Apple’s newest iteration of the iPhone was greeted with mixed reactions from the market. A lot has been said, both praises and disappointments, about what it should have been in the first place. Since the local launch of the iPhone 4S with Globe and Smart is just a couple of days away, let me share with you what I think of this phone. Check out our iPhone 4S review after the jump.
Prior to this, I was using an iPhone 4 and have actually decided not to get the iPhone 4S (was able to get the iPhone 4 free last year with Globe in exchange for a 3-year contract). Do read on our iPhone 4 review from last year to get a better perspective before reading on.
Frankly, I did not see any significant compelling reason to upgrade. I share this same advice to folks who asked me and even on TV guesting and interviews. The opportunity to upgrade came by accident so I accepted it thinking I also needed to actually use and review the handset in order to be more reasonable with my earlier conclusion.
But before I go there, let me walk you thru what the iPhone 4S offers and how is it different from the iPhone 4.
Better Hardware Configuration.
Twice the processor, more storage, better camera and faster connectivity — that’s what the iPhone 4S added to the table. It now sports dual-core processors that was used on the iPad 2 as well as options for a 64GB storage (with 16Gb and 32GB still in the menu) and HSDPA connectivity that can do up to 14.4Mbps.
There’s no LTE or even HSPA+ here so the iPhone 4S will not really maximize the speeds of the HSPA+ network of Smart and Globe.
Apple also bumped up the camera on the phone to 8MP with option to record video up to 1080p full HD. More on the camera quality and HD features later.
For good measure, they also added Bluetooth 4.0. No NFC support here, a technology that seems to be the trend now.
Still Same Old Design.
The iPhone 4S sports the same old design as its predecessor so there’s nothing to really worth mentioning in the design department.
Yes, the design and solid construction of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S is already impressive but folks like me still want bigger screen. A 4.3-inch display seems to be the minimum size when it comes to flagship handsets so the 3.5″ on the iPhone 4S feels like in the mid-range category already.
And while the design of the iPhone 4S already screams premium craftsmanship, a little bit more screen real estate would have been great (catching up to the times, eh?). Nevertheless, the 960×640 screen resolution is among the best resolution we’ve ever seen on most handsets (which normally is in the 480×800) this size.
Well hello there, Siri!
One of the purportedly best features of the iPhone 4S is the personal assistant function that’s built into the OS which is called Siri.
What makes it different from any other dictation, voice control or voice recognition software is Siri’s ability to understand semantics a little bit better than the rest. That means, you don’t have to say commands in a specific structure so it can understand you. The best part is that Siri actually has a sense of humor and personality.
Siri isn’t new either. It’s been a stand-alone app for about a year in the iTunes App Store (where few people noticed or ever used it). Apple bought the company and yanked Siri from the Store to make it part of iOS5. It’s curious though that Apple would not make Siri available to the iPhone 4.
There’s also a catch here though — you will need to be connected to the internet to be able to use Siri. This is because the commands are processed in the cloud (Apple servers) and other related services like Wolfram Alpha. That means activating and using Siri entails data charges and also contributes to faster battery consumption.
My other beef is you’ll have to talk clearly with a little bit of an America accent when talking to Siri. Otherwise, you’ll just end up repeating yourself and be frustrated in the process.
I’ve been using the iPhone 4S for a couple of weeks now and have not gotten used to telling Siri to execute commands. The only time I whip it out is to demonstrate to people how it works or how funny some of the answers are.
For the most part, I don’t see Siri as an essential feature for my daily use.
Still the Best Camera.
When iPhone 4 first came, it had the best camera in any handset that I’ve used. It was so good I am comfortable not bringing my Canon S95 with me and use it to take photos instead. Same with the HD video.
The iPhone 4S brings it up a notch and brought it an 8MP camera with full HD 1080p video recording capabilities. While the front facing camera is still 2MP, it’ll give you a great video conferencing feel, but still has yet to be any where near equivalent to a virtual feel such that telepresence solutions and standard video conferencing bring on a solid or wired connection.
The camera is one of the fastest I’ve used on a phone. From experience, I think it can do something like 2fps when taking stills.
Images are a bit saturated so colors look deeper and more prominent. Over-all sharp and clean images even at low-light conditions.
Video recording at 1080p is fast and focused with very minimal dropped frames. The microphone picks up a lot of unwanted noise though.
The Network: #globeiphone4s or #smartiphone4s
This is the first time that the iPhone 4S will be offered on more than one network in the country. After being exclusive to Globe Telecom for the past 3 years, Smart Communication will also offer the iPhone 4S both on prepaid and postpaid plans this coming December 16, 2011 (both networks have invited us to attend their launch party).
This offers more option for subscribers to choose the network that works best in their location. I believe it’s the type of postpaid package that will play a huge factor when people pick the network.
We still don’t have the details of the postpaid plans form Globe and Smart so we can’t say much in that aspect (will update come December 16).
As mentioned earlier, the iPhone 4S only comes with an updated HSDPA chip that has a theoretical speed of up to 14.4Mbps. Unfortunately, the HSDPA and HSPA network of both telcos are somewhat congested compared to their newer and faster HSPA+ network so don’t expect really great mobile internet connections compared to the ones that use the Galaxy S2 or Galaxy Note.
It’s in the OS.
Apple has also rolled out the latest version of their mobile OS. While iOS5 is also available on earlier models of the iPhone (3GS and iP4) and other iDevices, Siri only natively works on the iPhone 4S. You can read more about iOS5 in our earlier post here.,
The dual-core processor helps improve performance of multi-tasking and 1080p video encoding. Twitter is heavily integrated into the OS and Notification looks Android-ish.
iCloud is best used to synchronized all your iDevices and back them all up in the cloud (does not sync and backup SMS messages though). It’s not perfect but it works. iMessage is great as a compliment to regular SMS especially when your contacts are using an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad on iOS5.
