The iPhone 4S, Not the iPhone 5

By Alex Angove

Last updated 05 October 2011

Tim Cook, new CEO of Apple, made his first big product announcement at the Let’s Talk Apple event. Among the announcements were iCloud, iOS5, the iPod Touch 5, some upgrades to the iPod Shuffle and Nano series and the long awaited… iPhone 4S.

The sigh around the internet was almost audible when it became apparent that we would not be seeing the iPhone 5 this time around. Most fans were hoping for at least an external design change from the iPhone 4. Of course we went through exactly the same thing a bit over 2 years ago with the iPhone 3GS, but the extended wait for the iPhone 4S had many thinking that we were going to see something totally new this time around, rather than another upgrade with an identical form-factor.

But form-factor is only case-deep and what’s in a name? At the end of the day it’s the upgrades and new services that make a product launch, so let’s take a look at the iPhone 4S’ specs as compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 5.

iPhone 4S Specs

	iPhone 4S:	iPhone 4:
CPU	Dual-core A5 processor (speed as yet unconfirmed, believed to be equivalent to two A4 processors)	Single-core 800HMz A4 processor
RAM	As yet unconfirmed	512MB
Storage	16GB, 32GB, 64GB	16GB, 32GB
Camera	8MP	5MP
Dimensions	4.5 x 2.31 x 0.37 inches (115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm)	4.5 x 2.31 x 0.37 inches (115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm)
Display	Retina 960 x 640	Retina 960 x 640
3G	HSDPA 14.4Mbps	HSDPA 7.2Mbps
4G LTE	No	No
Colors	Black, White	Black, White
File Support	Same	Same
Connectivity	World Phone, both GSM and CDMA	GSM or CDMA (different models)

So there are some definite noticeable upgrades from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S, which is reassuring. However, right now a lot judgement is being withheld until the amount of RAM is confirmed. If there’s no upgrade from the iPhone 4 then many fans could be displeased. RAM is very important for the smooth operation of a phone and having a dual-core processor with just 512MB of RAM could definitely hamper the iPhone 4S on that front. At the same time the iPhone line still doesn’t support true multitasking (no, app-switching is not the same thing), so a high RAM count isn’t as important as it would be on an Android or Windows Phone Mango device.

Connectivity on the iPhone 4S

A lot of folks, especially in the US, were also holding out for 4G LTE connectivity. We were always a little dubious on that front, as only AT&T and Verizon currently support that form of network in the US. Sprint is reported to be on its way in the near future, but an October release of a 4G iPhone would mean that AT&T and Verizon would have a considerable advantage over Sprint, with Verizon taking the biggest lead as it has by far America’s largest operational 4G LTE network. There is also currently limited 4G LTE support around the rest of the world. We should note that there has been a bump in the iPhone 4S’ 3G HSDPA connectivity from a theoretical max of 7.2Mbps to 14.4Mbps, although we expect most users to get similar speeds with only mild improvements on standard 3G HSDPA networks.

As far as the iPhone 4’s previous antenna issues go we’ve been assured that this will not be the case with the iPhone 4S. The 4S sports the same antenna as the US’ CDMA version of the phone on Verizon Wireless, the antenna for which was designed significantly after the iPhone 4 model that was seen by the rest of the world. As a result you hopefully won’t have to “hold your phone the right way” in order to get it to work this time around.

We are definitely disappointed that the rear-plate of the phone is still made of glass. We highly recommend that anyone considering getting an iPhone 4S make sure they purchase a protective case with their handset, as one accidental drop could be all it takes to put some serious hurt on your stress level.

Voice Input and Siri on the iPhone 4S

Perhaps the most notable addition to the iPhone 4S’ functionality is Siri, a voice-input program that Apple has made some pretty grandiose claims about. We’re hesitant to get excited, as we’ve been hurt by other voice recognition software developments before, but we have to admit we’re a little hopeful that Siri can do even half of what Apple says it can do.

The idea behind Siri is that you can simply talk to your phone. Need to make an appointment? Just hold your phone up and say something like “Phone, make an appointment for 2pm next Monday for the Dentist” and the phone will enter it in to your calendar. Other functions like searches or weather can also be executed by saying “Phone, what is…” etc.

The full scope of Siri is still a but fuzzy right now, but we’ll certainly be keeping our eye out for more news as it becomes available.

Pricing and Availability of the iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S is set to see an October 14^th release date in the US. We still can't say for sure about the rest of the world and even if we had a date we wouldn’t bet on it not seeing some kind of postponement as we’ve seen in recent years due to stock shortages.

As for pricing the iPhone 4S has been announced as follows:

16GB: US$199 on a 24 month contract
32GB: US$299 on a 24 month contract
64GB: US$399 on a 24 month contract

The iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS will also still be available on plans, with the iPhone 4 dropping down to just 8GB of storage space from its previous 16GB and 32GB models.

iPhone 4 8GB: US$99 on a 24 month contract
iPhone 3GS: US$0 on a 24 month contract

Pricing for outside the US hasn’t been announced yet and is sure to vary from these figures, but hopefully not too much.

The WhistleOut Opinion

We’re obviously disappointed that we didn’t see the iPhone 5 at this launch event, but the iPhone 4S does look like a solid device. Will it be enough to take on the current giants like the Samsung Galaxy S II? We’re sure that Apple’s already huge fanbase coupled with its leading reputation will be more than enough to make up for any possible issues with the iPhone 4S, should any arise. After all the iPhone 4S will come running on iOS5 with iCloud support; two very notable features that we've mentioned before.

We would have at least liked to have seen a form-factor re-design, however. We’re well aware that the same thing happened with the iPhone 3G and 3GS models back in the day, but we’ve been waiting for this device for almost 18 months now and one of the small joys of getting a new high-end device is people asking you “Oo, what’s that?” for the next 2 months or so. We’ve also never been huge fans of the all-glass approach taken by Apple for the iPhone 4 and 4S’ construction. It looks at feels great, but it's also infamously impractical in terms of durability.

At the end of the day we think the iPhone 4S will still see lines around the block, stock shortages and a quick jump to the top of the smartphone market. It’s sure to be a good phone and it sounds like a definite step forwards for Apple, it just doesn’t seem like the step most people were hoping to see.