Resolved: My experience with my first iPhone

[kylera]

Some time ago, I posted whether a 4s would be a good buy despite the 5 being released, and after some thought, I got the 4s, coming over from Android. I would also like to note that i had an iPad before getting my 4s, so this isn't my first time dealing with iOS. Overall, I have no regrets getting it.

What I like :

- Great music integration with iTunes. One smart playlist with space limits fits the bill for me
- Universal apps mean I already have a decent number of apps to get me going
- Excellent data connection. In a packed subway, I seem to be one of a few who can maintain connection when Android users are all looking for wifi. This was a major issue with my previous phone
- Fantastic camera and screen for a model released in 2011 compared to most Android phones of that year
- Excellent software integration with OS X counterparts. I am a heavy Day One user so that was really nice
- No UI choppiness

What I will miss (though I am aware I can get some or all of this through jailbreaking)
- One-touch toggles for wifi, bluetooth, etc.
- Custom keyboard. On my old phone, I could hold certain keys to get punctuations for a smoother typing experience
- Easy sideloading of apps not available on the official stores

The trade offs for me were worth it while I imagine some users might not like them. I'm glad I took the plunge before the 4s became truly EOL'd here

[Beeplance]

Glad that you like your 4S, it's still a remarkable phone in its own right. Don't bother about people's rant about the lack of LTE, I believe HSPA+ speeds are more than enough on the 4S. However, I think the 4S should not update to iOS 7 when it is release. The newer firmware will likely slow down its performance. It's best to stay on iOS 6 or if you still have iOS 5, even better.

[kylera]

Originally Posted by Beeplance

Glad that you like your 4S, it's still a remarkable phone in its own right. Don't bother about people's rant about the lack of LTE, I believe HSPA+ speeds are more than enough on the 4S. However, I think the 4S should not update to iOS 7 when it is release. The newer firmware will likely slow down its performance. It's best to stay on iOS 6 or if you still have iOS 5, even better.

Mine came with 5, and I intend to stay there until my most needed apps won't support it.

LTE is fast. I tried it out on a friend's Galaxy S3, but I didn't feel that the faster speed alone was worth the larger price tag. Then again, I don't play many games and I don't watch streaming stuff either.

[macingman]

Originally Posted by Beeplance

The newer firmware will likely slow down its performance.

Not true. My father's 3GS runs better than ever on iOS6. If there are any features which may slow the phone down Apple would just nerf them.

[Beeplance]

Originally Posted by macingman

Not true. My father's 3GS runs better than ever on iOS6. If there are any features which may slow the phone down Apple would just nerf them.

I don't disagree. In fact, I currently have 2 iPhone 3GS on iOS 6 & both are doing fine. But, better be safe than sorry. For the OP to remain on iOS 5 is the right decision. If you don't need the new features, why upgrade?

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Originally Posted by kylera

Mine came with 5, and I intend to stay there until my most needed apps won't support it.

LTE is fast. I tried it out on a friend's Galaxy S3, but I didn't feel that the faster speed alone was worth the larger price tag. Then again, I don't play many games and I don't watch streaming stuff either.

Hard to find someone with your mindset nowadays, I commend you for that. Modern people just want the latest & the fastest, anything more than 1 year old, they would just deem it as obsolete even though it is completely usable.

[macingman]

Originally Posted by Beeplance

1. I don't disagree. In fact, I currently have 2 iPhone 3GS on iOS 6 & both are doing fine. But, better be safe than sorry. For the OP to remain on iOS 5 is the right decision. If you don't need the new features, why upgrade?

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2. Hard to find someone with your mindset nowadays, I commend you for that. Modern people just want the latest & the fastest, anything more than 1 year old, they would just deem it as obsolete even though it is completely usable.

1. Becuase there is no reason to not upgrade. The phone works fine and isn't slow at all and you get extra features.

2. I know plenty of people perfectly complacent with the older iPhone models.

[kylera]

Originally Posted by Beeplance

I don't disagree. In fact, I currently have 2 iPhone 3GS on iOS 6 & both are doing fine. But, better be safe than sorry. For the OP to remain on iOS 5 is the right decision. If you don't need the new features, why upgrade?

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Hard to find someone with your mindset nowadays, I commend you for that. Modern people just want the latest & the fastest, anything more than 1 year old, they would just deem it as obsolete even though it is completely usable.

Thanks for the compliment. I just like to do my research before I jump in with contracts or high-priced goods. Also, it's always nice not having to spend more money than necessary all the time

[Aniseedvan]

Interesting comments especially regards android features such as the keyboard. I am a big fan of swift key and think that would be my biggest loss so to speak given I text quite a lot..

[tymaster50]

i never got the appeal of that swype keyboard, in the time it takes for you to swype the keys and hope you didn't miss one you could have just as easily typed it perfectly.

[kylera]

One more to add to the like and miss lists.

Things I like:
- I don't know if it's just a placebo effect or not, but I find myself typing significantly more accurately in portrait mode. My previous phone had a bigger screen - 4-inch compared to the 4S's 3.5 inches - but I HATED using apps that only had portrait orientation that I would run Evernote to type what I wanted to say, and paste the text in the original app. With the 4S, the typo rate is much lower, though I still prefer landscape typing orientation.

Though, looking up both phones' screens, it turns out that my old phone was 540 x 960 while the 4S is 640 x 960. I wonder if the additional horizontal pixels make the difference despite the smaller PHYSICAL size.

Things I miss:
- Dedicated back and context menu buttons

[Aniseedvan]

Originally Posted by tymaster50

i never got the appeal of that swype keyboard, in the time it takes for you to swype the keys and hope you didn't miss one you could have just as easily typed it perfectly.

Me too, SwiftKey isnt a swipey one, it just gets clever at auto predicting your words, so the standard message along the lines of "I've finished and am coming home" is very quick. I probably need to review textexpander to see if it can do the same thing i need?