Paradigm shift or more of the same? The iPhone 4S reviewed

By Christoph Dernbach Oct 23, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - For those in cafes or bars who always want to show off with the latest smartphone model, the new iPhone 4S will not be that attractive. One must really have an eye for technical details such as the new antenna layout to tell the new phone from its predecessor, the iPhone 4.

But there is a new core inside the familiar casing. Apple has upgraded essential hardware components and given the iPhone new software with interesting functions. The main one that sticks out is the voice recognition Siri, which really sets a new standard compared to the Google system Android. Dpa took a look at the iPhone 4S and tried it out.

The iPhone 4S is operated by the double-core processor A5, which was previously only available in the iPad 2. The main chip in the new phone runs much faster than the A4 chip in the iPhone 4. In benchmark speed tests the 4S is only slightly behind the iPad 2.

In practice, one notices the improved performance straight away when turning on the device. While the iPhone 4 needed 48 seconds to start from cold boot, its successor is up and running after just 30 seconds. Larger applications such as the TomTom navigation app also starts up much quicker. The iPhone 4S also pushes the bar with graphics as well. Apple said the graphic performance is up to seven times better than with the iPhone 4.

In regards to graphics, the iPhone is now in the same league as iPad 2. And 3D games will especially profit from that as they can now be programmed with much more detail. But owners of the iPhone 4S will have to be patient a bit longer until the improved games appear in the iTunes Store as the applications first have to be written.

The higher performance of the new iPhone is a major reason that the battery life of the iPhone 4S is not better than its predecessor. If you leave a video run uninterrupted, the battery will be empty after 11 hours. The iPhone 4 lasted 12 hours. Unfortunately, Apple does not allow for the UMTS mode to be shut off to save energy.

iPhone users can now forget the antenna problems. With iPhone 4 - as with other smartphones - the display for reception strength would break down when the device was fully covered by the user's hand. The new iPhone is now equipped with two antennas, between which the system switches for the best reception.

The built-in camera is much improved as it includes a fifth lens and a light sensitive 1/3-inch sensor. With enough ambient light, the iPhone 4S makes photos that are so good that some manufacturers of compact cameras could fear for their business. Pictures using flash do not look as good though. The camera function can be called up directly from the lockscreen to be ready quicker for a snapshot. And videos can be recorded in full HD (1080p). There's also an image stabiliser to limit shaking.

The real innovation of the iPhone 4S is the Siri voice recognition and voice command software. You can ask the phone questions such as 'Do I need an umbrella in Munich on Wednesday afternoon?' The device sends the spoken file to a mainframe in the cloud where the text will be recognized and interpreted and the answer sent back to the iPhone. 'It will probably rain this afternoon' might be the answer shown on the screen and read aloud just seconds after the question was asked.

'Siri can be used in nearly all departments,' said Michael Spehr, technology editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung newspaper and an expert in voice recognition software. 'Appointments can be planned; reminders and notes can be entered; or searches can be done in the web or on Wikipedia. If you put it all together, the iPhone 4S is the first smartphone with which you can communicate in a normal language,' said Spehr.

For Thomas Heuzeroth, an editor with the Die Welt daily, the language assistant Siri 'is the most important argument for the purchase of an iPhone 4S'. Siri does have one major setback, according to Heuzeroth: 'Voice recognition and voice command only work when there is a connection to the internet.'

Stephan Ehrmann, editor in chief of the trade magazine Mac & i, believes that Apple has taken a big step forward. 'Other than the name and the casing, the iPhone 4S has everything you would expect from the iPhone 5: more performance, more memory, a much better camera. But the voice recognition Siri is much more important for the smartphone development and Apple's positioning in the market. They can ring in the next paradigm shift like they already did with multi-touch controlling,' said Ehrmann.

Matthias Kremp, editor with Spiegel Online, believes that iPhone 4S is more interesting for owners of older models of telephones than for people who already have an iPhone 4. 'Certainly, the camera is much better, the voice operated assistant Siri is an appealing addition. But both are not enough to justify buying a new phone after just one year,' said Kremp, who recommends iPhone 4 users to get the updated iOS 5 operating system. 'With the new software, your phone will be like an iPhone 4s Light.'

The iPhone 4S with 16 GB memory costs 630 euro (874 dollars) while Apple charges 739 euro for the device with 32 GB. And the new top iPhone 4S with 64 GB costs 850 euro.