Apple iPhone 4S Review
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Review: October 2011 |
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Last updated December 2011.
Phone rating: 
In a nutshell: The iPhone 4S is the best iPhone ever. It may
look the same as the iPhone 4, but inside is a new dual antenna that
improves (but doesn't completely fix) the reception problems on the
old phone. With a dual-core processor, upgraded 8 megapixel camera with
Full HD video recording, the latest iOS 5, iCloud and the voice-activated
Siri intelligent assistant, there's plenty of reasons to welcome the
new phone. Yes, it's expensive, and yes, technically it hasn't got very
much that rival handsets haven't, but it's the best that Apple have
ever made. And that makes it very good indeed. Watch out for the poor
battery life though.
Best buy: From Three
(Black or White).
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Update (9 Dec 2011): Apple released iOS 5.0.1 which was supposed
to fix the battery draining problem, but the problem seems to persist.
We' re now awaiting iOS 5.0.2.
The iPhone 4S hasn't turned out to be quite as groundbreaking as some
were hoping for. But that's OK with us. At Mobile Phones UK, we're big
fans of evolution. If something is working well, don't mess with the
design. Did the iPhone 4 work well? We're just going to whisper, "Antenna-gate."
Some people said that the iPhone 4 did everything brilliantly except
make phone calls. Well, the iPhone 4S has two antennas and certainly
has better reception than the iPhone 4, although it's still not perfect.
The improved reception by itself might make the iPhone 4S worth upgrading
to. But there's a whole lot more to it than an antenna upgrade.
It looks the same as the iPhone 4.
It's not a bad look by any means. Many would argue that it's the most
iconic phone ever. Why mess with the looks? One reason would have been
the screen. Yes, the Retina display is an amazingly high resolution
screen. But 3.5 inches? We've grown used to Android
phones with 4.3 inch displays and the latest Windows phone has a
4.7 inch screen. That's nearly twice the size. Just an observation.
In the year since the release of the iPhone 4, we've got used to high-end
phones having dual-core processors, so it's great that the new iPhone
has a dual core A5 chip. The new chip is twice as fast for most tasks,
and an incredible 7 times the speed for graphics. This means lightning
fast responses from the user interface, plus the capability of recording
and playing back Full HD (1080p) video.
The camera has been upgraded to 8 megapixels, with new optics too,
including a larger aperture to let in more light. Apple are suggesting
it's the best camera ever released in any mobile phone. These things
tend to be subjective. Two observations here: the Nokia
N8 has a 12 megapixel camera with advanced optics and the Sony
Ericsson Xperia Ray is pretty amazing too, with an 8 megapixel camera
and Sony's Exmor R™ for mobile CMOS sensor. Still, there's no denying
that the iPhone 4S has one of the best cameras in a mobile. It's good
enough to replace a compact digital camera. The built-in photo editing
tools let you tweak your photos to perfection directly from your phone.
No more need for PhotoShop on your computer. Capture the picture, edit
it and send it straight to facebook, all from your phone.
There's a new version of the operating system too - iOS 5. There are
over 200 improvements here: some minor, some major. iMessage is cool.
It lets you send unlimited messages to any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
running iOS 5. A new notification centre brings together messaging,
emails, reminders and friend requests so you can easily keep on top
of what's new. Better Twitter integration lets you tweet directly from
apps like Safari, Maps and Photos. Over-the-air updates mean that you
may never need to connect your phone to your computer ever again.
It's not all consumer gadgets either. The iPhone 4S is more than capable
of being your primary business tool. In addition to security measures
like password protection and encryption, you have access to enterprise
email via Microsoft Exchange.
iCloud is another new innovation. With iCloud, you can forget about
managing your photos, music, videos and other stuff, because Apple will
look after it for you. Does this worry you? If it does, don't use it.
Otherwise, you can use iCloud to keep your data backed up and access
it from any of your iCloud-enabled devices. iCloud also keeps your calendar,
contacts, mail and reminders automatically synced.
Most intriguing of all is the voice-activated Siri intelligent assistant.
The demo of Siri made it look like it could be the first genuinely useful
AI app. It seems to be well integrated into the operating system too,
so you can access your calendar, contacts and even the weather to make
decisions and help you manage your life. It even understands natural
language so you can ask it stupid questions like, "do I need an
umbrella today?" or "any great burgers round here?" We
imagine most users will have more intelligent things to ask their digital
assistant. After all, Siri is designed to augment human intelligence,
not replace it. Better examples of things to say to Siri might be, "Text
my wife to say I'll be home 30 minutes late," or "Schedule
a meeting with Jo at two this afternoon." Siri will come back to
you with supplementary questions if it needs more information or wants
you to confirm an action. This could be the dawn of a new era - people
no longer talking on their mobiles, but talking to their mobiles!
The voice recognition tool can be used with other apps too, such as
updating your facebook status, or dictating a reminder.
The iPhone 4S is also the first phone we've seen with Bluetooth 4.0.
Bluetooth uses less power than previous versions and has the potential
to be faster too. It will help to future-proof the phone. The new twin
antenna doubles HSDPA data speeds to 14.4 Mbps.
One more change to report. The memory is now available in sizes right
up to 64GB. And the phone's available in Black or White right from launch.
Undeniably the iPhone 4S is an amazing phone. It's brilliant. But with
Apple there always seem to be problems. With the iPhone 4S it's the
battery. At first we thought this was no worse than the iPhone 4, which
wasn't great to start with. But a couple of weeks in we can report that
battery life is a lot worse. It's awful. This seems to be a software
problem, because installing iOS 5 on an iPhone 4 will kill your battery
life too. The precise cause is uncertain. But try turning off Notifications
and the time zone setting function to improve battery life a liitle.
The bottom line is that most people will be charging every day. Some
won't even make it through the day.
