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For anyone on the fence about going from 4 to 4s do it!
- Thread starter nippyjun
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The response times are probably not that much faster, but the phone does feel smoother. It feels like the animations run at a higher framerate. And apps that use 3d are much smoother
LTE, larger screen, better battery life. + iPhone 4S improvements.
Peak throughput on HSPDA might be similar to LTE, but latency is still much much higher.
Lets not pretend that the 4S has everything anyone could possibly want.
Now, now. Where in my post did I pretend any such thing?
I pointed out some specific areas where the 4S offers significant advantages right now vs. the 4, to the extent that some folks might find the upgrade compelling. I gave examples such as my son and his photography, or myself and Siri.
HSPDA is already providing LTE throughput, as you note, without the hammered battery life of today's LTE solutions. LTE's lowered latency would be nice but until the battery hit is addressed... well, let's just say your listing "LTE" right next to "battery life" is paradoxical. Ditto "larger screen," which in addition to a battery hit would have other trade-offs such as reduced pocketability, more difficult single-handed control, etc etc.
Frankly, your list of reasons to wait strikes me as being much thinner brew than my list of reasons to upgrade now.
My perception remains that because the 4S looks like the 4, it's being deemed a fail by some people. That's just silly.
The iPhone 5 is just gonna be a different screen/shape with iOS 6 and people are going to LOSE their MINDS over it, just like they did for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 4. They'll talk about how its a completely different revolutionary new device etc etc.
I don't notice the speed difference between the 4 and the 4s unless I put them side by side. Siri is fun at the beginning, but I wouldn't think of using it to call my mom instead of manually doing it.
My old iPhone was black, my new one is white. If it wasn't for the color change I wouldn't even notice I have a new phone.
Yeah, the main upgrade to me was finally getting the white iPhone I wanted.
And that's where we disagree any why you would choose to upgrade while I wouldn't. Here's my personal take on it...
SIRI: For me, it's a cool thing to show off to your friends, I don't see myself using it. Granted I've only had a few minutes to mess with it, but in those few minutes, I didn't feel like it was something I had to have
Speed: Not really that impressed. Yeah, it was quicker but not by all that much. At least for the apps I use and tasks I want to accomplish. I don't play many games on my iPhone. Words with friends every once in a while and maybe some fruit ninja or angry birds when I'm waiting for my turn to get a hair cut. Waiting a few extra seconds for the games to load the few times I play them is not an issue. I'd rather wait then have to pay $800 for an iPhone 5 because i'm not eligible for an upgrade when the time comes.
Camera: Most images were nearly indistinguishable at first glance and the pictures needed to be scrutinized to see subtle improvements. (have not had the chance to compare video)
HSPDA: I tether my laptop a lot, but I don't do much in the way of large file transfers. I do visit multiple web pages and do a lot of remote desktop support which would benefit a lot more from lower latency than straight bandwidth.
To sum it all up. The 4S does not have the upgrades I REALLY wanted. The upgrades that it does have are either
1) IOS 5 which I have on my 4 (minus SIRI)
2) Upgrades on aspects of the phone I didn't really have an issue with on the 4
In other words, you have not tried Siri personally, thus have no idea how awesome it is, nor have you used the camera and experienced the LARGE speed and quality jump from the 4.
I could understand you saying "Siri is not for me, I wouldn't use it", but to not be impressed by the technology reveals you haven't tried it yet. It is "game changing", much more so than a larger screen or tapered edges would have been...
Other than that, your reasoning seems sound!
Siri is NOT worth the upgrade.....and the fact that the camera difference is minor (considering that not EVERYONE is going to sit and analyze their pictures side by side for 4 hours with another iphone 4)... the iphone 4 camera is still wonderful
sincerely,
iPhone 4s owner
iPhone 4 camera is terrible for indoor shots - everything comes out yellow. 4s is much better in that regard.
I agree outdoors, the 4 was pretty decent
I mean if these pictures are "terrible", (taken from my old iphone 4) I can show you point and shoot cameras that are worse....
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My 4 is perfect. Jail broken. Apps and music are fine. It would be a pain in the arse to get a 4S.
The question is not about if the upgrade is better, more about if it's worth $800, the opportunity cost.
I think that if you have a iPhone 4 and you have a limited budget, a 4S is not worth the money. If you have a lot of money and -$800 bucks won't been noticed on your balance sheet then it's worth it.
