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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 12:32 AM PDT
TechPinas Exclusive:
The cat is out of the bag. And as it turned out, it's almost the same cat that's been with us for a year. Apple iPhone 4S was finally unveiled by new Apple CEO Tim Cook last night in Cupertino. And to everyone's shock - or not, it looks exactly like its predecessor - save for that 'slice' in the antenna. Given that iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S are practically identical twins, I guess it's but acceptable for my inbox to be flooded in the way that it was this morning with inquiries like, "TP, will iPhone 4S be a worthy upgrade to my iPhone 4?" and "WTH is wrong with Apple? Do you think doppelganger iPhone 4S will be as successful as iPhone 4?" Well, in answering these questions, it's important to always stick to facts. So before I share my thoughts and critique on Apple's newest smartphone, let's all check out TP's iPhone 4 vs. iPhone 4S Technical Specs Comparison Table --
As clearly shown in the table, while iPhone 4S looks the same as iPhone 4, the refreshed handset does come with far-improved internal technical specifications. The new iPhone comes with a dual core Apple A5 processor - similar to what powers the iPad2 - and a better graphics chip. These ensure CPU performance that's twice as fast as that of iPhone 4 and up to 7x faster graphics. Also, iPhone 4S features an 8 MegaPixel camera (vs. the 5 MegaPixel shooter of the previous iPhone) with a new CMOS backside illuminated sensor, which is 1/3 faster than the iPhone 4 camera sensor and gets 73% more light. Along with better stills, iPhone 4S can capture Full HD 1080p videos vs. the 720p video recorder of iPhone4; iPhone 4S records videos with this new image stabilization feature aided by the 3-axis gyrospope so users take smoother clips. On the software side, both phones can actually run iOS 5, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system. However, iPhone 4S comes with Siri, which will NOT be available to iPhone 4. Apple iPhone 4S Siri is basically an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Siri understands context letting you to speak naturally when you ask it questions. Siri even helps you make calls, send text messages or email, search the Internet, schedule meetings and reminders, find local businesses, get directions, make notes, and more. If there's one physical characteristic that distinguishes the iPhone 4S from the iPhone 4, it's the dual antenna -- so you'll actually see extra-cuts on the metal band of iPhone 4S compared to iPhone 4. Thanks to this, iPhone 4S becomes the first smartphone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive messages and make calls. Also data can now be downloaded up to 2x faster -- doubling to almost 14.4Mbps! Now, to answer your question, "Is iPhone 4S a worthy upgrade from iPhone 4?" Well, speaking NOT as an Apple fanatic, I really do NOT think iPhone 4S a worthy upgrade from iPhone 4 for the simple reason that the improvements implemented on the refresh - in my opinion - aren't really all that big. Let's face it, iPhone is expensive as it is a borderline Veblen good (I tell you, iPhone 4S will surely cost an arm and a leg when it arrives in the Philippines) and I bet few would want to spend the same amount of cash they spent on iPhone4 in getting a device that looks almost exactly like it with just a supposedly better processor and camera, and a new voice-powered assistant. Naturally, we'd all want to get a 'true' upgrade, the one with a re-imagined design and innovations we haven't seen before. Of course, my answer will be different if the question is, "Is iPhone 4S a worthy BUY for users wanting to join the iPhone craze?". If the price tag will be relatively close that of iPhone 4, then I would suggest you just get an iPhone 4S. Will iPhone 4S be as successful as iPhone 4? Here's the thing, matching iPhone 4 worldwide sales - with around 60-65 million units sold thus far - will be a tall order for 4S. But let's see. I guess only time can answer that question. How about you, TP Friends -- especially those who own an iPhone 4, do you think iPhone 4S is a worthy upgrade?     | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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