That's a shame. Because there's one final thing we want to mention.
Price. You can now buy an iPhone 4 free on a 24-month £30 per
month contract. For the 4S you'll be paying a couple of hundred quid
extra. That's over a thousand pounds for a phone. But then again, the
iPhone 4S is so much more than just a phone. It's more than just a mobile
computer. We think Siri could turn out to be the killer app. The app
that makes Android users green with envy. Even if not, the dual core,
dual antenna, new iOS, iCloud and fabulous new camera might make it
worth the money. Just think very coolly and carefully before parting
with a grand, in these difficult times. And remember that you could
end up £1000 poorer and own a mobile that struggles to get a decent
signal and whose battery runs out before the sun goes down.
Speaking of price, our friends over at Broadband Genie have a nifty
new comparison available, where you can compare the best
iPhone 4S deals all in one place.
Features of the Apple iPhone 4S include:
- iOS 5 Operating System
- Assisted GPS with digital compass
- 8 megapixel camera with touch autofocus, LED flash and geo-tagging
- Video camera: Full HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio,
VGA secondary camera for video calling
- Display: 960 x 640 pixels (3.5 inch) touchscreen
- Music player (AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats
1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV formats)
- Video player supports 1080p Full HD playback at 30 frames/second
- Voice control, voice memos
- Siri intelligent assistant
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
- Memory: 16GB, 32GB or 64GB flash drive
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), 3.5mm
headphone jack
- WAP, EDGE, HSDPA
- Size: 115 x 59 x 9.3 mm
- Weight: 140g
- Quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) plus UMTS/HSDPA (850, 900,
1900, 2100 MHz)
- Talktime: 8 - 14 hours
- Battery standby: 200 hours
Compare Apple
iPhone 4S 16GB deals and Apple
iPhone 4S 16GB White deals at MobilePhoneChecker.co.uk.
Apple iPhone 4S Consumer Reviews
Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
language, and please, no advertising!
Average rating from 81 reviews:
Reviewed by Tony from UK on 15th Feb 2012
Love the iphone! Had a Samsung touchscreen a few years ago and really
hated it but this is so much better. So easy to type and even searching
the internet - the screen is so clear. Love the fact all my music is
on there too. Highly receommended! I do also like Siri even though it's
not much use yet...
Rating: 
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Reviewed by Meer from Uk on 14th Feb 2012
If you have £500 Spare put it into an isa account, cos if you spend
it on this phone you'll not be earing any interest after you've played
around with its Novelty features.
Rating:  Reply
Reviewed by Dave from Canada on 10th Feb 2012
Overpriced garbage,
slower than Androids, camera delay, SIRI lies and doen't work properly
outside the US. this garbage is for iclones only. All the stuff ripped
off from all other devices work better on other devices. Also what kind
of company is so bad that they can't even put in a lower case character
set on the keyboard?
Rating: Reply
Reply by W from Egypt on 13th Feb
2012
Are you Kidding????????????
Reply by George from England on 17th
Feb 2012
I have to agree
Reviewed by Waleed from Egypt on 9th Feb 2012
Honestly, nothing like iPhone. I tried the Samsung GS2 and it was a
great mobile but not like the iPhone. The iPhone 4s is very fast, smooth
and powerful. Camera also is very good. touch screen is fantastic as
well as the screen quality. Build quality is excellent. lots of applications
and we even have now a jailbreak too :).
Downsides in my opinion are battery (although it's better than the GS2
one) and the iTunes (which i hate actually). Also the signal reception
is good but not great.
My advice is this: you will never regret buying iPhone 4s especially
if you never tried iPhone before.
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Reviewed by Marwan from Israel on 4th Feb 2012
Fantastic phone. Very easy to use and come to grips with. Battery life
is better than the iPhone 4 - the previous model.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Mint from England on 17th Jan 2012
Had this phone for three weeks now , Defo the best mobile phone out
, Battey life is fine ,just charged it every bed time , Siri and Face
call the only difference from the 3 gs , maybe a little faster , screen
a little smaller , camera better , not much difference I suppose , maybe
best to wait for the I phone 5 . However still the best out there ,
ps , people who slag this phone off , Dont really own one .
Rating:
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Reviewed by suresh from United Kingdom on 16th
Jan 2012
Iam surprised to read a lot of battery issues. I have used both 3g and
3gs, the battery life on them is so poor that I have to charge at least
twice a day. I am quite impressed with 4s battery life, I have been
at work since 7AM and I still have 65% juice left on it(time now is
9PM). With so much hardware upgrade its a winner.And I am not even going
to talk about 'siri'. My only disappointment is the screen could have
been bigger.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Nicola from UK on 15th Jan 2012
Just 1 thing to say - battery life is GREAT! Seriously I don't know
how others are havin problems. My phone is of charge at 0630 and lasts
easily until 10pm, that's with 3 email accounts set to push, wifi on,
screen on auto brightness, 20-30 emails sent a day, around 10 texts
and calls, plugged into to car stereo aux input playing music on car
journey. Phone is a big improvement on iPhone 4, Siri whilst being a
bit of a gimmick is great for setting location based reminders "remind
me to call bank when I get home" and when I get home the reminder pops
up - brilliant. Camera shutter speed is great for taking repeat snaps
quickly. Overall speed difference shows with the A5 dual core processor
on board.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Charli from Wales on 15th Jan 2012
Held back from getting an iphone until now because of the price etc
etc. But had a blackberry before and oh my god is it so much better.