Battery life is something that’s always an issue with the iPhone 4 since it was first introduced. The iPhone 4S had some problems with iOS5 with batteries draining really fast but a fix was rolled out to address this. Expect a good whole day of normal use, a day and a half if you’re lucky and around 12 to 18 hours if you’re a heavy user.
What’s the Bottomline?
The iPhone 4S is a great phone over-all. If you haven’t switched to an iPhone, this is the best time to convince you to get one. It’s not a big deal if you’re coming from the iPhone 4 but will surely get the benefits if you’re using the older 3G or 3GS.
Siri doesn’t contribute much to the over-all user experience. You won’t miss it even if you turn the feature off.
Apple iPhone 4s specs:
3.5″ display @ 960×640 pixels
Apple 1GHz A5 dual-core chip
16GB, 32GB & 64GB internal storage
512MB RAM
HSDPA or EVDO 14.4Mbps
WiFi 802.11b/g/n
GPS w/ aGPS
Gyroscope
8MP camera with LED flash
1080p video recording
2nd front-facing camera
2 mics w/ noise-canceling
Bluetooth 4.0
iOS 5
Apple did a bit of re-engineering with the internal circuit to provide better antenna reception for better call quality and 3G signal. So, if you’re thinking about that “grip-of-death” issue that plagued the old iPhone 4, it’s no longer an issue here.
The iPhone 4S may not be the top choice for a lot of people this year because of the large number of competing handsets that is at par in terms of performance and hardware configuration.
Where the iPhone 4S excels is the smooth integration of the OS and the complementing hardware. It may not have the fastest processor, the biggest screen, or the fastest 4G chip but that’s not the game that Apple plays. The iPhone 4 is already a great smartphone. Apple just made it a little better with the 4S.
YugaTech.com is the largest and longest-running technology site in the Philippines. Originally established in October 2002, the site was transformed into a full-fledged technology platform in 2005.
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Okoro oghenekome says:
Hello, I really love the work you have in here, I love the way you made every bit of this article simple and very understanding.
iphone4s says:
Spot on with this write-up, I truly feel this amazing site needs far more attention.
I’ll probably be back again to read through more, thanks for the info!
AlbertGabriel says:
I agree, iPhone 4S is the most amazing phone ever! I used 3GS for less than 9 mos and decided to avail the 4S plan from globe just before the month of July ends and really saw and appreciate the difference. 4S the best!
vangie gamboa says:
Yes, I agree iPhone 4S is the most amazing phone ever, though abit expensive its well worth it. you could’nt ask for more!
bryan says:
the most amazing iphone yet but for me its the most amazing phone yet
devilmark says:
here is the info.
iPhone 4S 16GB: Php4,800 cash-out on Plan 1799
iPhone 4S 16GB: FREE on Plan 2499
iPhone 4S 16GB: FREE on Plan 3799
iPhone 4S 32GB: Php10,080 cash-out on Plan 1799
iPhone 4S 32GB: Php4,800 cash-out on Plan 2499
iPhone 4S 32GB: FREE on Plan 3799
iPhone 4S 64GB: Php15,096 cash-out on Plan 1799
iPhone 4S 64GB: Php10,080 cash-out on Plan 2499
iPhone 4S 64GB: Php4,800 cash-out on Plan 3799
Name: devilmark says:
there plan depends on your monthly salaries. just go to their sites. u just have to present atleast 2 valid ID’s Proof of bills and salary slip for 1month. after u pass the req. some agent will contact you. then ask for personal info. etc. i think for the highest plan offer in globe the phone is free.. while the 999plan?.. there is DownPayment fee for the phone. take note. if your salary only 10k-11k a month, ur not qualified for the iPhone plan. that is the reason why i buy my phone in smart(prepaid version) much cheaper and u can get the phone at the same day 1-2hrs waiting.
Fernie says:
Well in that case I’m qualified. Is there any truth about the rumors? That the down payment for iPhone 4s 16GB costs around P10-11k? Or is that for the Plan 1799?
benchmark says:
Well its all depends on you. If you are type of person who always change phone, better buy an unlock unit, but of your a person who wants to have a line in globe or smart then go for the plan. Take note, if you get a plan, you have this lock period of 2 years. In 2 years time, there are iphone 5 or 6 at that time. Also take note, possible relaease of the new iphone is this year.
Fernie says:
I’m the type of person that is not picky with my phone. I had my Nokia phone for almost two years now and I suddenly felt the urge to switch phones (office pressure since I work in an IT company). So I’m thinking of actually getting the Postpaid plan with Globe Telecoms. But the thing is I am not well aware of how and what are the terms of conditions if I am to avail the plan.
Devilmark says:
Depend on how you pay.. U want postpaid avail in globe.. If u want the unit much cheaper in smart..
Fernie says:
What is the best way to get an iPhone 4s? Buying the unit or availing Globe Postpaid plans? Please enlighten me.
Mookie says:
This is be the 1st apple product that I will have. I personally don’t like the idea of using an app in order for you to transfer your data to apple devices but I’ll give it a shot. Bad side, I don’t like iTunes and the battery life of the phone since I have tried it using a friend’s phone. On the plus side, so many awesome apps (specially when jail broken), awesome cam, awesome and bright screen and has so many accessories for the phone. I’ve already tried android based & blackberry phones so why not an apple product? It may not be a perfect phone for me but I’m sure I want to learn on how and why some people like this device and how they enjoy it.
