To Be Оr Not To Be: The iPhone 4S

                Ever notice how the number “5” and the letter “S” are similarly shaped? Perhaps this is the reason why every time we expect Apple to come out with a new, fifth version of the phone they slip in an improved version of their previous device. I won’t take credit for telling people that Apple would not announce the iPhone 5 (I said, “I told you so!” to my associates already). Merely, I point out that the “iPhone 4S,” Apple’s latest and most powerful smartphone, could also be called the “iPhone 4.5.” As I look at my own iPhone 4 and compare to the .5/S version, I am inspired to ask why one should buy the latest version.

First off, if you have never owned an iPhone but have used Windows, Palm, Blackberry, or Android, the iOS 5 incarnation of Apple’s mobile device operating system is as easy to learn as the others. Some features of the OS have been “borrowed” from Android. Those who are looking to switch will find that the notification bar of the iOS functions in the same manner as Android whereby one drags their finger from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen to preview notifications, emails, texts, missed calls and the like. Apple would be hard pressed to refine their operating system more than it already has without changing the button layout of the device (which, aside from the usual power key, volume rocker and volume switch, literally is a single button layout compared to other phones possessing a few more buttons).

The iPhone 4S sports a new dual-core A5 processor, making those pretty transition animations less necessary as the phone can start and switch between programs quicker. The transition animations do give the appearance of speed in the iPhone devices. And those of us who are used to them might not notice much of a difference. Dual core processors are nothing new to the phone world as they have been available since the spring. So why get a 4S? Let me ask Siri.

Siri-sly?

Okay… Voice to text, voice activation of programs, and voice search is not new. But the program on the 4S that handles all of these commands (and more) is pretty awesome. Siri, a program that was available to iPhone users on the AppStore as far back as April 2010 but is now suspiciously missing, is revolutionary because of the depth of colloquialisms it can handle. I almost wrote, “… depth of colloquialisms SHE can handle,” because of how well she interacts with the user. Ask her/it to tell you a joke and she responds with something like “Two iPhones walk into a bar….” Want to know the meaning of life? Siri responds, “I find it odd that you would ask this of an inanimate object.” But Siri is more than just a novelty. Siri can understand colloquial requests, such that by telling her to remind you to call your dad at 8pm today to borrow money, she will literally remind you to call your dad at 8pm.

Aside from the design of the device, which was reused from the iPhone 4, and Siri, which is badass, there are serious drawbacks that might cause people to wait to upgrade. First off, Siri requires that your intimate details be vocalized for the entire public to hear. Maybe the others in the grocery store line already know that you need a refill for your herpes medication, but some things just shouldn’t be spoken aloud. Second, the price for a 4S could buy you two dual-core Android devices. Third, and probably the most crucial, it isn’t LTE (which is the Long Term Evolution high-speed data network that all carriers are switching to).

Should you buy one? That question is almost philosophical. If you’re waiting for the iPhone 5 (which had better be quad core, LTE, thinner than the 4S with a bigger screen), want the latest technology, and your phone works fine, then – no. If you are, however, in need a phone, have an iPhone now, and are resistant to change, then – yes. But to do so would be to pay a premium for these luxuries.

iPhone 4S

Why you want one: You dropped your iPhone 4 and shattered the screen, then found out that with your upgrade you can purchase the new version for the same price of repairing the old one. And once you get one, you want everyone to know you have one by requesting Siri to remind you about that herpes medication refill.

Why your girlfriend doesn’t want you to get one: See above.

Why your mom wants you to get one: She actually thinks you’ll remind yourself to call once a week.

 By Edward Burns

Edward Burns has worked in wireless retail sales for nine years, including seven years in management.  He left wireless to get his English degree at U.C. Berkeley, but still loves to keep up with the happenings of wireless equipment.  He is a gadget freak, builds his own computers, and is an early adopter of new technologies.