iPhone 4 to 4S and 4S to 5---help me get something

[note235]

I have had ever iPhone and a majority of the top android phones + windows.
I remember I was let down with the 4S launch but am excited with the 5 launch.
I don't understand when people say that the 4S was a bigger upgrade from the 4 than the 4S to 5.

A6: Rumors of A15 true = amazing + better gpu
Taller screen: Its there
Better radio: anandtech has an article on why its a lot better even without the LTE part
LTE: and they include LTE which isn't in seattle for a few months
Enclosure: http://thetechblock.com/the-unibody-iphone
Better speakers

and my favorite reason
the screen is better at color reproduction
the 4S was bland compared to the iPad 3.

 

[MrGuvernment]

excited with the 5 launch

Why?

Apple playing catch up again as usual with what every other Android and even windows phones offer already...... LTE being the main part... screen, camera's quality... already exist in other phones....

 

[note235]

Get an iLife.

something wrong with you

Why?

Apple playing catch up again as usual with what every other Android and even windows phones offer already...... LTE being the main part... screen, camera's quality... already exist in other phones....

lte is a much better radio than the others--but since I don't have it here it doesn't concern me

the camera the 4s had was better than the competition, i don't think its a catch up--the a16 and full sRGB is what strikes me the most

 

[Terpfen]

Why?

Apple playing catch up again as usual with what every other Android and even windows phones offer already...... LTE being the main part... screen, camera's quality... already exist in other phones....

I have never understood people who view technology as the sum of a spec list.

 

[AQ_OC]

I like the new iPhone. The only problem is, I just got the 4S in feb....and while I do plan to buy a new phone at full price so I can keep my unlimited with LTE (Verizon) it is too soon the lay out almost $900 for a 64G version. Also, I think it is wise to let the phone get out to see if it works correctly.

 

[SuperToast92]

I'm still on the 4, and my contract ends in December. It was my first phone, first smart phone too. And while I was not only ineligible to upgrade to the 4s, I was a bit disappointed with it as well. However, with the 5 announcement, I can say that I'd be happy to upgrade to it once December rolls around. Sure, it is on par with many other smart phones out there, and it's also at the same (contract) price as many of those other phones as well. Personally, I like the metal and glass finish opposed to plastic. And if I'm paying the same $200 through Verizon, the only thing I'd be missing out on is Android OS instead of iOS. (Not to start any wars or anything; I'm a fan of iOS and Apple's phones, just not their computers. Don't think I'll ever want to leave Windows! )

Part of me wants to try Android, but I don't want to get locked into it and realize a month later that I wish I had iOS again. Plus, the money I put down on apps for my phone now would essentially go to waste if I move to Android.

 

[ryken]

5 is an earth-shattering upgrade from a dumb-phone, a great upgrade from the 3GS, sort-ok upgrade from the 4, and not worthwhile upgrade from the 4S. It adds stuff that the 4S should have had (LTE) and is thinner, but that's about it. It's a ho-hum release for the most part.

 

[Terpfen]

5 is an earth-shattering upgrade from a dumb-phone, a great upgrade from the 3GS, sort-ok upgrade from the 4, and not worthwhile upgrade from the 4S. It adds stuff that the 4S should have had (LTE) and is thinner, but that's about it. It's a ho-hum release for the most part.

I'd say it's a great upgrade from the 4. You're getting features from the 4S (Siri, improved antenna, vastly improved camera, HSPA+) and then taking a two generation leap with the hardware (SOC, battery life, etc). There are also features where you'd need to upgrade from the 4 to use, like getting Siri to give you turn by turn directions.

I thought the 4S was barely a moderately compelling upgrade from the 4, but the 5 is a big step forward from the 4.

And I wouldn't say the 5 is ho-hum at all, especially if you have an interest in and appreciation for hardware. They made a taller phone with a bigger battery, yet it's lighter and likely more durable if it's indeed using Gorilla Glass 2. I think people are a little spoiled by the huge leap from the 3GS to the 4. That's almost certainly never happening again.

Edit: And the 4S shouldn't have had LTE, unless you like being able to use your phone for only 1 hour per charge.

 

[note235]

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/15...rioritizing-performance-and-power-efficiency/

 

[collegeboy69us]

I have never understood people who view technology as the sum of a spec list.

You are right it's not a matter of sticking spec sheets side by side.

Factor in the general timing of release, and the cost of said technology vs what already exists in the market for cheaper. Then try and fluff your entire customer base up with words like "magical" and "Most innovative phone ever" and it's just a recipe for a let down to anyone who takes a look at the big picture.