Devilmark says:
Happy bday..😊
patricia madrazo says:
i want iphone 4s pls its my birth day today
Nob says:
If you don’t have an Iphone, you don’t have an Iphone.
andrea says:
sir can i ask a few questions about iphone 4s..is there really an issue about its battery?is it a big deal if the iphone 4s has no facetime?because iphone 4s has no facetime in some part of the middle east..thanks
Mookie says:
When using the phone without 3g, yes it can go afar but when using it really drains out the battery and will run out half of the day like 6 hours per say. Tried it, especially when I was went to Bulacan using the app “wazeâ€.
devilmark says:
some iphone4s got issue but not all.. mine has a good battery. and for facetime. u can only used it w/ same apple devices. but u can always DL 3rd party apps like SKYPE or YM w/ same features to have video call like Facetime..=)
Fats says:
“Still the Best Camera”
This is not true at all. The SG2 blows it out of the water.
jego207 says:
It’s my first Apple product, and for the record, I’m a far cry from being an Apple fanboy, but I’m liking how POLISHED this phone is. It’s pricey but well worth my money.
I find this funny & ironic: “There’s no LTE or even HSPA+ here so the iPhone 4S will not really maximize the speeds of the HSPA+ network of Smart and Globe.”
— no such thing as *maximized* HSPA+, it’s so slow.
Name: toughe says:
hoy KOLOKOY! kapantay lang ng nokia ang CHERRY MOBILE at MYPHONE hak hak hak … kaya dapat sa mga NOKIANS ay mahimlay na hik hik hik
toughe says:
hoy KOLOKOY! kapantay lang ng nokia ang CHERRY MOBILE at MYPHONE hak hak hak … kaya dapat sa mga NOKIANS ay mahimlay na hik hik hik
Nokia says:
Mas maganda pa din ang Nokia 3310. Simple lang at afford ng EVERYONE.
melvin says:
so,magkano ito??
charls says:
hello sir yuga, is there an issue with iphone battery
Anthony says:
Hi Yuga,
I have almost resigned to the idea of having to get an iPhone 4s primarily because I expect it to automatically and seamlessly synchronize my schedule and contacts with my MacBook Air & iPad 2 just like how it is between my two devices. I always add appointments and new contacts either in the MacBook or iPad but I must not miss these updates on the phone. I good camera is also desired.
What are my options?
Thanks & more power,
Anthony
jackk says:
Guys, ito ang proof kung sino ang may sinasabi pagdating sa camera, Iphone4 vs N8.
http://www.gsmarena.com/vidcmp.php3?idType=1&idPhone1=3621&idPhone2=4212
Read the (Bird’s eye view!).
xas says:
hi sir, i’m really torn between the two.kasi while browsing, may nakita akong iphone na may “1 year sevice warranty’ at yung isa, “1 year official warranty”. dba pag official warranty is 1 YEAR WARRANTY AT AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTERS.. so alin yung maganda bilhin? yung may service or official warranty?
echus says:
nakakatawa mgbasa ng mga comments. :)Parang network wars ah..well,I have an iphone jailbroken, so far so good int terms of communications. To all iPhonatics, Samsunatics and nokianatics let us all respect each others opinion ‘coz we are all entitled with it. Every gadget has its pros and cons. All smartphone brands are all great and not so great in their own way. peace:)
Andi says:
Ive used iphone 4s as well however my current active phone is dell streak 5 due to its huge screen. I agree with the author as i find the ip4s’ screen to be really small coming from a 5 incher. However, i disagree with him in terms of the camera. Yes it is quite excellent comparing it from ip4 however, its not the best one out there. definitely not for low light (since our house lacks lighting, i can easily feel the difference). I also own an s95 and that’s quite irreplaceable honestly speaking. sorry if i had to clear that up, some readers might expect the ip4s cam to be that good on how the author described it (like a replaceable s95). to clarify, good with appropriate lighting but not with low light. maybe if apple will put a xenon flash on it, then ill back off haha Good review dear author. Quite objective. I disagree that he’s biased Mr. Kolokoy. There is no room for incorrect judgment here sweetie.
alowdron says:
yugatech was great…i think if i phone 4s is free wala kayo masasabi na negative comment about it…nagiipon nga ako para maka-avail nun sinisiraan nyo naman…
cris says:
Hi iPhone fanatics.
I just have a question about the factory unlocked version of the iPhone 4s. Do I need a microsim to activate/use it? or I can just use any prepaid sim here in the PH. Thanks in advance for your response!
echoserang frog! says:
actually te sinagot muna tanong mo.
carlo says:
Hello,
is there an existing issue still with the battery of the iphone? Sir yuga hows the battery life of your iphone
lance roxas says:
hi! For me iphone4s is an amissing iphone yet because of its new features in the system. How ever we have our own different of how we use our phones at the moment ios is the best mobile system than android so if you like a better expirience auy the iphone. But if you like the much high end phones go to android phones
Kolokoy Me says:
Grabe! How ignorant the author is… Kinompare ba naman ang camera ng iPhone sa N8.. baka naman hindi pa to nakakahawak ng n8? @_@ lumabas na din pagka-bias ng yugatech hahaha! buti pa ang tech pinas! :)No bias. Always honest and fair reviews! http://www.techpinas.com/2011/12/nokia-n8-year-after-its-launch-and.html
Barubal says:
Kaw yata ang boplaks dito. San mo nabasa ang N8 sa review???
At pinagyabang mo pa ang techpanis mo e yan yun nagpapabayad para mag sulat at mag review.
Tanungin mo nga kung ano binayad kay techpinas mo nina Nokia, LG, MSI-ECS, Nokia at HTC para sa glowing reviews???
Wag ka magyabang dito at supalpal ka lang.
applefanboy says:
oi bolokoy! nagbasa ka ba? hindi naman kinompare ng author ung sobrang gandang iphone sa bulok at walang kakwentakwentang n8 ah…
sobra naman yang katangahan at kabobohan mo, ipatingin mo na yan utak mo.
wpkfol says:
Hi Abe, are you also encountering battery life issues on your iPhone 4S? currently I’m getting max 6 hours of usage and 18 hours standby…
Sanji says:
iPhone 4s’ browser is faster than SGSII’s, camera same 8MP, but I like the glossy finish of iPhone compared to plastic back case of the Galaxy. And finally iOS compared to Android, hmm App Store compared to Android Market. I’ll go for Apple. Plus the bonus SIRI on 4S.
