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Debating whether I should get a 4S

I

InfiniteLoopy

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 14, 2010
366
5
Hello all,

I have a 3GS. It works fine and all the apps that interest me run without problems but I'm debating whether to get a 4S or not.
I know what we all say here: "If you need it now, buy now; if you can wait, wait".

So I have two questions:

1. The iPhones seem to be meant for two-year upgrade cycles. What are people's opinions as the best "cycle" to be in? Is it best to be in the "new design" cycle (iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 5) or is it best to be in the "upgrade" cycle (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5S)? They both have their benefits, and I wonder if it's not best to let Apple gain feedback for a year from a design and then get the upgraded phone with new features. What are your thoughts on this?


2. Now, I don't *need* the 4S but what I'd really like is a better camera to carry around. I'm wondering how the 4S's photos will be in low-light or indoor ambient light?
I know I may be expecting too much but does anyone have any candle-lit (like birthday cake photos) or ambient indoor iPhone 4 photos so I can see what the iPhone 4 can do?

Basically, if I'm primarily buying the phone for the camera, I want to be sure that it's worthwhile.
 
InfiniteLoopy said:
Hello all,

I have a 3GS. It works fine and all the apps that interest me run without problems but I'm debating whether to get a 4S or not.
I know what we all say here: "If you need it now, buy now; if you can wait, wait".

So I have two questions:

1. The iPhones seem to be meant for two-year upgrade cycles. What are people's opinions as the best "cycle" to be in? Is it best to be in the "new design" cycle (iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 5) or is it best to be in the "upgrade" cycle (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5S)? They both have their benefits, and I wonder if it's not best to let Apple gain feedback for a year from a design and then get the upgraded phone with new features. What are your thoughts on this?


2. Now, I don't *need* the 4S but what I'd really like is a better camera to carry around. I'm wondering how the 4S's photos will be in low-light or indoor ambient light?
I know I may be expecting too much but does anyone have any candle-lit (like birthday cake photos) or ambient indoor iPhone 4 photos so I can see what the iPhone 4 can do?

Basically, if I'm primarily buying the phone for the camera, I want to be sure that it's worthwhile.
Click to expand...

It's different for each person but to me the 8MP camera, 1080p video with stabilisation and also 64gb capacity is worth it nevermind the other extras such as Siri and A5 processor.
 
InfiniteLoopy said:
So I have two questions:

1. The iPhones seem to be meant for two-year upgrade cycles. What are people's opinions as the best "cycle" to be in? Is it best to be in the "new design" cycle (iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 5) or is it best to be in the "upgrade" cycle (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5S)? They both have their benefits, and I wonder if it's not best to let Apple gain feedback for a year from a design and then get the upgraded phone with new features. What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

I'm in the "upgrade" cycle and I think that's fine. If you were in the "new design" cycle then you have had to deal with things like the antennae design of 4, and many apps not optimizing for retina display for several months. On the "upgrade" cycle those are fixed, plus the phone is faster and has some other upgrades. Also, 4S looks like it should be a really big improvement over 3gs with features such as:

+) twice as fast maximum download speed on AT&T
+) 1GHz dual core processor instead of 600MHz single core processor (may make a noticeable difference on iOS5)
+) twice the screen resolution in each direction (so 4x pixels overall)
+) more memory (64gb) if you're willing to pay for it
+) significantly better rear camera (3gs is 3MP with VGA video, 4s is 8MP with 1080p video)
+) addition of front camera for facetime
+) siri / better voice recognition

Also if you've had your 3gs for more than 2 years, chances are that some problems (e.g., with the battery or the camera) may come up within the next year that would make you upgrade anyway.

InfiniteLoopy said:
2. Now, I don't *need* the 4S but what I'd really like is a better camera to carry around. I'm wondering how the 4S's photos will be in low-light or indoor ambient light?
I know I may be expecting too much but does anyone have any candle-lit (like birthday cake photos) or ambient indoor iPhone 4 photos so I can see what the iPhone 4 can do?

Basically, if I'm primarily buying the phone for the camera, I want to be sure that it's worthwhile.
Click to expand...

I remember the keynote claiming that the 4S will perform better in low light than the 4 did. There's an article analyzing a 4S picture in tricky lighting at http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2...he-iphone-4s-is-good-news-for-shutterbugs.ars
 
I think the 4S is a fantastic upgrade to a 3GS. You have a smartphone B/C you enjoy the tech & how it makes life easier. You might as well upgrade at every feasible opportunity. $299 amortized over 20 months isn't all that much for the new features you get.
 
Thanks for the replies.

If I do buy it, I'll get it unlocked from Apple so will be buying it outright and it's rather whether the upgrade is worth the full price of the phone.

Does nobody have any iPhone 4 ambient light / low-light photos?

Thanks,
 
There are some impressive photos in that pool; some taken with the 3GS. Makes me wonder whether I really need to upgrade ... :eek:

I know that some apps offer anti-shake. Does Apple's default camera app?

Could I transfer photos to Aperture over wifi?

Any further opinions?
 
So, I took some photos last night indoors using a relative's iPhone 4 and there was noticeable noise (colour dots).

1) I'm guessing that the 4S will be a significant improvement ... ?
2) Is this noise easily removed in Aperture or in apps?

Thanks,
 
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