The fact is with iphone 5, nothing new has been accomplished.
Bigger screen? Been Done
LTE? Been Done
Panoramic shots? Been done
Thinner? Been Done

Everything the iphone5 can do I've been doing for over a year with my Galaxy Nexus. They will make tons of money not because it's innovative, but because people are that sad and desperate for the latest toy.

 

[Terpfen]

They will make tons of money not because it's innovative, but because people are that sad and desperate for the latest toy.

They'll make tons of money because it's the best implementation of those and other features you conveniently left off your list. You're committing the same error, looking at technology as the sum of a spec list.

 

[zaxour]

You are right it's not a matter of sticking spec sheets side by side.

Factor in the general timing of release, and the cost of said technology vs what already exists in the market for cheaper. Then try and fluff your entire customer base up with words like "magical" and "Most innovative phone ever" and it's just a recipe for a let down to anyone who takes a look at the big picture.

The fact is with iphone 5, nothing new has been accomplished.
Bigger screen? Been Done
LTE? Been Done
Panoramic shots? Been done
Thinner? Been Done

Everything the iphone5 can do I've been doing for over a year with my Galaxy Nexus. They will make tons of money not because it's innovative, but because people are that sad and desperate for the latest toy.

You know, I think you just need to realize that not everyone wants to use Android, and that those people are plenty happy with iOS. It doesn't mean they are "sad and desperate." I've been an iOS user since 2007 and while I recognize that android phone makers are pushing boundaries, I've never been compelled towards it because I was perfectly happy with iOS. It's almost tantamount to Mac OS vs. Windows, it's purely a choice these days.

Hardware specs don't account for everything so much as user experience does. Take the SGS3; it's probably the most advanced piece of mobile hardware, next to the One X, but it's bogged down by Samsung's TouchWiz interface. I think once more Android phones conform to Google's vision, and can be updated on Google's schedule instead of having to wait months for a vendor approved ROM or having to root their phones, things will start to be a little different.

 

[farscapesg1]

I'll be upgrading from a 3GS and the iPhone5 announcement was pretty "ho-hum" for me. I had been waiting to see their announcement to compare to the Galaxy S3 which I'm also looking at.

I will give Apple a nod for their processor and graphics. I think this is going to be really nice for those upgrading.

I found the time they spent on panoramic and still shots while recording video to be annoying. The way they preseneted them you would think they had created the process, when in fact it has been available on other phones for some time.

The larger screen is nice when watching movies, but fails to fix my biggest complaint on the 3.5 inch screen which is the tiny keyboard when in portrait mode. Playing with the Samsung (and other larger screen phones), the extra width seems to make typing on the keyboard much easier with less mistakes. However, I will admit that IOS has a much nicer method to place the cursor in existing text to make corrections. Android's "press and hope" method of getting the right spot is annoying.

The only other issue I have with Apple is that if I'm buying a new phone I want to have the latest features like NFC. I realize it isn't that popular yet, but I would rather be leading the charge than waiting for it to be perfected and adopting it later.

 

[illogitech]

I bought a Galaxy S3 and while It's a nice phone, I actually found it to be too large at the end of the day. I'm also frustrated with random ambiguities that popup with having an Android phone (it's my third for work), I finally popped the sim and dropped it into my iPhone 4 I had laying around.

If you're an android user and love it, then the S3 is great.

Also, i've yet to find a place with NFC that actually worked. Most of them I ended up trying it for a minute or two, finally giving up and swiping my card.

 

[UnknownSouljer]

The only other issue I have with Apple is that if I'm buying a new phone I want to have the latest features like NFC. I realize it isn't that popular yet, but I would rather be leading the charge than waiting for it to be perfected and adopting it later.

Well then I would say the design philosophy you want and Apple's design philosophy is different. If that's something you can't hang with, then it makes sense to jump ship and use Android and/or Windows 8 (although it's yet to be seen how game changing Microsoft/Nokia are going to be.)

Apple prefers balance and maturity rather than simply cramming in new features, and that has been the case throughout the products' entire life.

Personally I prefer Apple's method of "just in time" upgrades, which some would consider to be "behind the curve" upgrades. Apple sees new technologies come out, and more than likely starts working with them in R&D almost immediately to see the impacts on battery life, size, and how difficult it is to squeeze onto their PCB. They also consider what it is doing in the marketplace and what it is going to do in the market place.

In the case of NFC, (as an example) there is currently nothing that uses it. So they wisely hang back and let some other early adopters put it in their phones spurring NFC adoption. Meanwhile by the time they have it on the iPhone, it will be "just in time" when NFC will actually be relevant, and it will have a purpose, rather than just being a feature on a phone to "say you have it."

