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| Review Apple iPhone 4S 16GB - AT&T - All Colors - Specs - Price |
First a confession: I make my living installing, configuring, and supporting Microsoft products, and I even own a Windows Phone 7, but I am fast becoming an Apple convert. My portable MP3 player is an Apple iPod Touch (4th) Generation and I am on my second iPad! The Apple name has become known for innovative products that just work and work well. Sure they're a little more expensive than their competitors, but the company's product are well worth the entry price.
So, even though I own and use a Windows Phone 7, I had to spring for an Apple 4S 16GB phone not long after it hit my local Best Buy.
The "iPhone 4S 16GB" Facts
The "iPhone 4S" is the latest and greatest smart phone from Apple. The top-of-the-line unit features an Apple A5 Dual-Core processor, IOS 5.0 & iCloud, all new 8MP camera and optics, 3.5-inch (diagonal) Retina widescreen Multi-Touch display with 960-by-640 pixel resolution. And introducing Siri, a truly remarkable voice recognition system that has thus far lived up to its considerable commercial billing.
The 4.9 pound iPhone 4S is the same size and weight as its predecessor the iPhone 4, but is an improvement over its older sibling. Other new features include: 1080p High Definition (HD) video recording, all new optics, Notification Center, Photo Stream, iMessage, iCloud, and Twitter integration all made possible by IOZS 5.0.
No matter what hardware version (16GB, 32GB, or 64GB) you chose the Ultra-Portable, iPhone 4S is a simple device with very few moving parts. The power button sits on the top of the device on the right, while a standard 3.5mm headphone jack is situated on the top to the right left of the power button. Along the left edge of the ultra-thin (0.37") iPhone 4S you will find the vibrate/sound slider switch along with the volume control buttons. On the bottom of the unit you will find the proprietary USB power port. And since it is proprietary you cannot plug a USB memory stick into it, but with the provided cord, you can plug it into your computer and sync with iTunes and charge the device. There is also a standard 120 volt plug-in so you can change the unit via an outlet.
Siri Likes Me
Before I picked up the iPhone 4S a friend and colleague of mine purchased one. When I asked her about it she stated that Siri "was not her friend!" When I asked her to explain further she stated that about the only thing she could get Siri to do was wake her up in the morning; the voice commands were just not producing the expected or desired results.
Needless to say I was a little apprehensive about Siri myself, but my experience with the technology has been vastly different from my colleague's. Siri has never failed to deliver for me, not once and I am in love with the convenience the technology represents.
What is Siri? Siri is billed as an "intelligent assistant that helps you get things done. All you have to do is ask." Siri is voice recognition software taken to a whole new level. Now the technology has been around for years, but it has never been perfect and never heavily commercialized, but the technology is now ready for commercial debut in a big way.
With Siri I can make phone calls, ask for directions, send text messages, dictate and send e-mail, schedule meetings, set reminders, locate hotels, restaurants and other commercial establishments in a given location, etc., all of which I have done successfully with Siri. So, I can only conclude that Siri likes me!
iCloud
Apple IOS 5.0 ships with Apples' newest innovation iCloud a technology that allows one to sync all of your various Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod) wirelessly via the "cloud." iCloud "stores you music, photos, electronic books, apps, mail (only @me.com e-mail), contacts, calendars, and documents (only iPage documents). Once turned on it works automatically across devices. Add something to one device and it will show up on the other device when it syncs.
Now this does not mean that all of your music will suddenly appear everywhere. Default space for iCloud is only 5GB (more space can be purchase if needed; 10GB: $20.00/Year, 20GB: $40.00/Year, and 50GB: $100.00/Year), and only purchased music is synced via iCloud unless you sign up for iTunes Match a technology that allows you to access all your other music from iCloud -- including music you've ripped from your CD collection. Price: $24.99 a year and requires IOS 5.0.1.
Setting up iTunes Match is a three step process and takes a while to complete. All of your various devices will need to be setup for use the service once it's completely set up. I signed up for the service and it works rather well.
First Impressions:
I really, really like my new iPhone 4S 16GB with a couple of reservations; 1. the phone doesn't always place a call the first time a number is dialed. When this happens I have to hang up and dial again. Another gripe is one I share with most iPhone 4 users: battery power, or the lack thereof. The unit is only good for a day of moderate use. Standby time will last a little longer, say 48 hours.
Like all Apple devices setting up Wi-Fi is easy enough; when turned on the antenna continually looks for new Wi-Fi connections and once connected, it remembers and automatically connects to the Wi-Fi network when next encountered.
What make the iPhone so useful, far and away more than any phone I have ever used, are the Apps. And iPhone ships with plenty. New with IOS 5.0 is iMessage a texting app that speaks via e-mail address or phone number. Texting is automatic between iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
Heat & Noise
There is neither of both; end of story.
Conclusions
The iPhone 4S is a winner in my book, despite the lack of a "5" moniker. The combination of light weight, functionality, and connectedness is far better than phones I have used in the past. The Windows Phone 7 comes close, but falls short of the mark in several arenas. And Siri, I like Siri and Siri likes me.
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