iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 5

[Driveshaft815]

Alright... I upgraded from an iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 last month. Love the phone itself, but I really miss iOS, so I've been looking on Craigslist for people to trade with. I've found plenty, but mostly 4S users. A couple with an iPhone 5, but they tend to live further away, and meeting up is a hassle.

Nonetheless... should I settle for a 4S? It basically has the same everything that the 4 had, except for Siri.

Or should I just be patient and wait to find someone with an iPhone 5?

 

[Gav2k]

Alright... I upgraded from an iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 last month. Love the phone itself, but I really miss iOS, so I've been looking on Craigslist for people to trade with. I've found plenty, but mostly 4S users. A couple with an iPhone 5, but they tend to live further away, and meeting up is a hassle.

Nonetheless... should I settle for a 4S? It basically has the same everything that the 4 had, except for Siri.

Or should I just be patient and wait to find someone with an iPhone 5?

The 4s is far from being basically the same as the 4.

 

[maflynn]

Nonetheless... should I settle for a 4S? It basically has the same everything that the 4 had, except for Siri.

I more or less thought they were similar except for siri.

Here's a good list of what is actually different. EveryMac

Here's Apple's comparison

Personally, I'd go with the 5, but that's my preference.

 

[osofast240sx]

Alright... I upgraded from an iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 last month. Love the phone itself, but I really miss iOS, so I've been looking on Craigslist for people to trade with. I've found plenty, but mostly 4S users. A couple with an iPhone 5, but they tend to live further away, and meeting up is a hassle.

Nonetheless... should I settle for a 4S? It basically has the same everything that the 4 had, except for Siri.

Or should I just be patient and wait to find someone with an iPhone 5?

Wait for apple's larger iphone

 

[Menel]

Alright... I upgraded from an iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 last month. Love the phone itself, but I really miss iOS, so I've been looking on Craigslist for people to trade with. I've found plenty, but mostly 4S users. A couple with an iPhone 5, but they tend to live further away, and meeting up is a hassle.

Nonetheless... should I settle for a 4S? It basically has the same everything that the 4 had, except for Siri.

Or should I just be patient and wait to find someone with an iPhone 5?

The 4S is massive upgrade from the 4.

It has dual cellular antenna operating in diversity mode.
You didn't note carrier, on GSM it gains 4G/HSPA+ doubling bandwidth.
It has a newer generation SOC. CortexA8 -> CoretexA9.
It has a dual-core SOC, introducing multithreading over the 4's single threading. Huge gains in performance.
Bluetooth 4.0
5mp -> 8mp camera with 5 element lens
1080p video

Maybe more, those are just off the top of my head. Basically performance is through the roof compared to 4.

 

[maflynn]

The 4S is massive upgrade from the 4.

Let me say to the majority of consumers its not a massive upgrade. Most people aren't scouring the specs to see if its a huge update. Most users see the same form factor, the same OS, and no new real features (other then an improved camera).

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I thought the iPhone 4S had Siri??

My mates does, just tested it.

EDIT: Read it a different way and thought about it in context.

 

[NickPhamUK]

If I were you and I really missed iOS, I would really buy an iPad. Trading with iPhone 5 now is not the greatest idea, since Note 2 is quite a good device, and 5S will be coming in 4 months...

 

[osofast240sx]

Let me say to the majority of consumers its not a massive upgrade. Most people aren't scouring the specs to see if its a huge update. Most users see the same form factor, the same OS, and no new real features (other then an improved camera).

The iPhone 4 can be a slight bit laggy. The biggest improvement is HSPA+, that's not just specs its a better overall user experience.

 

[Menel]

Let me say to the majority of consumers its not a massive upgrade. Most people aren't scouring the specs to see if its a huge update. Most users see the same form factor, the same OS, and no new real features (other then an improved camera).

Yes! I agree that majority of consumers are not scouring spec sheeds.

iOS6, and new app store made the iPhone 4 laggy.

The gain from multi-threading performance.
The improved camera.
The improved HSPA+ cellular data performance.

Are all real-world, significant feel improvements that general consumer should be able to directly benefit from.

 

[JaySoul]

I now view the 4 as one of the worst iPhones in the series.

The 4S basically fixed everything wrong with it.

The 5 is cool, but in reality not massively different to the 4S (screen size, lighter - otherwise not hugely different).

However, I'd go for a 5 over a 4S if poss, as that seems to be the screen size ratio Apple will stick to for a while now. The 5's good, it will last you a couple of years no worries.

 

[pilot1226]

If you foresee yourself using 4G LTE, get a 5. Otherwise you're locking yourself into 3G service (or HSPA+ if you're on ATT/TMo)

 

[srsub3]

iPhone 5 is better in terms of LTE and it is lighter, otherwise 4s is still good

 

[Yeezus]

iPhone 5

 

[lordofthereef]

I can honestly say that the 4S and the 5 have the most similar user experience between other models I have ever experienced. Realistically, if LTE doesn't matter to you, I wouldn't sweat it. You should, however, get some cash on top of a 4S (16GB). If they are offering up a 32 or 64 GB unit, that changes things a bit.

