[Tezcatlipoca]

iPhone 4S versus iPhone 4

iPhone 4S versus Galaxy S II and a couple of others

iPhone 4S keynote

iPhone 4S "Siri" voice assistant demo

Originally Posted by Lord Nikon

Later firmwares retain the 'base form' as they are merely current versions of the base product. The current iOS is the 'base form' for the current devices, similar to a windows update, it gives you the base functionality of the OS and the bug fixes etc. If you were to buy an iPhone 3GS at it's inception you would get iOS 3.0 - now you would get 4.3.5 - Same device, both factory firmware versions, just one is updated based on advances / bug fixes and the firmware is updatable by the end user.

Fair enough.

I don't recall my N95 ever having the ability to change the JPEG compression during the period I had it. Perhaps it was in a release after my contract ended and I sold it, perhaps it was in a release before that which didn't make its way to me in time due to operator branding.

That does bring up something though I think is worth mentioning: firmware updates.

With the N95 and other phones of that kind of smartphone generation, unless you bought the phone SIM free unlocked, the firmware would be branded by the network. Whenever Nokia released a new version, with bug fixes and new features etc., you would have to wait (& wait...) for your network to eventually release its own version of that firmware. The only alternative would be to mess around and "debrand" (?) the phone, enabling you to install the generic Nokia firmware as soon as it was released.

I think there is a slightly similar situation with some Android phones now, although it's the manufacturer which has its own specific flavour of Android rather than the network, e.g. HTC will have Android plus "Sense", Samsung has "Touchwiz", etc. When Google releases a new version of Android, the end user has to wait for their phone's manufacturer to update their add-on thing before the user can finally have the latest Android, unless they "root" their phone so that they can install "vanilla" Android. [AFAIK, etc. etc. etc., so forgive me if I'm wrong]

With the iPhone, there is no network branding, and there is of course only one manufacturer - the same company behind the OS. Whenever a new version of iOS is released, it is available to everyone at the same time via iTunes, regardless of whether they are on O2, or Orange, etc. OK, there is the whole "Jailbreaking" side of things, but that isn't necessary simply to be able to install the latest software without network bloat or without waiting for a network version.

Originally Posted by Caspar

I just had to reappear for a moment and post what an excellent response Matt - awesome! - fair, subjective and informed.

Hello! Blast from the past

Originally Posted by Stephen

It most certainly isn't the best phone by a long shot, its simply a case of Apple telling people its the best thing ever and people getting brainwashed to think its true. My Galaxy S2 out performs the iPhone in everyway but when Apple's TV adverts claim the iPhone is the mutts nuts and if you don't have one then you don't have a phone gullible people everywhere will believe them.

I would be worried if your Galaxy S II didn't out perform the iPhone 4 in every way, given that the Galaxy S II was released in May 2011 while the iPhone 4 *and* the original Galaxy S were both released in June 2010. Saying the S II out performs the iPhone 4 is like saying the Xbox 360 out performs the PS2, or the iPad 2 outperforms the first Galaxy Tab - kind of obvious and pointless.

Originally Posted by techguyone

Doesn't look like any iphone 5 then (unless they do a really really late 'just one thing' announcement.)

So that's pretty poor for Apple, and is behind the tech curve now. Ouch

I think it's an iPhone 5 in all but name. It *is* a significant upgrade from the 4. It may not have had a redesigned case or a screen upgrade like the 4 had compared to the 3GS, but everything else is a big step up: dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU in an "Apple A5" SoC versus the iPhone 4's single-core Cortex-A8 and single-core SGX535 in an "Apple A4", 8MP camera instead of 5MP, 1080p video recording instead of 720p, etc.

tbh, I think Apple made a marketing mistake calling it the 4S. Names are important, and I think the simple act of calling this a 4S instead of a 5 may actually put some people off.

Originally Posted by MadGamer

Im going Blackberry on my next upgrade. Sorry Apple, but there arent many physical features to warrant an upgrade to the iPhone 4S

What do you want from a smartphone that a Blackberry will give you and an iPhone won't?

What physical features do you want?

What specs?

Do you care at all about apps ['cos if you do, don't go with Blackberry. Stick with the iPhone or switch to Android!]