iPhone 4s

DigMe · #1 10-11-2011, 09:44 PM

Didn't see any threads about it but a few interesting things to me:

- Some early benchmarks are coming out and it totally smokes every other phone around when it comes to processing and graphics. 60% faster than Galaxy S II on the Sunspider bm, ~100% faster in Geekbench Pro graphics performance bm, 60% faster on browsermark. The screen is still smaller than some such as GS2 but I personally don't mind having smaller real estate in my pocket. That kind of incredible GPU and processing performance combined with the retina display should make for some unreal graphical experiences. Its browsermark score was even higher than the Samsung Galaxy Tablet!!

- Apple has apparently put a lot of effort into engineering the parts of the camera that matter as opposed to simply feeding the megapixel myth (though it is now an 8mp sensor). They claim to have put a lot into improving the lens which is now a larger 5 element lens with a wider aperture (yes, I know what these things mean - I'm a photographer). Apple claims that these two improvements bring over 70% more light per pixel. If these claims are true then we should see vast improvement in situations where phone cameras usually fall hard: lower light/indoors situations where probably most pictures get taken. I'm interested and I think it could possibly end up being the best camera on a smartphone.

- iOS5 looks to be very cool and in particular Siri is blowing everyone away. See some reviews here: iPhone 4S Reviews: "Best iPhone Yet", Great Camera, Siri is "Straight Out of Science Fiction" - Mac Rumors
I know that Siri will be extremely useful to me. Just the ability to speak "Remind me to stop by the store when I leave work" for instance and to have it do that will be great. There are so many things it can do just from the videos that are already out there.

Any other thoughts without getting into fanboy stupidity?

bc

JakeAndAirwaves · #2 10-11-2011, 09:47 PM

I looks like the 4! How will other people know that I am better than them?

But, I don't see it being worthwhile to upgrade, because this time next year the iPhone 5 will be out with the major updates. I see no reason to get one unless they give me one when I schedule to appointment for my 4 to get looked at. My home button is sporadically no working.

MakiSupaStar · #3 10-11-2011, 10:05 PM

My wife's iphone just crapped out on her, so we order her one yesterday.

Kwesi · #4 10-11-2011, 10:12 PM

I hope that the iPhone 5 has a bigger screen. Then I'll probably switch.

DigMe · #5 10-11-2011, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I hope that the iPhone 5 has a bigger screen. Then I'll probably switch.

There are pics of a prototype for the next gen floating around that a lot of people feel are legit that show a much thinner iphone with tapered edges and a larger screen.

bc

basstotheface · #6 10-11-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigMe

There are pics of a prototype for the next gen floating around that a lot of people feel are legit that show a much thinner iphone with tapered edges and a larger screen.

bc

Those pictures look too much like Samsung phones.

alec · #7 10-11-2011, 11:43 PM

I ordered one yesterday.

Kwesi · #8 10-12-2011, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigMe

There are pics of a prototype for the next gen floating around that a lot of people feel are legit that show a much thinner iphone with tapered edges and a larger screen.

bc

Sounds like a winner. Now Apple needs to bring a free, preferably Google-powered navigation app and I'm down with the iPhone 5 for sure, haha. The 4S does sound purty schweet so far though. Siri sounds beyond awesome.

L-A · #9 10-12-2011, 04:35 AM

I personally like very much what they did with the 4S. The iPhone 4's design is gorgeous, so I'm actually glad the look will still be around. And Siri is great news. It's been in development for more than 15 years now, and if it proves to work well with the average customer, it'll be a strange but very nice push forward to personal computing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I hope that the iPhone 5 has a bigger screen. Then I'll probably switch.

Why a larger screen? It's a phone, primarily, and four inches has a huge downside.

The green area is your thumb's reach:

Simo98 · #10 10-12-2011, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L-A

The green area is your thumb's reach:

That might be your thumbs reach. My hands are not particularly big, and I can quite easily reach far beyond that range on my iphone. I mean, 90% of the time I use it I hold it in a way that I can probably cover 3 times that area with my thumb (using two hands). Of course that is more of a personal preference thing.