Sabino II says:
Best Camera phone ehhh??? How about theNokia N8? Ahhh iPhone 4 abd 4s are the queen but still the NOKIA N8 is THE KING OF CANERA PHONE!!! Can iPhone beat the 12 megapixel camera with high end Carl Zeiss Optics? HuuHHH? Live with your ignorance and the rest will follow.Time to change since Apple is cught up with their biggest secret, ANDROID for EVERYONE!!!
tebs says:
sir, fyi. camera of the iphone is made by Sony. Carl zeiss lens is developed by Sony. the author is an experienced professional photographer.
boi_fans says:
^ yah yah S2 is like having a ferrari motor on a slim pedicab… Generic OS, plastic, unutilized hardware, dumbphone and unclassy feel… nuf said
galaxy s2 says:
Si boi_fan ang yabang di pa naman nakasakay ng ferrari. Same goes to his analogy. Di ka pa siguro nakagamit ng s2 para masabi mo yan. And truth be told, kitang kita na he’s after the “looks” rather than what’s inside.
Parang asawa lang yan. Pag di mo tinignan yung “what’s inside” eh hanggang 3-5 years ka lang. Not unlike sa not so beautiful but “full-of-insides” (sorry for the term. lol)eh tatagal yan.
Kagaya nga ng sinabi ko previously, if you want to have experience the “premium feel” why not buy aluminum foil and hold it all day long to experinece your so-called “premium feel”
Jose Farrugia says:
I am not at all impressed by the specifications of the Apple iPhone 4S! The Samsung Galaxy S2 blows it away. Read my review here – http://goo.gl/MxVWH
Jose Farrugia says:
I am not at all impressed by the Apple iPhone 4S. The Samsung Galaxy S2 is still a lot better in terms of specifications. Read my review here – http://www.techdron.com/samsung-galaxy-s2-review/
boi_fans says:
yah yah S2 is like having a ferrari motor on a slim pedicab… Generic OS, plastic, unutilized hardware, dumbphone and unclassy feel… nuf said
itipiddotcom says:
Comparing to 3gs and 4 it better in terms of hardware specs. But you can still upgrade your 3gs and 4 to ios 5 but without sri which is expensive to use while you are on mobile. If you guys still want it cheap. 3gs still has it all on a very cheap price ( easy jailbreak and openline but dontnhave a good camera) or wait for iphone 5
andy says:
Accept the FACT. iPhone is NOT for everyone.
Ako says:
^
|
|
|
(another bigot.)
you can’t stop people from comparing. if you want an iPhone then get one. it’s your choice, bigot. if people want to hate iPhone/iOS, let them. it’s their choice to make, not yours.
Hottie paul says:
iphone and IOS is the best hardware and software combination since twenty first century. love the updates and technical support of apple.
Napaka advance ng hardware ang software ng IPHONE, fantastic design, almost no worn out, Good battery life even in multitasking, the accesibility for the disable, best graphics ever, the camera, Best for navigation use, built-in ipod that most of us really admired, Cloud storage, SMOOTHEST TOUCHSCREEN EVER, Love the interoperability between OS’s , advancement in noise cancellation , Many more!..
SO DONT EVER COMPARE iPHONE!
Sam says:
iphone and IOS is the best hardware and software combination since twenty first century. love the updates and technical support of apple.
Napaka advance ng hardware ang software ng IPHONE, fantastic design, almost no worn out, Good battery life even in multitasking, the accesibility for the disable, best graphics ever, the camera, Best for navigation use, built-in ipod that most of us really admired, Cloud storage, SMOOTHEST TOUCHSCREEN EVER, Love the interoperability between OS’s , advancement in noise cancellation , Many more!..
SO DONT EVER COMPARE iPHONE!
sprig9an says:
nakakatawa yung bangayan.. enjoy the review guys no need for harsh comments.. lol
Marcdown999 says:
Best to pair with X mini MAX II for only 1899. Text me 091510*****.
Mario says:
Who have tried iPhone 4S wifi hotspot capability? Is it working well?
Name: says:
ang yayaman nyo naman ako 5800 pa ren gamit ko.pag mura na iphone 4 (maybe nxt xmas pwede na cguro) hahaha
Ed says:
Sir Abe, how you tried using the iPhone 4S served as the wifi hotspot? How was it?
Burcu says:
hi bev,hope your new job is going well. this is very nice of wild orchid crtfas to offer candy,thankyou to them and you for entering it on your blog to. we have sunshine today,getting the washing out while i can. love bluebell-flowerwood.
Jonathan says:
Just want to ask your opinion guys. If I’m going to upgrade, and I’m thinking of either iPhone 4s or an Android phone (either S2 or Sensation). Which one is better? In my case, I haven’t tried either one of the OS’s mentioned. I don’t want to change OS’s that much, just want a good phone and stick with it for a long time. Thanks for your opinion guys.
