Jawad A. Anjum
Staff Writer
It’s coming. You can almost hear it. October 28th will be the release of Apple’s latest addition to the royal family of smartphones: the iPhone 4S – with faster performance, better graphics and longer battery life, you can be sure to expect the usual hordes of apple loyalists queuing for their new gadgetry. While these people would queue up for literally a bag of garbage if it had an apple logo on it, it’s not entirely without reason this time.
You see, with this latest foray also comes the new iOS 5, Apple’s new mobile operating system. A few cool new things in this are integration with twitter, better notifications, a quality to-do list app, easier web browsing and a completely PC-free setup. There’s nothing groundbreaking here but when Apple does it, it tends to do it well. As well as these awesome new additions, you can pick up some new designer iPhone cases to spruce up your phone from https://mobilemob.com.au/. These accessories will be a great addition as well as having these brand new features.
The camera’s been upgraded to an 8 megapixel but more importantly there’s a whole host of new complicated sensors which, translated from tech jargon means the end result is your photos look absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention your HD videos. There’s also handy in-built editing for quick fixes.
Definitely in the U.S. version of the phone but ‘coming soon’ to Ireland, the most exciting new aspect of this whole farrago is Siri. Siri is voice recognition on ecstasy. This is a game-changing addition. It is a whole new artificial intelligence system. You can operate most major features with voice alone – this is nothing new except this time it actually works. You can dictate emails, texts, set alarms, timers, play music, check the weather and get directions.
It does all this in a much more ‘natural’ way than seen before. For example, for the weather, you can ask, “Will the weather get worse today?” and it will reply “I don’t think the weather is going to get worse”. The real fun starts with internet connectivity. You can ask “Who is the president of Argentina?” and it will respond using information from Wikipedia. Another example is “Italian restaurant in Rathmines” and it will give you directions on the fly. It’s still a ‘beta’ so development is ongoing and accuracy is imperfect. The only real test for a technology like this is what iPhone users will make of their collective experience of it over time.
The ‘S’ in the name means faster data speeds and hopefully, batter call connection – Though this really depends on the quality of the networks of mobile companies here in Ireland. So, depending on your network, you may not even notice the difference. Also, don’t be fooled by certain features that really only work well or at all with Macs or other iPhones like AirPrint for wireless printing, AirPlay for which you may have to buy an extra device or FaceTime, a Skype only for iPhones. Although if you are interested in looking for airprint printers you may be able to find them online through a Google search. Doing research will give you the knowledge you need to ensure that your set up is completed properly, especially if you are looking for a portable printer.
So, final verdict, should you get it? If you have the previous model, don’t. I’d wait for the next one. Although as an Android user myself, this is by far the most tempting release by Apple – I may be jumping sides very soon. Apple’s attention to detail and the ‘user experience’ is unrivalled. This is maybe the first time there’s more substance than flash. Seriously, you can’t tell the difference between it and the last iPhone. That’s refreshing coming from a company so reliant on brand image for sales. If you are taking the plunge, do be sure to brace yourself for the heavy blow your wallet’s going to take.