Of course, I agree with you completely on screen size simply to do with the physical constraints of a bigger device. The iPhone is about as big as I would want my phone to be before it starts to get too bulky. It is already probably bigger than what i'd like personally.

hover · #11 10-12-2011, 06:05 AM

Um, that's why you have TWO thumbs. Just sayin.

I'm still on the fence whether I want to jump into a plan structured cell service. I like the iP4s, but my Android is pretty rockin for a pay as you go...I like the idea of eschewing a laptop and having a total mobile computing device like this....almost there....

i_got_a_mohawk · #12 10-12-2011, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L-A

Why a larger screen? It's a phone, primarily, and four inches has a huge downside.

If you want something that is primarily a phone, then buy a regular phone?

There have been other companies making advances with phone cameras too.

Price tag alone is a major turn off for iPhones (for me).

iamlowsound · #13 10-12-2011, 07:44 AM

I think this iPhone is just what apple needed to bring out. Now if we could just get swype without jailbreaking, all would be good in the world of iPhone.

lowsound

burk48237 · #14 10-12-2011, 07:55 AM

I also think the 64 GB storage could be a big plus. I have 53 gb of Itunes music on a 80 gb Ipod as we speak. But the idea that a phone could replace my ipod to would be very cool.

As far as camera's. I suspect this will be the next great area of innovation for camera-phones. I also suspect the compact camera market is not a place I'd want to invest in right now. I believe we will see a camera company (Cannon-Nikon-Sony?) Selling or licensing some chip technology to the phone companies soon. There is some remarkable high iso (low light) and video technology showing up on DSLR's today. As the cost of this tech comes down the perceived value of these phones will skyrocket. A phone for $400 still sounds real steep to me, but a viable compact video-still camera device-phone at $400 is a bargain.

Kwesi · #15 10-12-2011, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L-A

I personally like very much what they did with the 4S. The iPhone 4's design is gorgeous, so I'm actually glad the look will still be around. And Siri is great news. It's been in development for more than 15 years now, and if it proves to work well with the average customer, it'll be a strange but very nice push forward to personal computing.

Why a larger screen? It's a phone, primarily, and four inches has a huge downside.

The green area is your thumb's reach:

I dig the 4in screen size a lot. I was skeptical at first but my Droid X has solidified my stance. That graphic makes sense until I actually have the phone in my hand, lol. I can reach everything but the very top edge comfortably with my thumb. Then again, I do play a lot of video games *flexes thumb*

.

ehque · #16 10-12-2011, 08:17 AM

There's real estate on the front of the iphone4 to fit a slightly larger screen than the 4 has. I would have liked the speaker and home buttons moved to the side and the whole front dedicated to touchscreen goodness.

Also, siri doesn't work here, i think.

DigMe · #17 10-12-2011, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

If you want something that is primarily a phone, then buy a regular phone?

There have been other companies making advances with phone cameras too.

What kinds of advances and who is making them?

bc

Kwesi · #18 10-12-2011, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigMe

What kinds of advances and who is making them?

bc

When it comes to taking photos and video, currently the iPhone blows the competition away. That much is for sure. That's a big part of why I want one myself. Having a legit pocket camcorder on me at all times would be nice.

DigMe · #19 10-12-2011, 08:34 AM

I can't say with any authority that it blows everything away but I'm definitely interested in hearing about specific technical details that other companies are implementing to improve their cameras (such as Apple's improved lens and wider aperture).

bc

MJ5150 · #20 10-12-2011, 08:59 AM

If you have an iPhone4 already, you'll probably want to pass on this "upgrade" and wait for the 5, unless you have some discretionary income to burn. There isn't a lot there for a current 4 user, but very tempting for someone contemplating an iPhone.

I went ahead and stayed Android yesterday when I upgraded from my Droid1 to a Droid3. I really like the larger screen, but I thought I wouldn't.

I don't know what all the fuss about Siri is. I have been able to talk to my Droid since I got it two years ago, and the same technology is in our Ford Edge. So uhhh, congratulations on catching up Apple.

-Mike