devilmark says:
review mo both spec. nila.. ikaw ang mkakapag sabi if anu ang preferred phone mo.. as from arc. i dnt have any idea. pro sa iphone 4s and SGS2 base on experience.. SGS2 better screens xia kc malaki.. down side lng mhirap mag kasya or sumakto sa ibang pockets and hnd k mkakapag 1handed text., compared sa iphone. sa specs mas mataas SGS2 definitely, but lagi ko cnsabi s mga post ko, wag kau masyado mag relay sa spec. lng. try using the phone first b4 making conclusions. i got my SGS2 but already sell it for 4S. pra sa akin masmadali gmitin ang iPhone, if u want more customized phone go SGS2 pro ako n ngsasabi n pwd rin i-customized ang iphone even themes. pwd bguhin.. u just need to jailbreak it. smooth OS, as for comparison iOS is the best for me. internet speed. almost same, depende sa mobile carrier ntin un. graphics, best sa SGS2 kc malaki screens pro smooth sa iPhone. free apps. SGS2 halos lahat libre pro meron din free best apps ang iOS specially mga GameLoft apps for free.. camera. mas maganda ang 4s compared sa SGS2. in my opinion lahat yan. btw. nsabi nba ng iba kng bkt mhal ang iPhone. kc some part of the iPhone manufactured by Sony(lens) LG(retina LCD) and Samsung(board) mismo ng iPhone. legal nmn lahat yan kso ng bbyad ang apple sa rights nila. so decide kana its a matter of choice. in battery performance lahat ng smartphones mahina jan at pantay2x.. its a matter of luck kng mkuha mo ung phone n best sa battery. aslong as nggmit m ung phone ng buong araw. good battery n un.
aze says:
kung affordable lang sana to, eto ang phone ko ngayon, dahil hindi ka budget friendly iphone 4s dito na lang ako sa sensation ko magtyatyaga :)
sylv3rblade says:
Looking at the postpaid offers by Globe and Smart, the 4s is actually quite affordable (if you can justify the 1k+ monthly usage plan that is)
StopTheMadness says:
Haaaysss… Stop the bangayan. At dun sa nag comment about “bisaya” did you know Yuga(Abe) is from the visayas and technically “Bisaya”. You hurt a lot of Visayans with that including me.
As for Arguments sake on OS, it is rather relative. Ika nga to each his own. But before the time when mobile phones are strictly mobile phones, Nokia tops the heap because they are “mobile phone” manufacturers first and foremost.
Now, since mobile phones are becoming more like computers, thus being categorized as “super” or “smart” phones, those that excel at manufacturing phones like these are those that actually are “computer” manufacturers. Since the war between models now are on their OS, those that excel are companies that produce OS as well, i.e. Apple iOS, Googles Android Platform, and other Linux and Windows based OS ported to a small computer we now call Super/Smart Phones.
Nokia has a hard time catching up with the OS since they just recently delve into their OS development and has failed several times with iterations of OS from Windows, to Linux/Meego and symbian. If they concentrate on building the hardware now and slapped an Android or a similar iOS software over their phones, then it would be killer.
All in all, to each his own talaga, dont worry about the OS and the tech stuff, just enjoy the phone that best suits your needs…
kwangkoakino says:
Agree!
OpRollingThunder says:
2007 pa ang iOS pero hanggang ngayon may no installed sim bug pa rin at sumiSiri kahit locked. You can not even rely on iOS in following your alarm because its battery dries up kahit nakastandby. The iPhone bubble is popping. Sira lang ang bibili ng phone that is ridiculously priced na more than a year old na ang aesthetic features. Obviously maraming sira. It sold millions kasi as it is the in thing. But that does not make it a good buy. 40k for a 64gb toddler phone. I can but will not buy that. The iPhone is a compilation of infringed patents kaya nagbabayad ang apple to Nokia for every phone sold.
Sa salitang kanto, mandurugas ang apple. Dinugas ang Nokia at patuloy kayong dinudugas. Seriously, pick up any other OS and compare. Even Belle now trumps that kindergartener OS.
Aminin, buying the iPhone is not mainly to use but to show it off. Shoshow off na lang iPhone pa. Cheap. Go Nokia (Vertu).
leemar says:
basta ako walang pambili ng iphone, ok na ko sa kakabili ko lang na xperia arc, mabilis naman, ang ganda ng screen at ang sexy “my kakaibang curve” ang xperia arc, hahaha
La+ says:
Ang tatapang ng mga tao dito ah haha. Magkita-kita nalang kaya kayo ng magkaalaman na. Palibhasa nasa internet kasi.
Nice review.
seraphica_seven says:
here we go again…. haha non stop bangayan ng mga phones…..
Marcdown999 says:
Selling iPhone 4s factory unlcoked for only 37.5k. Text me 091510*****.
applefanboy says:
@zigbien, wala naman kabuluhan pinagsasabi mo, palibahasa wala kang alam sa teknolohiya dahil isa kang i-skwater! yan tinagalog ko na, para maintindihan mo, laman kasi ng utak mo eh taho…
mongoloid pala ha. Suntukan na lang tayo kung gusto mo, wakwakwakin ko ang panget mong pagmumukha! papatayin ko buong ankan mo!
Name: entong says:
“ankan”???? lols!!! hahaha! yay!!!! more lols!!!!!!
applefanboy says:
Nokia being the smoothest phone was way… way back, a long time ago! nung panahon pa ng 3210! Ngayon eh pang sqautters na lang.
Lumia 800? ano ba yan? sorry ha, it doesn’t ring a bell, ang sikat lang kasi sa market ngayon eh Samsung Galaxy at and super Iphone.
The WP Mango is the smoothest smartphone OS to date??? WTFMAO! baka mag blue screen yan.
You can take your Lumia 800 and your WP mango and stick them straight up your candy @ss!
zigbien says:
dumugo ilong ko sa english mo applefanboy, o baka naman nasobrahan ka lang sa kakain ng mansanas, mongoloid ka ata cguro mag pinsan ang mga magulang mo
OpRollingThunder says:
Somebody please educate these iMorons. iOS being the smoothest phone was way back in 2007.
Thanks to the benefit of its multi-pausing (WTF) feature as iMorons render it as a feature.
The WP Mango is the smoothest smartphone OS to date. Ganyan talaga ang mga late adopters. Ang uso at best noong 2007 be best pa lang sa kanila ngayon. 4 years delayed ang uso sa inyo mga epal.
Try nyo mga iMorons ang Lumia 800 bago kayo sumatsat that Nokia is for squatters. Putangines naman, who needs a dual-core without MF multi-tasking? Para saan pa ang dual-core na iyan?
