The Today in iOS / iPhone Podcast

Thu, 6 October 2011

Why the iPhone 4S really IS the iPhone 5

...I am sooooo tiried of reading blog post after blog post about how the iPhone 4S is a marginal update, or barely an update. Or you pick the negative retort. Because when I sat there on Tuesday and was reading about all the new features being announced - I was thinking - Wow this is as big an update as the iPhone 4 was vs the 3GS. So I need to ask - What are all those that are bemoaning the iPhone 4S really upset about? Seriously - I am asking. Because I don't have a clue what they are thinking.

It actually made it to the point where I started to question my sanity on this matter - so I decided to put together the chart you see above.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LARGER VERSION

What I did in this chart was put in all the new features of the iPhone 4 vs what was in the iPhone 3GS. And then also all the new features of the iPhone 4S vs what is in the iPhone 4. And when I was done with the chart - I felt a lot better - No I am not crazy - the iPhone 4S really is as big an update from the iPhone 4 as the iPhone 4 was from the 3GS. Still don't believe me - then go back look over that chart again. Actually I find when looking at all the changes objectively - the 4S is actually a bigger update than the 4 was.

Clearly calling it the iPhone 4S - in some peoples mind is the real reason they are feeling it is not as big an update - which is pretty lame for so called tech journalists. Sure - I would have liked to see it called the iPhone 5. But either way it is still a major update. Some reasons I think Apple went with the 4S vs 5 name is that with the 3G and 3GS - they both had the same case. So to with the 4 and 4S. Also in 2012 - with the 6th iPhone (dare not say iPhone 6) - it is likely going to be LTE - it will also likely not be released until the fall of 2012 as well. And when this 6th iPhone is released - it will NOT be called the iPhone 5 - it will be called the iPhone 4G - as in LTE = 4G. And guess what it is likely going to be in the same package as the 4 and 4S.

I read in a post where someone said they are just waiting for the iPhone 5 - well guess what the iPhone 4S really trully is the iPhone 5 - it is just not called the iPhone 5. Per all those rumors about teardrop packages, wider and bigger screens and 4G be it LTE or WiMax - those never made any sense this year. And other than LTE - I don't see any of them making sense next year.

So next time you read a post about someone bemoaning the iPhone 4S - send them the link to the chart above and ask them to justify their position based on that REAL info.

UPDATE: I updated the graph to better illustrate all the specs of the iPhone 4S. In the graph now the top 7 iteams are all improvements vs the 4. The last 8 items in the 4S column are all new just to the 4S. Plus the last 9 items for the 4 are ofcourse also in the 4S - incase you want to compare vs the 3GS. No mater how you slice it the 4S is a great device.

UPDATE2: iFixit has opened up an iPhone 4S and sadly it is still at 512 MB of RAM. Chart has been updated accrodingly.

Category:vip_iPhone -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Comments[6]

iFixit has got its paws on it and confirmed that it is 512KB. Gruber thinks that it is to save power. In the low-powered world, every byte of ram has a cost in battery life, even if it is idling. So there is a payoff to making things work in the 512K over 1GB.
posted by: dave on 2011-10-13 17:44:17
Kevin - I would say the 4S with Siri and as a World Phone is a bigger update than the Retina display and a new package - that we had when the 4 was introduced. In aggregate all the new features on the 4S - when compared to all the new features of the 4 are on par as a min and IMO better than the 4. Again look at all the items in the left column and compare to all the ones on the right. Come on Kevin - I could say Siri is much better than Wifi being b/g/n - you can't compare any one feature to another - you have to look at them all in aggregate.
posted by: rob@wizzard.tv on 2011-10-11 14:14:14
Come on, Rob. This chart is completely misleading. From a 3G/3GS to 4 that retina screen upgrade has to count for a whole lot more than bluetooth upgrade or an additional camera. That thing is far and away such a breakthrough difference between one generation and the other. Don't get me wrong. As a 3GS owner, I'm happy to get a 4S. But, if I had known I would be waiting until October 2011 rather than June 2011 I probably would have paid a premium for the iPhone 4 last year. Just sayin. :-)
posted by: Kevin Crossman on 2011-10-11 04:41:23
I agree with you Rob. Sure, I would love to see a bigger screen and a redesign of the new iPhone but it didn't happen. I think the update is great when looking at specs and the performance increase with this iteration of iPhone. No need to be upset because it isn't the iPhone 5 because 4G isn't really here yet and we truly are at the intermediate stage of switching over to 4G. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about the iPhone 3GS and could they do it this time as well. I wasn't disappointed at all and I am very happy with the upgrades Apple made AND, in my mind, it really is the iPhone 4Steve. Looking forward to getting my new iPhone on the 14th of October and I have just as much excitement in anticipation as though iPhone 5 really came out.
posted by: John Sterling on 2011-10-08 10:39:03
I for one am glad that they kept the 4 design. It's a classic. There is no reason to throw it away for the sake of trying to please a bunch of people who would complain about the new design as well.
posted by: Dave on 2011-10-07 13:57:56
Ditto. I don't want a bigger screen because I'm afraid they would increase the size of the iPhone which in my opinion is the "perfect" size right now compared to other smartphones which are becoming the size of tablets. I want the sleekness of the iPhone 4/4s which is the best design ever on my hip!
posted by: Darnel on 2011-10-07 08:03:37

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