So now that its been a while, how is the 4S compared to the 4?

Anything data related is faster since I average 8-9Mb download. I only use Siri to set my alarms, hasn't been too reliable in other situations (especially in public where there's excess noise). I don't use the camera often and the camera on the 4 was good enough for me so overall this wasn't a big upgrade.

I wasn't disappointed with iOS5 on my iPhone 4, but now that I have my 4S I can see that there was some "lagginess" in the 4 that is not present with the 4S. Not dramatic - but noticeable.

64GB definitely is nice My 32GB iPhone 4 was nearly full.

I would not have upgraded if not for the fact that my wife wanted my iPhone 4. Lots of little things that I like, the camera is definitely improved (particularly in low-light), and Siri is handy in the car. With the exception of Siri, the 4S doesn't "do" much that the 4 won't do - it just does some of them a little better/smoother/faster.

I know what you're talking about with the 4, but I found that I could get rid of the lag problem by quitting apps. Lag alone wasn't enough reason for me to upgrade right away, but, I can see where later versions of iOS5 might slow things down on the 4.

But, now that I have my 4S, this isn't a problem at all, even with lots of apps open. It's definitely quick and smooth, moreso than the 4, and yeah, those 64GB do come in handy.

I'm also really liking the camera. The camera on the 4 was okay, but the 4S' camera is way better.

The other reason I upgraded: I tether, and having HSPA+ is very nice, well worth ditching my old cradlepoint hotspot and separate modem:



This is faster than my old DSL connection was (though I've since switched to 25Mbps broadband at home).

For me: definitely worth the upgrade. For you? Who knows... it depends on whether the lag is a real issue to you, and whether you're going to make use of the new stuff.

I went from a 3GS to a 4S, so of course I love it (retina, form-factor, speediness, camera). When my wife uses my 4S compared to her 4, she says she can tell that the camera takes better pictures (and she's not alluding to the mega-pixels). But, I don't think she notices any other differences. I actually find the 1080p video annoying because it means all my video clips are huge even though I don't really need such a high res; it really chokes AirPlay, unlike iPhone 4 videos.

I can tell that my 4S loads apps, websites, etc. a lot faster than my wife's 4. And I too can tell that it takes better pictures. I feel better about the antenna, but that's really all just based on the advertising propaganda. The simple reality is that I haven’t had call trouble, but neither has my wife’s 4 (though she does use a case while I don’t).

Siri I find to be nothing more than a fancy gimmick. Requiring internet access for any and every command, even simple, local-to-phone tasks, is a real handicap to its usefulness. And as much as the advertising would like you to believe it just understands you, the reality is that it's no where near as intelligent as it needs to be. It's not intelligent at all, really; it doesn't learn. It doesn't really piece together grammar. It feels like it simply has a huge list of programmed phrases, and huge as it is, half the times I ask it something, it just doesn't get it. And I'm not trying to stump it; I'm just trying to use it the way it claims it's useful for.

Overall, I don't think the 4S is a compelling upgrade from a 4, at least not unless you could upgrade for a minimal cost by selling your 4 for a good price. Or unless you highly value how quickly things load. I never really felt like my 3GS was slow, not even on iOS5, not slow enough to annoy me at any rate, but I can still appreciate just how much faster my 4S is.

I took a vacation and just brought along my 4S instead of my point-and-shoot camera. Must say, it was very nice - pictures came out great and it was very convenient. So the camera has been a nice upgrade for me.

For me it has been a good upgrade from the 4. That said, I sold my 4 for more than the upgrade cost so it was a no brainer.

The speed increase was very noticeable for me, and over all more fluid. The camera is awesome, and I am usually in a good (AT&T) coverage area so Siri is actually useful. (Especially in the car)

Although I do see slightly less battery life than my 4, I can still go 2 days with moderate use before charging. (5.1b2 has so far proven better on the battery)

The shot below shows 2 3g speed tests, and one on my home wifi. The 3g speed is where I see the most benefit... The second shows battery life.

MMAMAN said:

Any other little things you like about it?

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I like that it's the first "world-mode" iPhone, supporting both CDMA and GSM.

This let me switch from AT&T to Verizon (where the rural coverage is better for me), while not losing the ability to use pre-paid local SIMs when traveling internationally.

sviato said:

I only use Siri to set my alarms, hasn't been too reliable in other situations (especially in public where there's excess noise)..

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When there's excess noise, are you holding the phone like you would during a phone call, or are you using Siri in "speakerphone mode"?

iPhone 4 is no slouch, but i've been using the 4S for about 2 months, yesterday i tried my wife's iPhone 4 and boy, it's like a three-legged dog. well, three-legged dog is faster than one-legged dog, but still my A5-legged dog is faster and i really can't go back using iPhone 4 again.