The iPhone 4S: Revolutionary Or Evolutionary

Apple is known for its forward thinking, cutting-edge and revolutionary inventions.  From the Apple IIe to the iPad, Apple has always been at the forefront of computing and communicating.  However, it has set the bar so high that even Apple finds itself hard to beat.  A good example is the recent release of the iPhone 4S – a truly impressive product using the latest and greatest technology available.  But to its loyal fans, people who are always expecting a revolution instead of an evolution, some might have found the launch of an upgraded/evolved iPhone 4 instead of a revamped and brand new iPhone 5, to be less than remarkable.  However, the 4S does present three very impressive upgrades, of which should inspire die-hard Apple users to seriously consider purchasing the iPhone 4S.

Software

One of the most noticeable areas of improvement appear in the amount of speed and power that the 4S commands.  Apple announced that the iPhone 4S has seven times the graphical prowess of its predecessor and is twice as powerful. It features the iPad 2’s dual-core A5 chip which makes opening apps, loading the web browser, scrolling through home screens and countless other operations smoother and faster.

Siri

Probably the most compelling reason to upgrade to the 4S is the addition of Siri – a “personal assistant” who can parse the information you tell it through a mere conversation. For instance, should you tell Siri, “Please tell Jodi that I’m running late”, it would know who Jodi is and which meeting you’re talking about, and contact her to reschedule. It’s a pretty cool feature when it works.  However, when Siri doesn’t work, it makes you realize that it’s still a work in progress. Although Siri shows its personality in its humourous answers to questions it can’t yet answer, you just want it work.

iCloud

Similar to MobileMe, iCloud allows you to access all of your most essential data, pictures, apps, music and photos from any device, whether you access it from the device the content was created on, or if you want to use your iPad to show your friends a picture you took using your iPhone. One downfall, however, is that for users used to MobileMe’s specific syncing procedures, the user id it created doesn’t “play well” with iCloud. At the same time, iCloud doesn’t recognize email accounts like Yahoo or Gmail as they don’t contain a me.com email address.  Although it’s fantastic technology, the reality that it still has what appear to be fairly obvious faults makes it that much more frustrating to Apple enthusiasts.

Ultimately, the iPhone 4S was predestined to be a huge seller worldwide – but are its upgrades worth the wait?  The solution mostly depends on the type of user you are. If you have to have the most cutting-edge product available, with improved hardware, camera, voice controls and iCloud, it may be something to consider.   If the iPhone or other mobile phone you’re using gets you where you want to go, its good to know that the iPhone 4S is more of an evolution than revolution – but its pretty cool none-the-less.