It's such a good phone you don't even feel like you're using it that
much - because everything is so simple! I had a touch screen qwerty
phone before that I simply could not type on - but the iphone's keyboard
is so clever that it knows what i mean even when i type complete gibberish
(most times anyway - i do end up with some silly things sometimes :P)
The only thing that disappoints me for the money is the fact that the
screen is so small compared to others - my boyfriend has a android phone
with 4.3in screen which he got for free on a £26 a month contract...
seems like i lost out! Another slight issue is the fact that siri can't
do anything because apple don't care about non-americans... but siri
isn't a huge part of my day to day usage. All in all i love my phone
:)
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Reviewed by Trevor from N Ireland. on 10th Jan
2012
My first ever iPhone. And I must say I am very impressed, the interface
is superb. I could see the battery life bring an issue for some, but
for me it's not. Was with blackberry before this, and moved because
of the recent problems. Loved my blackberry, but I think they have lost
me for the foreseeable future. Best phone I have ever had.
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Reviewed by tj from scotland on 9th Jan 2012
Small screen compared to other smart phones. Mine drains the battery
very quickly. Few hours and its flat apple can never seem to get the
iphone right lets hope number 5 is better
Rating: 
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Reviewed by Alex from America on 9th Jan 2012
It is terrible and very low battery standars like 5 hrs really.
Rating: Reply
Reply by W from Egypt on 9th Feb 2012
Sure you use a lot of applications, WiFi or 3G. If you are not, then
your mobile is faulty because the battery is not that bad at all.
Reviewed by Liz from United Kingdom on 6th Jan
2012
amazing phone. has everything, great camera, great for music, great
for texts and calls, browsing the internet and of course the amazing
apps available at the app store. Had this phone for a week and i love
the amazing screen, all other screens are awful compared to this one!
I have had a iPhone 3g s in the past, and then tried out the blackberry
which is no were near the iPhone standard, so i wanted to change back
to iPhone as soon as possible and when the iPhone 4s was released, i
knew i should have it- and i have never looked back. The only thing
is the battery life, but the charged is portable and it does not take
long at all for the battery to be charged up again. I purchased the
'bumper' case in Blue with the phone and it is amazing. The apple staff
at the store are very friendly and make purchasing the phone a great
experience! if you want this phone, i definitely recommend it, but purchase
from the Apple store!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Bluewood from Thailand on 3rd Jan
2012
I thought I'd give apple a go, after I played with my sister's Iphone
4, and... I was very disappointed. I wasted a lot of money on this.
I thought 'd buy the 32GB because if it was good, I wanted to put my
films and music on it. The battery is just appalling! I've had it for
a month, and the battery only lasts 6 hours when I'm using it, and 72
hours when I'm not using, just leaving it in the kitchen. The camera
is not bad, but the filming is naff! My Sony Ericsson W902, takes a
better film. Only thing good about this phone, is the internet browsing.
Reasonably fast and easily usable. DISAPPOINTED!!
Rating: 
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Reviewed by Tom from Uk on 2nd Jan 2012
I have gone through 2 of these so far, the previous ones were returned
due to issues with battery and signal which i thought were meant to
be fixed. After all these issues i thought about why i wanted an iphone,
was it because it is a good mobile.....no, in fact compared to its competitors
it is actually quite a poor phone, i wanted one because its fashionable,
after getting over this i went with the Samsung Galaxy S 2 and i have
to say i have never looked back
Rating:
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Reviewed by Gary from UK on 31st Dec 2011
Superb phone, simpicity itself to use. Never get less than a whole day
from the battery but thats down to my usage. Must say the signal was
very poor until I changed networks. If you are considering this phone
I would recomend you speak to current users in your area about their
network providers signal before purchasing and save yourself a lot of
frustration.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Lee from uk on 25th Dec 2011
Have had the phone a few weeks now upgraded from a Htc desire android
phone and i have to say i really like the iphone its well made screen
isn,t the biggest but still good with a crisp display. The apps seem
to be off a better quality and run smoother than the android and so
far the phone has worked with no issues. Battery life isn,t great but
what smart phone is if you use all the features they have. Great allround
phone can be expensive if not on a upgrade so far love it
Rating:
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Reviewed by Golddalek from UK on 22nd Dec 2011
Love it.
Rating:
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Reviewed by James from England on 21st Dec 2011
Did not like it at first so striped out the ios and installed S60v5,
since then it has been good.
Rating:
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on
21st Dec 2011
You kidding?
Reviewed by lizzy from uk on 21st Dec 2011
Am fairly happy with the 4s my only cripe is the batt drain its not
good sometimes it will drain in 3 or 4 hours for no reason and that's
on standby, i recevied also update but not much better, This will be
my last iphone i need a phone that can last a working day for work.
Rating:
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Reviewed by mj from UK on 17th Dec 2011
Had the 4s for 3 months then swapped back to my Blackberry.Probably
one of the worst phones I've ever had due to the appalling battery life..even
with the software update it didn't make a difference to mine.
Rating:
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Reviewed by anthony from uk on 17th Dec 2011
Battery time is rubbish worst ever. i know all smart phone's aint good
but this is a joke with only the 3.5 screen it should be good. My old
phone had a 4 inch and it was much better. Ebay here it comes
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Reviewed by Xperia from UK on 11th Dec 2011
Upgraded to 4s and after couple of days revert back to Xperia. I didn't
like the screen size and there is no option of widgets. Siri is good
however its going to record every thing you say on their server and
I am not interested to prepare their database with my day to day life.
Thx
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Reviewed by Mark from United Kingdom on 11th Dec
2011
First time I have ever had an iphone and I have to say this is really
great. The build quality is superb and everything about the phone is
quality. The speed of the apps and the speed and smoothness of everything
on the phone is very impressive. For me siri is a bit of a gimmick,
maybe when it gets updated and can look for things in the UK, I will
appreciate it more. Not sure if I already had an iphone 4, if the upgrade
is worth it, although the camera is excellent for a phone so maybe it
would be worth the upgrade, personal choice really.