Sosyal na pala ang squatters ngayon, umiNFC na sa sharing of photos, games, music and files.
iMorons, take your icons and eat it too. Putang iOS yan, parang nursery tiles for the kindergartener-brained epals like the sumasamba and pumipila for this stupid phone. Talk about volunteering oneself to be frauded. Wake up morons!
duke says:
its pretty obvious that bibokid doesn’t know anything… its more fitting name for you to be called bobokId! hahaha
BiboKid says:
@galaxy s2: kahit ano pang sabihin mo, kahit isa isahin mo pa lahat ng alam mong technical terms o gadget website, di na mababago ung bobong comment mo.
your obvious bobo comments is obviously bobo.
pathetic.
galaxy s2 says:
@Bibokid:
Pre MCITP ako at CCNP. Search mo sa google baka di mo alam kung ano yung dalawa. At pre, ilang milyong beses na ko nagbasa ng Lumia 800 at ano ang sabi ng GSMARENA, ENGADGET, TECHRADAR, ANANDTECH?? FAIL.
Sabagay. di kita dapat pinapatulan. Pangbibo ka lang ata talaga. Mukhang di ka nga ata marunong ng OWA, VDI, MED-V at app-v. Yan google mo para may alam ka naman kung ano ano ang iniimplement ng walang alam sa software engineering, sa lumia 800, at n8.
BiboKid says:
@galaxy s2: Relax. Ingat sa mga pinagsasabi, at next time, pakireview ng comments mo, bago mo ipost. Mas nagmuka ka kasing BOBO sa comment mo. Dami mong sinasabi e obvious naman na wala kang alam sa Lumia 800, sa Nokia N8, video chat, ‘bagong os’ at lalo na sa ‘Software Engineering’. lol
galaxy s2 says:
Dre, nagaral ka ba ng software engineering? Kelan anging maganda yung mga bagong OS??? BOBO!! Yung mga bagong OS gaya ng WP MANGO madaming bugs!
Meron nga akong kaibigan na may Mozart, di maconnect yung windows phone nya sa microsoft exchange! Windows to windows na yan ha? Kaya ayun, lumipat ng android.
(sorry nga pala baka di mo alam yung microsoft exchange. FYI Exchange po eh email software ng microsoft)
Lumia 800 mo eh rebranded na N8. panget ng camera at ang panget ng screen! At walang front facing camera! Helloooo!!! 2011 na at uso na video chatting. tsssss….
jehzlau says:
really nice! I want this phone toooo! :D
r41n says:
iPhone 4S is the gaming (see GPU specs, not CPU) since it has the best GPU. it evens outperforms Nvdia Tegra 3 (Kal-el), a SOC that has not been released yet, in gaming.
mattscradle says:
Gusto ko ng iPhone 4S pero sa ngayun ang nabibili ko pa lang iphone 3gs. Anyway nice review.
Kyle says:
I just sold my iPhone 4 will be getting a Galaxy Note. 1280×800 hubba hubba!
Siri and a faster SOC which will marginally impact only games isn’t enough of an upgrade for me, particularly when I don’t play games on my phone (they drain battery like crazy!). I prefer higher res and slightly more screen estate, but each one to his own.
jortz says:
same here. note is a beast. need ics on that device…
kevin says:
Good for you! I’m thinking of the same thing!
Neil says:
HAHA! @Abe your getting more and more careful about your phone. your now using a screen protector both front and back! haha.. probably to prevent it from SCATTERING! :D
jonaflormicfren says:
I like to have this phone, but still no means to acquire it. Nice review.
Sanji says:
haist! walang kamatayan na conversations. I’m not on Apple or Nokia because both are good companies and smartphone manufacturers. On my opinion its just iOS is a mature enough OS compared to Meego or Symbian, meaning the edge of the iDevices is the smooth UI, App Store and OS. Nokia’s edge is their hardware, or the design for example the unibody of Nokia N9-00 and Lumia 800 is excellent but WP7 and Meego’s OS I think iOS still excells. Bottomline: Give me a phone with the body of N9-00, Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon Flash of N8-00, CPU of Samsung Galaxy SII and with iOS5, I’ll definitely buy it.
Josiah @ Lakas ng Tr says:
Good review on the iPhone 4s. I’m looking forward to buy the iPhone 4 regardless if it has an ‘S’ or not because of the camera features.
applefanboy says:
oi OpRollingThunder, saksak mo sa mukha mo ung panget mong Nokia. Wag mo kaming idamay dyan sa kabaduyan mo. Ang nokia pang squatter at celfon ng mandurukot. amBaduy nyan!
KuwangkoAkino says:
What a bold claim from Ramboo…I am a Visayan, high ranking official ng isang reputable company, but I never ever in my life, looked down janitors na tagalog… too bad we fellow pilipino baba ng tingin sa taga-visayas.
ramboo says:
may pambili nga ng iphone, nka jailbreak naman. mas bisaya ka pa sa gumagamit ng nokia. ang IOS, pang bobo / or grade school lang.
Kyle says:
You’re calling him a “squatter” when you yourself act and talk like one. What a hypocrite.
If Steve Jobs was still alive saw someone like you holding his iPhone, he’d shoot you in the head and take it back. You don’t deserve it.
Name: entong says:
sino kaya ang pang-squatter ang asal? sa pagpopost pa lang di halata eh anu? lols! haha!
OpRollingThunder says:
The most overrated smartphone and OS.
Kaya ang mga sumasamba sa Apple halatang bobo sa technology. May NFC na, ang puchang iPhone di pa rin makapasa ng files over BT. WTF.
Bago magkalat ng lagim ng kabobohan ang mga engot na supporter ng Apple gumamit muna ng N8. Kahit na lelong na ang N8 by smartphone standards at ubod ng bagal ang OS nito, Hari pa rin ito ng phone cams. Carl Zeiss pa lang talbog na ang mga kalaban. Kung ngayon nyo lang narinig ang CZ, mahiya kayo sa kabkab nyo mga epal. Aperture and MPs pa kaya. Kakabaliw.
Ang camera technology ng Apple, ginawa na ng Nokia sa N86 noong June 2009 pa.
I regret having bought an iPhone. Putanginang mga manloloko na yan sa Cupertino. Leche.
zigbien says:
Still the best Camera daw oh! hahahahahaha….
applefanboy says:
“Still the Best Camera.” di mo ba nabasa? bobo! pag CZ CZ ka ba dyan.
Drey says:
Whenever I had the chance to hold the iPhone 4 or the 4s. I really adore that chunky solid build quality in my hands. I can compare it like holding a metal M4, really solid!
But the price. If I had the money to actually change my current Nexus S. I’d go for it in a heartbeat. As much as I want the 4″ screen, it thought of not needing it that much since most of my usage are 80% calls, 20% messaging. I don’t watch movies on the phone, but the iOS music player really matters more than doubleTwist or what Android player combined.
I love Android. I was able to live with it and bricked it. But like what this author have said, iOS is by far a more smoother OS.
Just my two cents.
Philip Pines says:
Siri in my opinion will only serve you better or to it’s full potential if you live in the US. :D
H says:
@yuga – i like ur meego app because its so clean and bright. I enjoy reading using that however i find it misleading that the only graphics like a video has a thumbnail of ip4s turns out a video of a waterfall or the htc rhyme which has a video of a road while u were driving. I still have to click to see the original article.
i hope in the future there could be more pics or video per article in your meego app. good luck.
josh says:
akin na lang globe or smart invite sir abe! lol
andrew valdes says:
Sorry, still not convinced to get an iPhone. Daming limitations, liit pa ng screen, and MAHAL compared sa mas magagandang phones ng HTC, Sammy, and Moto.
Ahanoob says:
Ah ha, baka gusto mo lag. Hehe
Erik says:
i’m buying Samsung Galaxy Nexus rather…
Erik says:
battery life sucks. i’m buying google nexus.
Yikes... says:
Siri?!
Kailangan yata malinaw ang English accent mo at hindi nasal or dapat mala-DJ ang boses mo for it to work? Kung may punto ka o local accent, goodluck. So basically, worthless ito sa karamihan satin?
I guess.
D says:
kagamay sang screen, kag indi 4G. Galaxy Nexus on LTE nalang
Eric says:
Thanks for the great review.
Here’s a Smart vs Globe iPhone 4S speed test results…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=PH&feature=player_embedded&v=iviPTFx05j4
Andre says:
wheres the background?
chris says:
Sir, ano camera po gamit nyo dito sa mga images?
Henry says:
As far as I know, Siri won’t be of great help to us because it’s not that perfect as being advertised by Apple, especially that we are not in US.
sossimo says:
I think you forgot to mention the 512mb RAM in the specs. Also, maybe you could add the iMessenger feature too. And Siri could be fully maximized when you’re in US because of the location services Siri can do.
zer0ice says:
Abe, please read:
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2011/10/iphone-4s-features-supports-hspa.html
And this:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4943/the-iphone-4s-hspa-when-hspa-is-real-4g
So, iPhone 4S does support HSPA+. It does NOT support LTE.
Mike says:
Samsung Galaxy S3 Q1 2012. Quadcore 16MP back side illuminated CMOS sensor, super amoled plus HD
Mike says:
@Edu the good thing is apple’s competitor like Samsung keep on “pushing the envelope” that pushes also Apple to innovate more.
URO says:
WOW! Edu, isn’t it that apple fanboys have their own distortion field also?? Where they advertised “THE IPHONE 5!!” ” THE IPAD 3!!” and stuff like that?? I think it’s called the rumor mill or something…
I mean, dahil ba hinde Apple product, wala ng karapatang gumawa ng sariling HYPE??? to quote sir Abe …
“iPhone was greeted with mixed reactions from the market. A lot has been said, both praises and disappointments, about what it should have been in the first place.”
if they do not hold certain expectations, why would they be disappointed. My point is, hyping prducts is not a crazy idea…the ideas ABOUT THE PRODUCTS sometimes is. This is not distortion, rather anticipation…
Edu says:
I think you live on your own distortion field. Get a life Mike!
JFORT says:
2 words: Galaxy Nexus!
Iamdoods says:
Really? Screen is too small? Competitors running on Android may have faster processors but still you dont get the best experience when using an iPhone.
Florence says:
So anu na pong balita sa iPhone 5? Kailan po kaya dadating?
joel says:
sir, can you can give me feedback regarding drop call issues and signal reception on 4s, specially in the province.. im using 3gs and having a lots of problem in drop calls and signal issue.. i like i phone, but in my situation im living in bulacan. the 3gs is having a drop call issue and unstable signal.. im planing to upgrade to 4s.. should i upgrade to 4s.. or galaxy s2 or htc xe.. i really like the reviews hope you can help me.. thanks.. and god bless!!
mark says:
i have a 3gs and live in the bulacan area. i have the same issues with dropped calls and late texts. i suggest going with the cdr king signal booster. worked wonders for me.
dude says:
Excellent non biassed post! Facts without hype. Thank you very much for that honest blog Abe
Bryan says:
Sir, while N8’s Symbian Anna is not on a level with iOS, I think the best camera phone belongs to N8 (as of now). A whooping 12MP Carl Zeiss camera phone. And probably the next would be Nokia 801 with 16mpx. I haven’t used iPhone’s camera, but I strongly believe it’s not on par with Carl Zeiss.