I think that if you have a iPhone 4 and you have a limited budget, a 4S is not worth the money. If you have a lot of money and -$800 bucks won't been noticed on your balance sheet then it's worth it.
"worth" is a completely RELATIVE term, and depends on the context of the user. My time is money, and I can send texts and email in a fraction of the time with Siri's help, so just that one app is "worth it" to me.
My wife's 4 cam is fine, but this one is far superior. Bokeh due to the improved light capturing f2.4 aperture and better elements is much more pleasing, the sensor tolerates a greater dynamic range, and it also performs significantly better in low light. I think 4S image quality is darn close to my Canon S95 point and shoot, a $400, "state of the art" P&S.
In perfect lighting the differences between the 4 and the 4S are less pronounced. But in more challenging settings, the 4S is clearly superior, like any "better tool", and significantly faster as well. These are my observations at least, but I think they are objective, not subjective.
I dont really think it is to be honest. I was on the fence about it until today, but after playing about with one in the Apple Store the difference isn't enough to pursuade me to continue with my overpriced contract AND pay £300+ to upgrade.
A faster, improved camera would be nice, but I can hold out for the next generation for that
A faster, improved camera would be nice, but I can hold out for the next generation for that
I keep hearing this but I have upgraded to every iphone every year and have gotten the upgrade price ($200 for the 16GB AT&T)...
I need to have latest and greatest so i need to justify my purchase of 4s by lying to myself that the speed is phenomenal compared to the 4, When in all reality the 4s is only slightly faster,has siri and better camera.
When the 5 comes out how will these 4s owners that had the 4 feel? When they will only get the 5 cos of the redesign and people that waited will get Siri for 1st time, which will be better, better camera than 4s plus more.
4s owners won't see much improvement and will complain of being ripped of while the 4 owners will see nice improvements due to being patient and wise with their money.
Fact is for 3gs owners the 4s id great for 4 owners that bought this it was not worth it, you all know this, once Siri wears off it the same phone you had before. LOL. No go hit down cos the truth hurts.
When the 5 comes out how will these 4s owners that had the 4 feel? When they will only get the 5 cos of the redesign and people that waited will get Siri for 1st time, which will be better, better camera than 4s plus more.
4s owners won't see much improvement and will complain of being ripped of while the 4 owners will see nice improvements due to being patient and wise with their money.
Fact is for 3gs owners the 4s id great for 4 owners that bought this it was not worth it, you all know this, once Siri wears off it the same phone you had before. LOL. No go hit down cos the truth hurts.
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Having had the 4 and now the 4s, I can tell you it's definitely a better phone. And I wonder for those who say the speed is only a little faster if they actually own one. It's significantly faster than the 4 in everything from Safari to opening the apps and I mean a big difference in speed. The camera is also much better and the colors are much more alive. Also, the stabilization in the video camera is awesome. Just based on the speed and camera, I say definitely go for the 4s. The 4 is a good phone but to try and down talk the 4s because you can't or don't want to get one is wrong. The 4s is a better phone no doubt and much faster. If you don't believe me, go to an AT&T or Verizon store and play with the 4 and 4s side by side and you will see. Also, the speaker on the 4s is much louder than the 4. I rarely have to go to full volume anymore. The 4s is a major upgrade but because it looks like the 4 some dont want to believe so. If you are thinking whether it's worth it, it is!.
Siri won't wear off, at least for me, since I can now use Siri to send/listen to text messages while on the road.
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As someone coming from a Blackberry 9700 I' e gotta say that I'm simply amazed by how speedy my 4S is. Not to mention how efficient it is at multitasking. I honestly am thrilled that I switched.
As someone coming from a Blackberry 9700 I' e gotta say that I'm simply amazed by how speedy my 4S is. Not to mention how efficient it is at multitasking. I honestly am thrilled that I switched.
I gave the 4S a test run in the Apple Store yesterday, and while I did notice the difference in speed in opening apps and the camera, it didn't feel like enough of an upgrade to warrant spending a few hundred dollars. Siri was cool, but I'd be more inclined to consider it if it was out of beta and could interface with 3rd party apps. At this point, I think I'll wait for next year's version.
It's not the optics that bother me on the 4 (though the 4S is definitely superior there). It's the inability for it to set the white balance properly under anything that's not sunlight or incandescent that bothers me. Occasionally during gatherings I like to take pictures of my friends and family - with the 4S, the pictures under those conditions turn out much better.
Examples:
4:
4S:
4:
4S:
