Now that Apple has officially revealed the iPhone 5, it’s time we compare it against previous iPhone – the 4S. Check out the full comparison after the jump!
Apple’s iPhone 5, at least on the blogosphere, has received a mixed reaction. Those of us who’ve been following the leaks and reports over the year feel disappointed that everything that Apple announced at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts yesterday was known weeks and, in some cases, months beforehand.
We saw a similar reaction when Apple announced the iPhone 4S, but we all know how it ended up selling like gangbusters. The reason for this is quite simple: the average consumer doesn’t really care about the iPhone 5 not having a quad-core processor, or a 12-megapixel camera; they’ll just look at their ending contract, see the iPhone 5’s larger display, faster processor, LTE support and buy it.
However, I have a feeling most of these buyers will be be shifting from an iPhone 3GS or 4, as the 4S is still a really capable smartphone. There are key areas where the 4S still goes neck and neck with the iPhone 5 – iOS 6 features and camera.
Software-wise, there are no exclusives* on the iPhone 5; iOS 6 on iPhone 4S and 5 has the same features. Both get Panorama Mode, Siri, the new App Store, Facebook integration, and the same set of built-in apps. The experience of using iOS 6 on iPhone 5 will certainly be different though, thanks to the taller display on the iPhone 5.
It’s the hardware department where iPhone 5 sees a nice improvement. It’s slimmer and weighs less. There’s the taller display which will display more content in your apps, let you view movies and TV shows in widescreen format, enjoy games more etc. Then there’s the A6 chip which Apple claims has twice the performance of the A5 on the iPhone 4S. The camera also takes (slightly) better photos more quickly, especially in low light. 4G LTE support will also result in significantly faster Internet surfing for those of you lucky enough to have coverage in their city.
But is that all enough to make you upgrade? It’s a no-brainer for iPhone 3GS and 4 users, that’s for sure; but for iPhone 4S users, it really depends on whether you want the new features like LTE support, taller display, slightly thinner/lighter+aluminum/glass profile (especially for those who are bored of 2.5 year old 4/4S design), faster processor+GPU for gaming etc. If that’s not your cup of tea, then iPhone 4S I suppose is more than good enough.
Here’s a complete comparison between the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S:
(source Apple)
*iPhone 4S had Siri, iPad 2 had Photo Booth, and iPhone 4 had iMovie. iPhone 5 has no such exclusive.
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