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Reviewed by shawn from uk on 9th Dec 2011
Screen is way to tiny compared to other phones i dont get on with my
iphone but am stuck with it on contract
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Reviewed by A374 from UK on 7th Dec 2011
Having never owned an Iphone or smartphone before I wasn't sure how
qualified I'd be to review the Iphone 4S but after having it for a month
or so now and comparing it with other friends' phones, including older
iphone models, I really cannot recommend it highly enough. Yes, battery
life is irritating but with moderate use I easily get 1.5 - 2 days out
of it no problem. The dual processor makes it significantly quicker
than the iphone 4 in reality and is worth the upgrade (even if Siri
and the like really aren't of any use whatsoever). The simplicity of
the operating system compared to some Android systems is second to none.
I found a friend's Samsungy Galaxy S2 extremely confusing and she admitted
that after a few months of the phone she's still none the wiser and
is now considering switching to an Iphone.
Rating:
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Reviewed by erik bachicha from philippines on
5th Dec 2011
wow i love it
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Reviewed by edward from France on 3rd Dec 2011
This is my second iphone, First one had faulty screen, 2nd ok but not
really happy with it i think i should have buy better, Friend has Samsung
Galaxy nexus and he loves it
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Reviewed by sean from uk on 22nd Nov 2011
not nice phone i hate this phone power run down quickly no no
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Reviewed by Jack from UK on 19th Nov 2011
OMG!!!!! i love this phone :D no battery problems, dual core processor
makes a BIG difference :D love it recommend to anyone
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Reviewed by lizzy from uk on 18th Nov 2011
i agree the best iphone yet but it isnt the best smartphone. well outdated
screen size
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Reviewed by Scott from England on 18th Nov 2011
Fantastic phone. Great build quality, excellent features. I upgraded
from a 3G to the 4S and it was well worth it. I can't speak for anybody
else but 2.5 days between charges (with average usuage) is excellent
in my book. Highly recommended
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Reviewed by David from UK on 17th Nov 2011
I have the Samsung Galaxy S2 and it’s far better than the I Phone
4 s. The reason why I know about this, my friend has the I Phone 4 s
and after comparing the 2 phones the Samsung S2 wins hands down. The
I phone is well over priced for what you get for your money.
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Reviewed by Ben from England on 16th Nov 2011
"...the iPhone 4S is so much more than just a phone. It's more than
just a mobile computer." That may well be true, but what the 4S isn't
is a very good phone and or a good mobile computer. It does have a great
camera and a nice, albeit unforgivably small, display, but that's just
about it. Overrated, overhyped and seriously overpriced.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Norman from Wales on 12th Nov 2011
I did not like my 4S because of battery and signal issues, I am on a
good network that dont allow sharing so that argument has hit the buffers,
I have replaced it with a Vertu Constellation much nicer and not common.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Matt from United Kingdom on 10th Nov
2011
OK let's bring a little sanity to his discussion. The iPhone 4S is a
mobile phone. It is not the answer to the ultimate question of the meaning
of life, the Universe and everything (that's 42). It is however an excellent
smart phone that blows the competition out of the water in some areas
and needs to improve in others. I've owned many different phones and
operating systems in my time and the iPhone is easily the best all round
package I've used. The build quality of the hardware is outstanding.
It feels solid, looks great and is easy to use. I've had the 4S since
release day and I've not dropped a call yet. The call clarity is noticeably
better than my old 3GS. The Retina Dispaly is a wonder of the modern
world. Immensely clear and is easily the most responsive touchscreen
I have ever had the pleasure to use. It's the same story with the software.
It's obvious that a lot of work has gone into iOS 5. I've upgraded from
a 3GS running iOS 3 then iOS 4 and the improvements are great. iOS has
always been an intuitive and easy to use OS but the little tweaks and
refinements add up to something phenomenal. Previous versions have been,
whilst easy to use, a little frustrating. Anyone who's had a game of
Angry Birds interrupted by a text message pop up in the middle of the
screen will know what I mean. iOS 5 sorts this out brilliantly with
a far less intrusive system that tells you you have a message but let's
you get on with what you were doing. OK it borrows heavily from Android
in the way it handles notifications, but didn't Android copy iOS in
the first place and build on the concept. All advances rely on those
that come before them to some extent. iCloud is a really useful feature
that will only get better with time and Siri has the potential to be
a game changer in the way we use technology (as long as Apple can teach
it to understand a Scotsman). Now for a couple of gripes. Battery life
is slightly worse than I expected. My wife's iPhone 4 will outlast my
4S. However she has also noticed a drop in battery life since upgrading
to iOS 5. Hopefully the just released iOS 5.0.1 will fix this. I have
just upgraded and time will tell. However the battery is no worse or
better than most other smartphones I have used. We do so much with our
smartphones it's a miracle than they last a day let alone 2 or 3. That
said, I'm still finding that I have enough juice to last me a full day
(just and I just keep a spare charger handy). If only Apple would put
an 1800 mah battery in the iPhone. Secondly the screen is a little on
the small side these days. 3.5 inches was big 2 years ago. Now it looks
a little 'last year'. However the pixel density of the Retina Display
makes up for this and it's so easy to zoom in that it's not really a
huge issue. Before I get called an Apple fanboy I would like to point
out that I have owned several Droids, the last being a Galaxy S, however
I always found myself going back to the iPhone as it was just so much
more pleasureable to use. The 4S is not perfect but in my opinion it
is easily the most rounded of the current crop of super phones. Sure
it's expensive but then it oozes quality and the iPhone experience is
second to none.
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Reviewed by Tech-Boy from UK on 9th Nov 2011
I suggest, that those of you having signal issues are on a network that
shares it's signal with another, try a pay as you go sim in your device,
using a network that doesn't allow signal sharing. You might be surprised.
iphone 4s, is a superb device on a decent network.
