Apple iPhone 4S Review

Wired.com say the camera in Apple's iPhone 4S is perhaps one of the best that's currently available. Although it only has an 8 megapixel count, it's incredibly easy to use. It can be accessed even when your phone is locked and you only need to use your thumb to operate it, unlike some other camera phones where both hands are required. The LED flash is too bright though.

"FOR: Clean, fast interface; class-leading audio, video looks great; iTunes and App store.
AGAINST: Screen is small; colours lack punch and colour; closed garden of iTunes."

"Test Winner"

Info: This product was retested here 7/2012 by What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision and received the same final score.

"Gold Award"

Usually not much can be expected from a mobile phone camera, but the iPhone 4S surpasses all expectations and then some. According to What Digital Camera, it produces fantastic quality images that give even some compact cameras a run for their money. Furthermore, performance is superb, with nary any shutter delay and quick autofocus. Manual ISO control would have been nice, though.

The iPhone 4S is possibly the best known and most iconic smartphone on the market, and deservedly so: its Retina display is spectacular, its performance is flawless despite having a less powerful CPU than many rivals and the camera is superb. However, The Inquirer found the Galaxy Nexus more appealing thanks mainly to Android 4.0's innovations and its better than average battery life.

What Mobile consider Apple's iPhone 4S to be an impressive and sensible upgrade, particularly if you're the owner of an iPhone 3GS that's struggling to keep up with iOS 5. The handset isn't revolutionary, it's more of a showcase for iOS 5, which reviewers found to be something of a revelation, but they considered Siri to be more a novelty feature.

Info: This product was retested here 7/2012 by What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision and received the same final score.

While users of the iPhone 4 won't find the 4S enticing enough to upgrade, Zath.com said that for owners of the 3GS, stepping up to this model is a no-brainer. Siri works like a charm and could be a real game changer with some tweaking, and while the slight upgrades to the hardware are barely noticeable, the new capabilities brought on by iOS 5 make this the best iPhone to date by far.

If you have an iPhone 3GS or older, upgrading to the iPhone 4S is a good move, says Computer Act!ve. It's significantly more powerful thanks to its dual-core CPU, iOS 5 is a brilliant update and the Siri voice command system actually works very well, although location services only work in the USA. If you have an iPhone 4, however, you'd be better off giving this one a pass.

The inclusion of iCloud, in-device editing and social networking integration make the iPhone 4S a better camera than many dedicated compacts, says Photography Monthly. Shutter lag is nonexistent, video recording has been upped to 1080p, and the new lens, f/2.4 maximum aperture and IR filter only add to its appeal, not to mention its resolution, which has been increased to 8MP.

Value for money: "average" (3 out of 6 stars), "Recommended"

Apple's iPhone 4S can't be beaten on speed, and for iPhone 3GS owners, PC Pro say it's certainly worth an upgrade. However, although Siri could become useful, it isn't quite there yet, and the camera and performance improvements don't do enough to justify the price hike. Overall, they wouldn't suggest an upgrade for iPhone 4 users, and they still prefer Samsung's Galaxy S II.

Apple's iPhone 4S managed to gain The Inquirer's approval in this head-to-head review against the Samsung Galaxy S II as the performance is slightly smoother, it has a superior screen and the camera is also better. The decision was tough though as there are areas in which the Samsung won, and some users may still be won over by other aspects of this competitor.

Value for money: 7 out of 10 points

Interestingly, Trusted Reviews found one of the iPhone 4S' new features - the Siri voice assisstant - to be an unnecessary addition.The camera was impressive for a smartphone and video mode is also decent. The processor is powerful and the device has exceptionally good signal. However, the screen size is disappointing and like previous models, it doesn't support Flash.

"Hot Product"

The iPhone 4S offers a huge range of features and an extensive selection of apps. Pocket Lint admits that all of the issues associated with previous iPhones exist on the 4S - the small screen, the lack of storage expansion etc. but it still manages to supersede its Android competition for the most part which should be enough to convince anyone in the market for a smartphone.

Naturally, the iPhone 4S embodies the sleek design we've come to expect from Apple. Its touchscreen is receptive and incredibly straightforward to use. Users have access to a wide range of top-class apps that load and run very quickly. Mobile Choice UK felt that the operating system - iOS 5 - was the real stand-out feature.