Apple iPhone 4S Review: iOS 5 + Siri

[Julio Franco]

Read the full article at:
https://www.techspot.com/review/459-apple-iphone-4s/

Please leave your feedback here.

 

[Nima304]

Guest said:
Why you didnt mention it does not have a proper file manager, no SD card support, No USB functionality and it is nothing without itune!!!
even u can not transfer your musics directly to your phone and listen to them. the bluetooth functions are bs! the screen size has not been changed since 5 years ago!! even u can not watch movies easily without converting format to mp4

I'm not a fan of Apple at all, but I have to agree. Why didn't you mention the limited connectivity iPhone 4S has, the fact that its physical specifications are majorly lacking in some departments compared to other smartphones (especially RAM). The file manager on 4S and iOS5 is still crappy, and everything, as said by the person I'm quoting, is still done through iTunes. I'd give the 4S a 67 or so if I were to rate it.

 

[slh28]

As an owner of an iPhone 4 and and having seen a 4S in action, I have to say that a 95% score is very high... The whole experience of a non-jailbroken phone is way too restrictive, I can't even imagine my phone without biteSMS, SBsettings, iFile or My3G to name a few. Also the fact that you are forced to use iTunes.

Siri just seems to be a gimmick IMO, it only works in USA for people with American accents and I can't really imagine talking to my phone at work or on the train or even at home.

 

[Burty117]

Why does everyone think you are forced to use iTunes? iOS 5 brings the ability to buy an iPhone and never have to connect it to a computer? Or am I mistaken?

Either way i'm getting one of these, my 3GS is looking very dated now...

 

[Guest]

If you want to transfer music, apps or videos to the iphone with ios 5 you still need to be running iTunes *somewhere* in your network. Yeah you don't have to physically plug into a computer anymore as it will synch over wifi but iTunes is still needed to transfer stuff back and forth.

 

[Guest]

I'm all for the new 4s, I think it's a decent upgrade but in these days with all the techs and upgrades most other mobile phones have like usb/change your battery, increase memory through sd card and such, i cant help feel that the score is way too high! if you were to review another mobile phone you'd certainly hold that against them if you thought they lacked in that apartment but now thats its an Apple, it's like it doesn't matter.... I call the review a bit biased.

 

[Julio Franco]

I should mention that the review (and by extension the final score) of the 4S was given by our friends and partners at MobileBurn.com. By republishing the review on TechSpot we have expressly agreed to their views, even though we didn't actually write the review. I believe Dan's opinions are well founded and he's got tons of hands-on experience with dozens of today's latest phones to conclude what he believes is one of the best smartphones out there in the market.

With that said, let me add... I agree about iTunes, I've always hated the interface and overall dependency on the software, but millions of iOS devices later, average users don't seem overly worried about that. As for specs, I certainly enjoy out of the box USB or HDMI on occasion but for now it's a trade-off when you go Apple. The file manager and other stuff is secondary on a device that's supposed to simplify the way you interact and work on the go. It's clear that if you give priority to those kind of things you should take a closer look at Android phones. To be honest, if I had reviewed the 4S myself I'd have given it a slightly less stellar 90/100, but still high marks for improving on what was already a fine device.

 

[Guest]

If Apple were to put in more RAM (at least 1Gig), HDMI and USB support I would maybe consider it, but for now it is a deal breaker for me.

 

[Guest]

Samsung Galaxy S2 has microSDXC support (confirmed to be working with microSDHC and at least 64GB microSDXC). So theoretically, it can support 2TB one day. More realistically, people will be inserting 128GB and even 256GB cards into it during the lifecycle of the device.

Native hardware accelerated DivX/XviD/MKV support. While it is not always a highlighted feature, take into consideration that iPhone no longer allows even software decoded divx, xvid, mkv.

Going from 3.5 to 4.3...I can confirm that the extra screen size is absolutely welcome and positive experience for absolutely everything you use the phone for.

Flash support. Again, HTML5 is relatively new. And millions of websites still use Flash, and will continue to do so. The only reason iPhone doesn't support Flash, is because the execs decided against it, not because the phone is not capable or that it doesn't work well. It works awesome on Android. Why not let the users decide Apple so you don't have big gaping holes on the websites? I have gone from using mobile version of the websites to full view of websites. The mobile version of websites suck because the features often seem to be limited. As screens become bigger and higher res, the need for mobile version of websites will disappear. It was a good fight Apple, but I think you've lost the Flash battle.