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Reviewed by CARLY from UK on 8th Nov 2011
AS ALWAYS APPLE FAR BETTER THAN NY OTHER BRAND. OUTSTANDING, I HAD AN
ANDROID AND THEY ARE USELESS. ALL THOSE FANS BELOW THAT THINK ANDROID
IS GREAT, YOU JUST CANT AFFORD THE REAL ORIGINAL MCCOY, THAT IS THE
IPHONE !!!
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Reviewed by Ben from UK on 7th Nov 2011
Yet again you bunch of fandroids downgrade it because it's apple. I
have this phone and the battery easily lasts a day of very heavy usage
and the signal is far better than the sgs2 which you gave 5 stars to.
Show a bit of objectivity rather than the usual lame excuses used to
justify downgrading a phone rating just to pander to the army of fandroid
children invading every forum. This is truly an outstanding phone which
works well with no lags, far better than the sgs2 which has several
issues which are well documented elsewhere.
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Reviewed by gazza from UK on 7th Nov 2011
Absolutely horrible,you have been warned.DO NOT BUY!!!!!
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Reviewed by Steve from UK on 5th Nov 2011
I'm not sure about this phone to be honest. I upgraded straight away
from my iPhone 4 - which I always insisted was worth the extra money,
it was just that much better than its rivals. Sure it works very well,
the camera and screen are excellent, Siri is pretty cool but really
just a gimmick, battery life is not brilliant but acceptable. Simply
put though, I'm just not sure it's that much better anymore I'd say
it's on par with the Galaxy S2, marginally better at best. Not worth
the price.
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Reviewed by Bishy from UK on 3rd Nov 2011
I have an iPhone 4, on iOS 5.0, battery lasts 2 days everything is switched
on except push email. Two days is fine by me.
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Reviewed by mikey from london on 3rd Nov 2011
sadly i have the signal problem that was suppose to be fixed..theres
no point in having and expensive phone that drops calls..mine also over
heats you could fry your breakfast on it. one thing good thing is it
looks good and well build but thats it folks you have been warned its
well noted now that the signal problem is still present..
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Reviewed by Jimmy_b_vip from Wales on 3rd Nov
2011
Upgraded from the 3GS and so far have no regrets. The speed of the phone
matches my iPad 2 and puts my old 3GS to shame. I've not experienced
the battery issue, in fact I'd have to say its better than the battery
I had in my old iPhone. As a heavy user (no matter which make & model
of phone I've owned) I've always had to consider extra batteries or
external battery packs. I've already got one for my 4S. In any case
is it that much of a hardship to take your power plug out with you?
Whenever I'm in a coffee shop or travelling on First Great Western people
are always plugging in their laptops or mobile phones. Irrespective
of the make and model I'm running windows 7 and have had no problems
with iTunes or when I transferred my music and video collection from
a Windows XP desktop to a Windows 7 laptop. My only grumble and it's
a minor one is the removal of the option to switch 3G on and off. Not
only was it a battery saver but very handy when travelling through some
of the 3G dead spots (on Orange) in South Wales
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Reviewed by Ian from UK on 2nd Nov 2011
I love my iphone 4 so I thought I would upgrade to the 4S. Mistake.
The 4s would not connect to itunes running in widows 7. (no problem
with the iphone4)I learnt at the Apple store that this is a problem
for other users and at present there is no fix. There was nothing wrong
with the phone itself though, but as I could not load songs, podcasts
etc via my laptop, it's as much use as a chocolate teapot. For the moment
I am staying with my iphone 4 and got a refund for the 4s. Shame really
Apple might have relised that not everyone has an Apple computer.
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Reviewed by K from England on 2nd Nov 2011
The best phone ever! I upgraded from my 3GS to the iPhone 4S, and the
difference in speed is amazing. The camera and video is excellent. Yes
the battery life is not perfect, but neither is it on many top end smartphones.
The signal quality is brilliant so I cant understand why some people
are experiencing elsewise. I rarely drop out of 3G in London (my 3GS
was always EDGE in many places, except near phone masts). Maybe people
experiencing signal issues have lack of a good signal on their network
in their area? Anyway, a top phone and 100% recommended!
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Reviewed by Lloyd from England on 1st Nov 2011
I agree with the reviews on the battery and the signal the battery is
a joke no way will you be able to play games on this phone it will kill
the battery off and i lose signal every time i put it in my pocket and
it has trouble keeping a wifi signal . And siri a waste of time in most
countrys unless your in the usa. Im off to buy a htc
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Reviewed by Maz from Wales on 1st Nov 2011
Took the 4s out after hearing how good it was. Not that my wildfire
was all that bad, I just had to try it for my self. Problems started
when I tried to send my first picture message.Apparently you have to
have 3g on the screen before you can send, but I am out of signal range
at work and at home. I have to drive a few miles to send a picture or
stop off on the way home to do it. Other problem is the bluetooth, I
cant get it to connect with anything that I could with the wildfire.
For instance my picturemate and my car hands free. Can't connect to
other phones, but I have been told that this is to protect the phones
security. So why wasn't I told this before I took out my contract. Build
quality is second to none but I do get stressed out incase I drop it.
Apps are so easy and connection via Wi-fi is a doddle. Battery life
is a bit of a pain but in fairness it's got a big engine. Overall, nice
phone but should have kept the wildfire and taken a sim only contract.
Will I ever learn.
