IPhone 4 versus iPhone 4S
December 7, 2011
If you are still hanging onto your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS the time to upgrade without hesitation is now. There are some very enticing upgrade offers out there – the biggest decision is ‘Should you treat yourself to an iPhone 4 or go straight to the iPhone 4S?”. In the US, a recent poll carried out by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) found 45% of iPhone buyers said they had paid a penalty to cancel their contract just to pick up the latest iPhone 4S. Some customers had switched networks while others had upgraded before their contract ended. This post aims to help you make that decision by studying the research available collected from people using these iPhones.
Another US company ‘ChangeWave’, a division of the 451 Group, carried out customer satisfaction research comparing iPhone 4S results collated in November 2011 with earlier research on the iPhone 4 in July 2010. Of the iPhone 4 customers interviewed, 72% reported they were very satisfied with the then-new iPhone model. It is worth noting that this sample of iPhone 4 owners reported a dropped call rate of 5.2% – by contrast, iPhone 4S users only report a minimal 2.5% rate of dropped calls. According to the ChangeWave survey, the 4S is a bigger hit with owners than the iPhone 4 had been a year earlier -77% of iPhone 4S users polled were very satisfied with their new phone while only 2% felt unsatisfied (215 customers were polled altogether).
The 4S model has introduced a sophisticated “voice assistant,” Siri, which lets you control a wide range of tasks and functions with language spoken commands or questions (Siri has also sparked a host of fun videos). ChangeWave found that Siri is the most popular feature of the new iPhone 4S (approved by 49% of owners). Other features approved were general ease of use (by 39%), the new 8 megapixel camera includes a stabilizer so pictures stay clear and more importantly, videos remain watchable (approved by 33%), faster Web browsing (by 24%) and screen resolution (by 23%).
Alternatively, almost 40% of iPhone 4S users said the phone’s battery life was disappointingly short. Albeit, only 8% say this caused a big problem. Apple has now released an iOS 5 update aimed at improving battery performance.
In the case of the iPhone 4S battery issue, it helps if you don’t leave too many applications running in the background. Read our blog on ‘8 tips to save your iPhone battery’.
Rather surprisingly, the Apple’s iCloud service introduced for the 4S appears to be underrated as it was only ranked sixth (by 19% of the sample). Yet it is great to be able to send your photos to iCloud which is Apple’s 5GB of cloud storage that allows users to access their photos no matter where they are and no matter what device, including a PC.
The research data collected has strongly indicated that the iPhone 4S although initially appearing to be one of Apple’s less dramatic updates, in practice, presents a very attractive new offering to smartphone users. Some potential buyers may be content to skip the new hardware and just enjoy the software and cloud features with older models such as the iPhone 4 and 3GS. But those of you who decide to buy the latest smartphone seem destined to be happy with your purchase.
Stephen Fry wrote in his review for the Guardian “Siri, the high-quality and ultra-fast camera, 30 fps 1080p HD video, globally available voice recognition and the introduction of two antennae (the phone seamlessly switches between whichever is getting the strongest signal) are features that make the 4S irresistible; what is more, the unchanged form means that a whole new range of covers and accessories won’t be required.”
The iPhone 4 and 4S both have 512 MB of RAM. The iPhone 4S has all the best features of the iPhone 4 — same look, same feel, same Retina Display, yet it adds several significant improvements for the consumer who wants the latest technical wizardry. The iPhone 4 is still a highly recommended phone and if you buy online at a decent price SIM-free, then we’d advise you to do so. However, if you can afford it, you’d be better off stumping up the extra cash for the newer iPhone 4S.
The recent poll by CIRP found that 42% of iPhone users had upgraded from an iPhone 4 to 4S and they had typically resold their still-in-demand phone for more than the cost of a cancellation fee. The ripple effect of upgrading your iPhone model is the reduced pricing on the iPhone 4 and 3GS which is triggering robust sales across the smartphone markets. Visit our buy online webpage or go to the links below to find the best current deals.
- Reconditioned phones on the Apple website
- Visit the three website
- Visit the Carphone warehouse website
- Visit the Vodafone website
- Visit Amazon UK
IPhone apps for golfers
December 5, 2011
IPing – free (cradle £25)
IPing works by gleaning data directly from your putter. You will need to buy a special cradle for £25 from the pro shop to attach to your iPhone or iPod Touch to the club’s shaft but it is worth this initial outlay. Attach your iPhone device, start the app, and take some practice putts. The app uses your iDevice’s motion sensors to record the consistency of your stroke, its impact angle and its tempo. It will store the results and show how your data differ from those of your golf pro. As you improve, it compares your latest statistics with your original efforts – it really does deliver on its promise to improve your play.
IStimp – 69p
The iStimp app works with the iPhone and Touch – it is a measurement of how fast a green is, determined by the state of the grass and angle of the green – both vital information for the golfer who is attempting a long putt, or playing on an unfamiliar course. This app behaves like a stimp meter – it becomes a virtual spirit level and measures how far a ball rolls when dropped from a specific height. You can save these measurements – hole by hole- and definately reduces the time you spend faffing about on the green BUT please note that this app is banned in tournament play. This obviously suggests that using iStimp will give you a clear advantage over your golfing opponents.
Golfshot- free & Golf GPS Version £20.99
The Golfshot app is free for iPhone and Touch and means you can save money too. You will no longer need scoring cards and pencils. Golfshot contains a scorecard and hole -by-hole par details for 37,000 courses around the world. It can keep scores for up to four players. It also has the added option of recording stroke details which could highlight weaknesses in your current game. Why not splash out on the Golf GPS version which is also available for your iPad at a cost of £20.99? This version includes aerial views and GPS rangefinder data. Be aware that this is a much cheaper option than buying a hand held electronic rangefinder which are £100 plus.
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