 

[compdata]

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next upgrade cycle. But it is pretty clear that Apple is actually slowing down hardware inovation in order to go out of its way to support the apps and software that are currently available (which is where the iOS echo system strength currently lies). The whole Retina display and not updating the resolution on the iPad is an attempt to head off resolution changes that require redesign of applications. I do expect the new iPads to go to a "Retina" display in the next round though. Expect more of the same for the future. Maybe they will redesign the case and i am betting on a thunderbolt connector in the next round that will support DisplayPort output via adapter (I have a source on a redesigned/added connector).

 

[Guest]

One thing that is never mentioned in these reviews of apple products is the great lengths Apple goes to for people with Visual impairments. In areas where no company really makes any attempt to make there products usable for people with Low or no vision Apple really stands alone. All of apple products, AppleTV, Macbooks, Ipods, Iphones, etc... are extremely useful to those who can't quite see them. And I don't care what people say about Siri being a gimmick, I say it is the next evolution in accessibility for there Iphones. To top it off now that the Iphone is available on multiple carriers, It is a godsend for the visually impaired.

Keep this in mind when you folks say how much better droid is, You may have a choice, However, We really don't. M$ doesn't give a crap about accessibility and don't even begin to try to make there phones accessible and Google's accessibility is a complete joke, They don't even try either, While they at least have speech, Its third party, Buggy and barely expands beyond a few simple functions and usability.

 

[spydercanopus]

The video says the iphone4s has two speakers on the bottom... is that true? Iphone4 has one speaker and one microphone, but I'd love to have two speakers and a moved mic.

 

[Guest]

I think its funny how people complain that the 4S isn't a big upgrade, but the iPhone 3GS is stll better than 50% of the so called "SMartphones" out on the market. Remember that before the iPhone came out, the Razr and Nokia N95 were considered top of the line.

 

[Guest]

I have the 4s and it only has one speaker and mic on bottom. No Stereo sound But overall I really like the 4s...and Siri is awesome. To those who complain about ram...who cares how much it has if every app runs fine? I see no lag in anything I do on it.

 

[Guest]

I have had my 4S for a week now, I am in Australia, and I had the option to choose Siri for Australian English. Also British and American English were options.

 

[Guest]

Yes it is, when it works, lol.

 

[spydercanopus]

Just upgraded from black 4 to white 4S. The phone is lighter weight and has a small rim around the glass that you can catch your fingernail on. The screen is whiter than my old iphone, which looks blue tinted next to this one. Siri is pretty limited but I can see it being amazing with some tweaking.

 

[Guest]

I just threw my 3 week old 4s 32gig model in the trash, i was at my computer typing last nite and it fell out of my pocket 18" inches to the ground and the face shattered regardless of the fact i spent 50 bucks on the otterbox defender series... I called verizon who told me to call apple who told me that tough ****, its not covered by any type of general warranty for damage related to falls. 18 inches in a case and its still so fragile it broke. good by apple. never again will i waste money on your overpriced chinese made garbage. probably cost less than 40 bucks to make the phone. Apple sure does have a good racket going on...

 

[Guest]

I am at the end of my trial period and must make a decision on a phone. I have been using the HTC EVO 3D. The 3D is a gimmick, the battery is useless, but since this is my first smartphone, I want to make sure I get the most for my money and also my 2 year contract. I have been reading as many reviews of the HTC EVO 3D and the Apple 4S as I can find, and I do think I will change over to the Apple. From what I've read so far it appears that Apple has done its homework and their system, apps, etc. are more reliable. Can anyone confirm my analysis? Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Funny...It's your fault that you drop the phone and you blame Apple. Try to buy a car at any dealership, crash it, and then try to ask to exchange it. LOL!

 

[Guest]

This is a very naive reply; a phone should be able to withstand an 18" drop without shattering the glass especially when it costs so much. Really like the clarity and ease of use, however, the 4s' fragility is the biggest reason we aren't buying these for our company.

 

[Midnight0511]

I just got the iPhone 4S two days ago and I hate everything about it!!! My LG Thrill was a hell of a lot better! I kick myself in the butt every day! I couldn't hate this stupid iPhone more!!