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Reviewed by abi from uk on 29th Oct 2011
25 years ago we used to watch a tv series called nightrider with michael
hassalholf and his kit car the 4s reminds of that but more reality now
than fiction its a gimmy but fun to use i think its a excellant phone
nevertheless only the downfall in my opinion a bit overpriced
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Reviewed by Paulo from Scotland on 28th Oct 2011
Awful battery life. Now on my second 4s as the first one was running
out so quickly. Calls dropping like flies, this one is going back. I
just need to decide what phone to get next as it wont be a flipping
Iphone.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Sam from UK on 27th Oct 2011
I've always had iPhones & loved the the iphone 4.. So when the 4S came
out couldnt wait to pre-order one.. After using it for a while it's
not much different to the original iphone 4 although it is alot faster
& of course Siri can be quite fun though useful aswell I suppose, however
I don't use this feature much.. The thing that really disappointed me
was the battery life.. With the 4 I got easily 2 days, however with
the 4S I only get a day at best.. After installing the iOS 5 on my iphone
4 I also noticed a rapid decrease in battery life so I'm now confident
this is just a problem with the software & I'm sure apple will release
a fix for this in due course.. The signal is so much better, I get excellent
3G reception almost everywhere compared to my iphone 4 which wasn't
as strong signal wise.. The 4S wont fit in any cases that has individual
cut outs for the buttons on the side as these had to be realigned for
the new antenna.. So all in all I'm more than happy with this model
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Reviewed by Dan from UK on 26th Oct 2011
Put simply this is the best phone I've ever had. I think some people
must have faulty phones as my battery is lasting for 2 days & beyond.
It's getting a strong signal where my HTC struggled & the design is
a future classic. I think SIRI is a bit of a gimmick & I never use it.
I just wish there was a simple way to choose your own music for the
ringtones. That isn't a big deal though & it doesn't stop it getting
5 stars.
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Reviewed by ron from uk on 25th Oct 2011
awful battery life i get about 5 hours from mine and thats not heavy
use also i have signal problems i thought this was fixed in the 4gs
but appears not to be, i rushed out and bought and now regret it am
trying to get shot of my awful iphone 4gs. buyers beware the signal
problem is still there
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Reviewed by B Pendergest from United Kingdom on
25th Oct 2011
Amazing Phone , Ive had it about a week , this phone is the best mobile
I've ever had , 10/10
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Reviewed by Suefromlondon from Uk on 24th Oct
2011
I absolutely love the iPhone 4s. I had the 3GS before which was great
too but this is way better. Highlights are the camera, reminders, Siri
(what a laugh but practical too) and speed. Battery life wasn't great
but have drained the battery twice so far and it's improving. Had the
phone from launch day on the 14th October.
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Reviewed by Jim from UK on 23rd Oct 2011
Finally decided to upgrade from my iPhone 3G to the NEW and improved
iPhone 4s. Disappointment crept in all to soon when I noticed I had
crappy battery life that meant I wouldn't make a full day on one charge
- this was with moderate use and with a lot if features switched off
(iCloud, Siri, ping, iTunes, brightness down, push mail off). Also the
phone needs a cover as the antenna problem still exists but is slightly
better then iPhone 4. With a slim fitting case this device still feel
like a square brick in your hand compared with the curved back 3G (and
I have largish hands) One week of poor battery and I returned the phone,
yes it's fast and the display is gorgous but for its price (£750 on
12 month contract) its fallen short with these issues.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Sid H from Uk on 22nd Oct 2011
fantastic looking Phone!! Internet vv Quick, apps music siri brilliant!!
Loads of fun but if you want to make a phone call = hopeless >>15 calls
made 5 connected, txtd 5 times 2 got sent, qwerty keypad to small kept
having to back space to delete the letter next to the one I wanted to
type, compete waste of time, its booked to be returned, it could of
been a one off?
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Brad from UK on 21st Oct 2011
I have now had my phone for a week now, after selling my 3GS, I find
the iphone 4S, a super piece of equipment, I'm not a fashion follower,
but a purchaser of quality products, and this is one. I had a Samsung
Galaxy S II,and I returned it, as like the HTC. There are cheap and
have a tacky feel to them, and the Android platform to me feels rough
and no where as polished as IOS, also I find Apple have super customer
support, as I dropped my 3GS, and Apple charged me £130.000, for a re-con
unit(as good as new), tell me what other company would do that ???????,
I know I would have to pay at least £500 min.
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Reviewed by That bird on the bus to Ashford from Englandistan
on 20th Oct 2011
Siri comes up with some dumb stuff when questioned other wise a great
phone, love the new 8mp camera, premium product for premium people.
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Reviewed by Paul B from UK on 20th Oct 2011
My "um-teenth" iPhone now and the best of the lot. Yes, aesthetically
its the same as the iPhone 4 but its the insides that make all the difference.
You can certainly see the difference in speed, the camera is a lot better
and Siri is great. Worth an upgrade? Yes, I think so. I came from Android
this time(Galaxy S2)and whilst it really is a superb phone the Android
market is still behind the App Store. All in all this is a great addition
to the iPhone line-up.
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Reviewed by A Woods from UK on 19th Oct 2011
Gone from a Blackberry to Iphone. Big mistake. No Battery life, no signal.
It looks the part and I like the use of the messaging software but otherwise
its just a gimmick
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by John from uk on 18th Oct 2011
AMAZING camera on this phone, Siri is ground-breaking in terms of voice
commands, iCloud is such a time saver and the dual core CPU makes it
all work incredibly fast. Have nothing to say other than i love the
4S!!
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Reviewed by Dan Gleebitz from Worthing, UK on
18th Oct 2011
This is my first iPhone and I have to say I am very impressed. As a
previous BlackBerry user for many years, I was a bit dubious as to whether
I should go over to the dark side! Well, I have been using the phone
for five days and I have no regrets – in a nutshell, it’s
brilliant. Don’t get me wrong, the BlackBerry (9700 in my case)
is a superb device but it’s a bit boring and limited compared
with the iPhone. The battery life on the iPhone is not the best but
I do manage to get 1.5 days of moderate use before it needs charging.
That said, I tend to charge it over night like most people anyway so
it’s not really an issue.