That is thinking about the here and now, though. The 5 is inevitably going to be supported longer than the 4S. It only makes sense. If what we saw with the 4, 4S, and now 5 is any indication of what Apple will do in the future, the 4S will become the base model when the new iPhone launches, and likely not get some of the new features of iOS7. while the 5 and the next iPhone likely will. This is all speculation, on my part, but it's realistic, I think.

 

[Jordan921]

Alright... I upgraded from an iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 last month. Love the phone itself, but I really miss iOS, so I've been looking on Craigslist for people to trade with. I've found plenty, but mostly 4S users. A couple with an iPhone 5, but they tend to live further away, and meeting up is a hassle.

Nonetheless... should I settle for a 4S? It basically has the same everything that the 4 had, except for Siri.

Or should I just be patient and wait to find someone with an iPhone 5?

I would wait for an iPhone 5 if I were you.

 

[CEmajr]

The 4S is massive upgrade from the 4.

It has dual cellular antenna operating in diversity mode.
You didn't note carrier, on GSM it gains 4G/HSPA+ doubling bandwidth.
It has a newer generation SOC. CortexA8 -> CoretexA9.
It has a dual-core SOC, introducing multithreading over the 4's single threading. Huge gains in performance.
Bluetooth 4.0
5mp -> 8mp camera with 5 element lens
1080p video

Maybe more, those are just off the top of my head. Basically performance is through the roof compared to 4.

I agree but a lot a people see the same form factor and just wrongly assume it's just a minor upgrade.

 

[lordofthereef]

I agree but a lot a people see the same form factor and just wrongly assume it's just a minor upgrade.

It's only an upgrade if you utilize these additional things/features. I can guarantee you I could drop an iPhone 4 in my mom's hands (she uses a 4S) and she wouldn't know the difference. She makes phone calls, texts, uses iMessage, and Skype. That's it. Changes would go unnoticed, except maybe the lag here and there.

 

[macdragonfl]

wait for 5s

It's bs to say the 4 and 4s are the same, the 4s is way better than 4, I had both the 4 and 4s models even though they look the same 4s has much better and improved chips and speed, and the camera is killer its not much different than the 5, plus siri. I will only buy s models from now on, sell they note 2 in a few months when the 5s comes out

 

[passey]

last week i went from note 2 to iphone 5 and it was a good decision.

IOS is just nicer.

If your gonna wait for the 5s you might as well wait for the 6 then it will only be 6 months later.

Tim cook has said there not releasing any new iphones until Autumn so i'd just go for the 5

 

[Abazigal]

IOS7 will be out later this year, and if IOS6 was any indicator, the 4s may not enjoy the full array of new features. In this sense, it may make more sense to spend a bit more on the iphone5, if only to "future-proof" your phone for another year or so.

Plus, LTE alone would be a deal-breaker for me at least.

 

[SMDBill]

It's only an upgrade if you utilize these additional things/features. I can guarantee you I could drop an iPhone 4 in my mom's hands (she uses a 4S) and she wouldn't know the difference. She makes phone calls, texts, uses iMessage, and Skype. That's it. Changes would go unnoticed, except maybe the lag here and there.

My wife and daughter both have a 4 and I have a 4S. Pretty much the only thing I notice is significantly more lag in their phones than in mine, especially after Facebook or something long on a web page loads and then I scroll. Mine is much smoother and flows better. For me the power is noticeable in the 4S in comparison, but I don't really notice any other differences.

 

[cynics]

I'm more of a software person and since the 4S and 5 are nearly identical software wise I view the 4S as currently a better deal.

But my decision would be based on carrier. I have a Verizon 4S and their 3G is generally terribly slow. Whereas 3G (4G HSPA+) on AT&T is pretty fast.

So if you have AT&T the 4S is pretty good. If you have Verizon I'd get a 5 just so you can utilize their LTE network.

 

[cynics]

IOS7 will be out later this year, and if IOS6 was any indicator, the 4s may not enjoy the full array of new features. In this sense, it may make more sense to spend a bit more on the iphone5, if only to "future-proof" your phone for another year or so.

Plus, LTE alone would be a deal-breaker for me at least.

But if the 4 to 4S was an indicator the 5 won't get all the software the 5S gets with iOS 7 anyway. If you want future proof stick with the latest S models. The 4S and 5 will likely always have the same software features forever.

3Gs to 4 = same software features
4 to 4S = not the same software
4S to 5 = same software features

The 5S has to have more features then the 5 for the same reason the 4S had to have more software features then the 4. There would be little reason to upgrade if the only difference is a faster processor in the same exact case.

 

[Abazigal]

But if the 4 to 4S was an indicator the 5 won't get all the software the 5S gets with iOS 7 anyway. If you want future proof stick with the latest S models. The 4S and 5 will likely always have the same software features forever.

3Gs to 4 = same software features
4 to 4S = not the same software
4S to 5 = same software features

The 5S has to have more features then the 5 for the same reason the 4S had to have more software features then the 4. There would be little reason to upgrade if the only difference is a faster processor in the same exact case.

The iPhone 4S and 5 both got the same feature set exactly because apple expected that 4s users are only 1 year into their 2 year contract and unlikely to upgrade anyways. Likewise, you don't want to piss them off into switching to another brand.

I expect 5 to get the same features as 5s, though the latter should get one or 2 new features the former won't enjoy (just like 4s getting Siri but not 4).