Apple then doesn't needlessly place things on phones that will adversely affect its other design principles. Such as: size, weight, battery life, etc. Style does come into play for part of it as well, but only in-so-far-as how it fits in with the other principles as well.

 

[Serpico]

You are right it's not a matter of sticking spec sheets side by side.

Factor in the general timing of release, and the cost of said technology vs what already exists in the market for cheaper. Then try and fluff your entire customer base up with words like "magical" and "Most innovative phone ever" and it's just a recipe for a let down to anyone who takes a look at the big picture.

The fact is with iphone 5, nothing new has been accomplished.
Bigger screen? Been Done
LTE? Been Done
Panoramic shots? Been done
Thinner? Been Done

Everything the iphone5 can do I've been doing for over a year with my Galaxy Nexus. They will make tons of money not because it's innovative, but because people are that sad and desperate for the latest toy.

Certainly, a bigger screen that necessitates two handed operation or shifting the phone around. I understand if people want 5" screens, but not everyone wants them.

LTE up until this summer required either a massive battery, which translates to a bigger phone and larger screen, or it results in abysmal battery life in anything normal sized. Had Apple adopted LTE last year it would have either resulted in a bigger iPhone to accommodate a bigger battery, or it would have cut battery life in half from the prior model. Neither solutions are acceptable.

Qualcomm's 28nm LTE chips made long battery life with LTE possible, so now you're getting 8 hours of LTE browsing time in a 4" phone that is thinner and lighter than last year's model.

Panoramic shots, eh, I've had it in Photosynth for iOS for years now.

Feature sets are fine but you completely ignore execution. A 4" phone that is smaller, thinner, lighter, and much faster than 1.4ghz quad-core phones released only three months ago. All that plus the iOS app ecosystem, integration, and guaranteed OS support. Sounds good to me.

You also seem pretty mad about all this. Why do you care if you don't use it?

 

[Edgar]

I think his username says it all.

I'll say one thing though. I'm going to be bored with my iPhone 5 until I can jailbreak it.

 

[zaxour]

Certainly, a bigger screen that necessitates two handed operation or shifting the phone around. I understand if people want 5" screens, but not everyone wants them.

LTE up until this summer required either a massive battery, which translates to a bigger phone and larger screen, or it results in abysmal battery life in anything normal sized. Had Apple adopted LTE last year it would have either resulted in a bigger iPhone to accommodate a bigger battery, or it would have cut battery life in half from the prior model. Neither solutions are acceptable.

Qualcomm's 28nm LTE chips made long battery life with LTE possible, so now you're getting 8 hours of LTE browsing time in a 4" phone that is thinner and lighter than last year's model.

Panoramic shots, eh, I've had it in Photosynth for iOS for years now.

Feature sets are fine but you completely ignore execution. A 4" phone that is smaller, thinner, lighter, and much faster than 1.4ghz quad-core phones released only three months ago. All that plus the iOS app ecosystem, integration, and guaranteed OS support. Sounds good to me.

You also seem pretty mad about all this. Why do you care if you don't use it?

This reminds me of the era of Pentium 4 CPU PC's vs. Power PC Macs. The PowerPC CPU ran at a slower rate than the P4, but apparently performed better due to better optimization, shorter pipeline, etc. I wonder if the same thing is at play now, where Apple may have a dual core CPU, but has optimized it such that it can perform well. Not to mention that iOS is specifically tailored to the hardware, whereas Android must run on a wide array of hardware.

 

[Serpico]

This reminds me of the era of Pentium 4 CPU PC's vs. Power PC Macs. The PowerPC CPU ran at a slower rate than the P4, but apparently performed better due to better optimization, shorter pipeline, etc. I wonder if the same thing is at play now, where Apple may have a dual core CPU, but has optimized it such that it can perform well. Not to mention that iOS is specifically tailored to the hardware, whereas Android must run on a wide array of hardware.

Apple's tighter OS/hardware integration is one thing they have going, same with having a GPU accelerated UI since the beginning. That is something Android has only recently gotten. One thing that likely helps with applications is the fact that iOS and WP run complied languages (Objective-C and C++) rather than Java.

Android phones get around this issue with brute force, which is why the trend is towards larger devices with bigger screens. You need big batteries to get a 1.5ghz Android device to post performance similar to what you get out of an 800mhz iPhone. The same thing happened with Windows Phone, an ostensibly faster Gingerbread phone was much choppier than a WP7 device on a lower clocked single core SoC.

There is a lot to be said for efficiency.