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Reviewed by anne from uk on 18th Oct 2011
utter rubbish had to return mine battery life is really bad few hours
if your lucky, small screen what was i thinking off when i went for
the iphone well its on it way back, only appeals to phone snobs to be
honest
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Reviewed by james from woods on 17th Oct 2011
great phone, extremely fast and a superb camera. But the battery life
is beyond rubbish, i had a 3gs which has a woeful battery life but this
thing truly sucks. apart from that its brilliant. it was at 100% then
1 hr later of playing on it and taking a video and about 20 pictures
it went to 14%!!! apple sort out the battery life please
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Reviewed by mark from uk on 17th Oct 2011
Love my iphones but I have to say disappointed, fell for the hype but
really and truthfully its not that different to the 4. The battery is
shockingly bad although I will concede the signal is much better.
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Reviewed by christopher from England on 17th Oct
2011
This is my first iphone, and i was sceptical about getting one as my
old phone (samsung galaxy s) appeared in many respects to be far superior
to the iphone (on paper). however right from the moment of opening the
box there is a sense of 'quality' that the samsung lacked. the fact
of it is, there are lots this phone doesnt have in comparison to all
the andriod phones availible, but this is irrelevant, as this is the
only touch screen phone that i can actually type a text message on without
becoming infuriated by the lack of response that every other touch screen
phone has/had in my experience. To summise, very pleased with phone,
very fast on web/emails, the camera is of excellent quality, its easy
to use, the battery is not too good probably on par with my galaxy s,
siri is funny also, however it appears to work better on youtube videos
in America, and last but not least; when you pull your phone out on
a busy train commute you don't have to feel like a cheap skate with
some plastic half arsed clumsy unresponsive excuse for a phone! 5 stars.
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Reviewed by Kev from scotland on 17th Oct 2011
Well I was so looking forward to jumping ship from android for a change
to the new I phone. I was expecting I phone 5 but all the supposed new
features still made me want this phone! WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! I'm gutted
and now have a Samsung galaxy s2 the battery is about the same 1 day
of medium use already pointed out doesn't do well apart from txt and
calling but trying to find local restaurant or business is really bad
its all about America! That's why the reviews look so good they are
done go America! Even if it did work properly my sgs2 has voice command
and voice talk and it gets it right most of the time. Why didn't apple
really push the boat out and release the I phone 5 with even same brilliant
material used and great build quality of I phone 4 but bigger screen
and different design, its just a souped up I phone 4 and that's the
reality even tho some don't like to admit that. I've decided to stick
with android as its always releasing new phone designs and updates to
os (ginger bread-ice cream sandwich) soon I was looking forward to a
change but sadly this phone is very very over rated. Build quality is
amazing that's about it. Also compaired to sgs2 I phone is so restricted,
no customization like launchers or live wallpaper. And having to use
I tunes instead of drag and drop from computer is just not my thing,kies
air does the job. Maybe just maybe ill get the I phone 5 if there are
BIG changes but doubt it.:(
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Reviewed by Jabba from England on 17th Oct 2011
Still the best phone around
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Reviewed by xbabe82517 from UK on 16th Oct 2011
I upgraded from the 3GS to the 4S yesterday - having got up at 5am to
make sure I was in Manchester for store opening time to make sure I
got one of these beauties! And having now had over 24 hours to play
with it non-stop and test out all the features, I am very happy and
contented with Apple's latest gadget. There seem to have been some negative
reviews so far from people comparing these to BlackBerry and Android
etc. and that's kinda not what a review should be about. It seems a
lot of people just don't understand what Apple products are all about.
They're not claiming to have the biggest screen (although the clarity
is most certainly one of the best), they're not claiming to have the
best battery life or even that it's the most groundbreaking phone yet
- because IT ISN'T. That's not why so many people like me will stick
with the iPhone and will rarely consider anything less - we do it because
their products just emanate sheer quality, they're reliable and they
just WORK. Pick up a Samsung Galaxy in one hand and an iPhone in the
other and you will feel the difference. There is NO phone out there
built as well as the iPhone, in my honest opinion. I had my 3GS for
almost two years. Granted, it was kept in a gel case, but it was dropped,
thrown in the bottom of my bag, sometimes thrown in anger at the odd
wall or slammed down on a desk in frustration and it NEVER failed me!
Nor has it even got one single scratch on its screen, despite never
using a screen protector. Prior to the iPhone, I had a BlackBerry and
yes, there are features in other phones that Apple have so far not been
able to compete with - if we're talking BlackBerry, I'm afraid iMessage
isn't quite the rival to BBM that everyone thought it would be. So yes,
BlackBerry still has the edge when it comes to instant messaging. Credit
where credit is due. The Samsung Galaxy range probably beats the iPhone
when it comes to screen size, I'm not denying that. But for speed, reliability,
ease of use and utter smoothness, the iPhone has got all that in abundance
compared to any other phone out there. For me, upgrading to the 4S was
a big jump and I am so impressed with it. Yes, there was a moment when
I started using it and I just thought it felt pretty much the same as
my previous 3GS. I must admit that I do miss the whole novelty thing
of getting to know a completely different phone. You don't get that
with the iPhone, because unless Apple completely overhaul iOS, it's
going to remain pretty much the same for years to come, just with the
addition of more and better features and hardware. I sometimes wish
the iPhone had a nice homescreen with a live weather forecast like Android
phones do. There are little things I miss and I am not an Apple fanboy
(or girl!) who think Apple or the iPhone is perfect. But there's that
SOMETHING that brings most iPhone users back to it every time; the thing
that keeps us loyal customers - despite the tiny failings and issues
the iPhone might have, its advantages far outweigh the disadvantages
and the ability to just pick up your phone every time and just know
that it will work - it won't freeze or start lagging when you open an
app - is what keeps me, and I'm sure thousands of others, religiously
coming back to the iPhone every time. Even I will admit that I had a
mini paddy when the iPhone 4S was announced - I was expecting the iPhone
5, including a design overhaul. I had a week of checking out other phones,
almost convinced at one point that I would not get the 4S. But each
review I read contained something that put me off and had me thinking
'the iPhone wouldn't do that', and I just KNEW that if I was rash and
went for another phone, that I would regret it later on. By the time
the 4S release date came around, I knew I was getting it and I haven't
had one ounce of regret since then. The speed is just awesome compared
to my 3GS, the screen is just fabulous, the camera is one massive improvement
and Siri is hilarious and will probably prove quite useful eventually
once I've stopped asking it silly questions! iMessage isn't quite what
I hoped it would be, as previously mentioned, but I will hope that Apple
will improve it with future updates. In its current state, I wouldn't
say in a million years that it's a substitute for BBM, sorry Apple!