Karlo says:
for me iPhone has quite Good Camera, i dont have iPhone or even N8, but on the reviews and sample shots i’ve found on the net, iPhone’s really quite impressive, but for me,,but iPhone cant beat my Sony Xperia S, way to far to compare both phones..
devilmark says:
mag pprint ba kau ng tarpaulins? aanuhin nyu nmn ang 16mega pix?.. hahaha.. just asking.. i dn have n8 but i have iphone4s and SGS2- which i state and claimed to be much better than n8. isa rin akong graphic designer. in my profession dapat alm mo pnagiba ng textures colors ng photos. and masasabi ko n best ang iphone4s, fyi. gawa ng SONY ang (lens) ng iPhone4s. isabay nyu pa ang LCD retina Display ng LG n nilagay sa iPhone. much better un compared sa n8. pro kng mag business kayo ng tarpaulins, posters or printing. then go n8! =D
xperia says:
Honestly naman, para sakin when it comes to Image Quality the best is sony ericsson, specially with its new Exmor R Cmos Sensor.. and please LED flash? why not use Xenon Flash if they’re bragging their camera so much… i’d really say this phone’s camera is over rated…
about the rest of the features I’d still prefer android, although it doesn’t have something like Siri, i don’t appreciate Siri anyway
entong says:
“Because, lest we forget, when you look at a gadget a hundred times a day it should make you smile every time, not want to kick it against a wall (the fate of my last iPhone). ”
“…when you look at a gadget a hundred times a day it should make you smile every time, not want to kick it against a wall (the fate of my last iPhone). ”
“….it should make you smile every time, not want to kick it against a wall (the fate of my last iPhone). ”
“….kick it against a wall (the fate of my last iPhone). ”
“….kick it against a wall (the fate of my last iPhone). ”
“….kick it against a wall (the fate of my last iPhone). ”
LOLS!!!
entong says:
eto a-fool-fanboy oh, basahin mo kaya to, kung trip mo lang naman.. haha!
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/why-i-dont-want-an-iphone-any-more-50006257/
entong says:
“ang sabi ko lang hindi ko kilala si carl size…”
yan lang ba talaga sinabi mo? sure ka? haba kaya ng post mo! wew!!! haha!
carl size??????? lols!!!!! yay!!!
anong size ng utak mo mo boy?? hahahaha! lololololols!!!
o wala kang utak??? o kung meron man eh nasa pwet?? hahahaha!!!
pathetic knucklehead!!
r41n says:
DSLRs are better than camera phones and digital cameras because of the sensor size. Obviously the Nokia N8 has larger sensor than the iPhone 4S. 1/1.83 is greater than 1/3.2. It’s almost double the size. Even if the iPhone 4S has larger aperture, the Nokia N8 still allows more light, thus better low light quality and overall quality because of the sensor size. You can’t simply compare a 12MP camera to an 8MP camera. You have to downsize the 12MP to 8MP to see which has better quality.
applefanboy says:
oi Name: entong wag mo nga akong dinedre dyan, dahil di mo ako dre!!! nyeta… tsaka kelan ko pinagtanggol si steve jobs?. ang sabi ko lang hindi ko kilala si carl size… Bopaloks!!!
Name: entong says:
todo pagtatanggol si applefanboy sa idol nia ah. hahaha! parang si idol nia ang bumubuhay sa kanya. dre, kahit ipagtanggol mo yan hanggang sa huling hininga mo, wala kang mapapala, walang pakialam sayo yan. haha! nakakakawa ka lang dre! lols!
applefanboy says:
“not on par with Carl Zeiss.” hello? sino ba yan? di ko yan kilala! bobo! mas sikat si Steve Jobs sa kanya.
zigbien says:
it’s like iphone 4s is better than nikon D40 coz.. well its apple hahahaha..
zigbien says:
lol.. the apple boys and the rich wannabes can’t accept that nokia n8 is way better than any iphones
BiboKid says:
@Edu,
yeah the megapixel myth, but still I think the N8 camera is better than the iphone4s. And the xenon flash just makes the advantage way bigger.
And that Camera Comparison you linked is a biased one, I must say.
Fleeb says:
Why are you still living the megapixel myth?
markT says:
pixel is for resolution and picture size, so it doesn’t really matter if you have a 16mega pixel camera phone if you are going to view it only in your pc/phone
sensor is for aspect ratio and color processing
i don’t have an iPhone and i’m happy with my sensation but i think iPhone has a superb camera, why? because of the lens aperture size, it’s one of the widest which means it will greatly perform in low light conditions, fast lens ika nga just like the nifty fifties of slr’s.
so it doesn’t matter kung 16 mega pixel yan or carl zeiss, kung ang picture naman ay maraming noise at mali ang color.
i had an n82 before, it has a carl zeiss lens, a good camera phone too only 5 mega pixel and i love it, so let’s not judge a phone by it’s pixel resolution kasi size lang ng picture yan.
Migz says:
We have iPhone 4s and Nokia N8 from the US. Well for me, mas maganda kumuha ang 4s kesa sa N8 in “in most situation” and pansin ko lang sa still pictures ng N8, if you crop it 100%, mas malinaw pa rin ang kuha ng 4s maybe because of the compression ng image from the N8. Cheers ^^
chris says:
hellooo edu? tanung lang nag ka N8 kana ba? o DSLR man lang ? ano ba alam mo sa field ng photography ?, o photo appreciation at technical details sa sensor?….Get a Life !
Edu says:
Hindi sa pataasan ng pixel ang sukatan sa quality ng camera, sa Sensor nito ang nagdadala. To tell you, Nokia N8 is one of the worst camera among the leading smartphone in the market… Read this review to get an idea http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/camera-showdown-iphone-4s-vs-iphone-4-galaxy-s-ii-nokia-n8-a/
Jhay says:
Siri not available. Connect to the internet. Disappointing.
entong says:
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/why-i-dont-want-an-iphone-any-more-50006257/
21 says:
Phone for rich! Period.