching and displaying the latest weather results.
You can also use it to set reminders, read and reply to texts and numerous other tasks all without having to place finger to screen. From the demo we saw, we're very impressed and we're really looking forward to giving it a proper test.
The iOS 4 updates to the iPhone 4 and 3GS allowed you to wirelessly stream music to AirPlay enabled speakers -- or through your home hi-fi system using an Apple Airport Express base station. The iPhone 4S brings in AirPlay mirroring, which allows your massive TV to mimic the screen of your phone without having to manually connect it.
It's great news for gaming fans as you can sit back in your comfy sofa and enjoy all those iOS games on a big screen. Angry Birds on an 85-inch TV, anyone?
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Comments 12
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Mark Anderson 6 October, 2011 10:16
Now stack it against the SGS II. Engadget did and the results weren't pretty for Apple.
Simon Fong 6 October, 2011 12:51
If people buy this in droves and CNET gives it yet another Editor's Choice Award - then there really is no hype... it will no longer be about the product and the spec - but about the hype...
The only significant improvements? 8mb camera (already on the market - about to be surpassed).. dual core? already on the market - about to be surpassed).. Siri? has already been available to iphone 4 users as an app - about to be taken away from them.. Google Voice anyone?
A dark day is indeed coming...
This is like the bad old days "wow the iphone has 3g!!!" and "wow the iphone can now mms!" it's truly the most innovative phone ever!! let's give it a better review than anything else out there!
Come on people, time to grow some balls and say it's an over-hyped, over-priced product...
anonymous 7 October, 2011 01:16
Yes Simon but it isnt just about the phone is it!? Its the bril' soft ware. The quality of the apps, the reliability, the unmatchable retina display etc! Yes its too damn expensive but if you can afford it, and 30 million people can, then!? You have to look at things in the round.
anonymous 7 October, 2011 09:17
There once was a time it was the apple fan who sounded fanatical. is it just me or is it the anti-apple fan that is sounding a bit nuts.
Some people seem enraged that so many people like to buy products because they like them (how they look and work) even if there are other phones out where with a higher technical spec!
If you love Android, then you can rave about Android. If you don't like apple... Don't buy them!
I don't like the endless options, menus, setting and clever tuning available on android OS, My iphone just works.
anonymous 8 October, 2011 17:10
Apple is working on the next iphone yet!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY02Kv973oQ
anonymous 10 October, 2011 22:37
I dumped my iphone3g with an email to Steve jobs saying it was unacceptable that by IOS4 it no longer really worked properly at two years of age. Amazingly he replied that at least three generations of future phones would always work. And here we are. 3gS 4 and 4S all working at the same time. In a year though no more updates for the 3GS. So after 12 months with blackberry torch I am now looking forward to being one of the first owners of an iPhone 4S. I expect to get at least until iPhone 6 out of it. Having seen and used android, experienced the mind numbing garbage that is BB OS6 and the vile idiocy of symbian Followed by the unfathomable windows mobile, the lure of my iPad like phone combined to my mac the icloud and Siri, it was all to much. I gave in. And that is what the others don't have, none of them, the full all round "it just works" factor. It's not just the hardware it's the overall package the iOS brings. Other phone users just don't get that. That why other non apple brands survive. For now.
anonymous 12 October, 2011 08:08
Oh Please, my HTC Desire does "Just work", I unlock it, browse the market, install apps as and when I want and use those apps... I never have to dig around in the settings or reboot my phone, the only time my phone is ever off is if my battery runs flat...
If Android was that complex it wouldn't be selling in the numbers it is...
At the end of the day all the completion between iOS and Android mean better OS's all round and we the consumers are the winners...
anonymous 16 October, 2011 10:20
sorry to dissapoint you Samsung Galaxy S2 trumps even iphone4s in my experience apple needs to keep up with competition!
anonymous 19 October, 2011 13:58
I have just sold my sony xperia arc to purchase the iphone 4s, strangley enough xperia arc is £425 and i sold for just £190.. the battery life was awfull, the android app market isn't ideal for a user who wants everything, the android system was constantly crashing, i have had an ipod touch 4th gen for over a year, and this was far greater than my phone for apps and facebook etc, so after purchasing my apple iphone 4s (which will keep it's price) i have used for 3 days and guess what, i can travel and use facebook, listen to music and use google maps for longer than 3 hours before having to try to save my battery, the phone doesn't lag or take forever loading apps, for all the haters out there who do not have an iphone, purchase one.. and see what you say then.. if not just shut up and stop bitching because we seriously couldn't care about your views
anonymous 12 February, 2012 13:03
Its all about personal choice, they all do the same thing but differently. Just like us humans. Choose the phone that does things how you like it to be done. HTC Sensation, Iphone 4s, Samsung Galaxy SII. Had all of them and they all do the same thing really just differently. As humans we like functionality, but also like the detail underneath that functionality which in turn decides which phone we buy, which car we choose, which style house we live in, what clothes we like. Aesthetics and functionality are of importance and its own choice which will take precedence
anonymous 11 April, 2012 10:12
thats very much impressive man..!
champrizi 13 July, 2012 14:44
Messaging on this mobile phone has been given something of a boost by the inclusion of the iMessage, which is a BBM-a-like service for iOS devices. It can be used on any device running iOS 5, which means conversations can be easily carried across on loads of Apple products without an issue. While many will expect iMessage to be a separate app in the same manner as BBM, it simply jumps in when a relevant phone is on the other end of the conversation, meaning essentially free text messaging and cool features like read receipts and being able to see when the other person is typing. However, this will be more useful for iPhone 3GS and 4 models, as it's surely only good to replace text messaging for those that need to save money and haven't got a price plan that offers thousands of messages for free each month. iPhones have always been looked at as decent messaging devices, and that's certainly true when it comes to email. There's a unified inbox for all your accounts, with multiple email addresses supported on the phone. Setting these up is as simple as you'd imagine, with only an address and password needed in most situations. As we mentioned earlier, it's so easy to keep track of your emails thanks to the new notifications system, but it's hardly anything new, so not really a unique selling point. The keyboard is another great selling point from Apple for its iPhone - some people have complained that it's a bit hit and miss in the past, but most people should have become trained in the art of tapping out a message on a touchscreen, so most will quickly be up to speed with the well-known keyboard. There's a new addition to the keyboard, and that's an option to speak out the message reply using Siri. It's almost unerring in its accuracy compared to other voice recognition systems, although you do need to say things like 'comma' or 'exclamation mark' to add in the punctuation. We sent 100 messages using Siri to see the accuracy, and found that the accuracy was around 45%, although shorter messages were obviously better. However, we were relieved to be able to head back to tapping out our messages on the keyboard, as you could make sure what you wrote was correct first go. If you're going to speak your messages, why not just call the person?