And aside from all the new features on the 4S, it has that same reliability
and class that I've come to expect from Apple. This phone is going to
set me back £70 per moth with insurance, but I have a feeling it's going
to be worth it.
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Reviewed by Declan from Uk on 16th Oct 2011
Best iPhone to date! No flaws what so ever and the android system is
no way near as good as iOS!!! Ignore the idiots below, they don't have
a clue
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Reviewed by amgela from uk on 16th Oct 2011
my partner just got his iphone yesterday. battery life is awful rubbish
few hours and it was run down screen is small for the internet compared
to the galaxy s 2 or htc. it freezes up twice within 1 day signal isnt
great just hope they fixed the signal problem on the last iphone 4 over
all he isnt happy with his new toy and will be returning it.
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Reviewed by Richard from England on 15th Oct 2011
This is the first ever iphone i have ever bought and all the talk and
promotion of this iphone 4s has been an anticlimax for me. upgraded
to the iphone 4s from a blackberry bold 9700 and i gotta say i miss
my trusty blackberry. i don't see what the big deal is about iphones.
I was toying with the idea of what phone to upgrade to and i'm gutted
i never went for the samsung galaxy s2, htc sensation or blackberry
bold 9900
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Reviewed by Charles from Wild blue yonder on 15th
Oct 2011
I was going to buy this but that battery life is rubbish, currently
got nokia x6 running s3 better battery life and I can carry a spare
battery as it is easy to change. Also I can remain free of itunes and
do what I want with my phone without apple restricting me, if I wanted
to be restricted I would go to prison
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Reviewed by mark from England on 14th Oct 2011
A grand for a phone thats not as good as a top end android phone, the
iphone sheep will still buy it no doubt
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Reviewed by Nate Myles from UK on 14th Oct 2011
Purchased this phone today and am fairly happy but there is something
that is quite disappointing in my opinion!... I had watched the demo
of Siri and was very impressed, so was looking forward to testing it
out at home. Well asking it to msg/reply or call someone is fantasic,
really spot on and reads anything that is sent back! obviously it would
be more useful when your on the move or too busy to txt, and asking
about what will the weather be like today is great too!.... BUT as for
asking about any businesses like wheres the nearest chinese takeaway
or where is alton towers on a map or show me taxi numbers it sadly replies
'Sorry, i can only look for businesses in the UNITED STATES'!!! FFS
whats the point! I know its early bt do i really want to where taco
bell is in florida?!! Hopefully something can be done to update for
this bloody counrty! ... Everything else about the phone is perfect!
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Reviewed by Brad from UK on 14th Oct 2011
I will keep it short, FANTASTIC, I have a 3GS and tried the 4 and sent
it back, this is the one, best iphone to date, no reception issues,
in fact I get better signal and super call quality, superb build quality,
super fast performance with a super camera, and I can create folders
in my mail inbox from the phone. nothing can compare.
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Reviewed by rob from uk on 14th Oct 2011
i dont know what all the fuss is about 3,5 screen is small these days.
dual core has been around for months now in the android phones. i had
a play on one in the shop and yes its a nice phone but nothing special
apple havent really caught up on android yet esp with the screen 200
stanby batt is poor yet another overpriced over rated iphone good to
see they fixed the antenna problem maybe now apple fans will be able
to make a call
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Reviewed by Arron Harrison from UK on 12th Oct
2011
@Mobilephonesuk: 4.7" is not 'nearly twice the size' of 3.5", given
than 3.5 * 2 = 7.
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on
12th Oct 2011
3.5 inches is the diagonal measurement. (4.7 * 4.7) / (3.5 * 3.5) =
1.8
Reviewed by Zounds from UK on 12th Oct 2011
This isn't a review, but a comment... so please bear with... Everything
looked great, until i read the battery standby life... 200 hours? What
does this mean when included with regular useage? I currently HAVE to
recharge my 3gs every single day... and i don't consider myself a heavy
user... medium, probably, for a phone of this type... some of us have
to put these things down to work, y'know... =) It's a great looking
phone, but how will that battery affect how much i need to recharge?
Can you run some tests please, mr reviewer to give us some idea and
allay our fears or confirm them?
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on
12th Oct 2011
Good question. Broadly speaking, the official battery life figures for
the 4S are in line with those for the iPhone 4. Standby time is the
exception. It is 100 hours less. "Official" tests are performed
by Apple and there are no industry standard rules for how they are measured,
but we reckon that most users don't really have their phones in standby.
They send texts, open apps, browse the web, run Wi-Fi, GPS, etc, etc.
They may even make the odd phone call! So, standby times don't necessarily
give a realistic indication of how a phone will perform in the field.
Most people will find that they need to charge their iPhone 4S every
couple of days, just as with the iPhone 4. Heavy users will be charging
every day. Remember that 200 hours is still more than 8 days!
Reviewed by Curran from UK on 11th Oct 2011
It's the best one so far (apart from the standby time). You can't argue
with that.
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