The size of the iPhone 4S is basically the same as the iPhone 4, with only a slight increase in weight. The most noticeable change is the antenna’s metal ring—the familiar “black lines” have become four, likely hinting at the "dual antenna" Apple mentioned. The side button has shifted slightly, which means older iPhone 4 cases may not fit the 4S perfectly. Pre-orders come with a variety of accessories, and the overall pricing feels reasonable.
Compared to other smartphones, the biggest highlight of the iPhone 4S is still its Retina display. It’s noticeably sharper—something you can actually feel in daily use. That clarity was the main reason I finally decided to switch from Android. Of course, the headline feature is Siri, the virtual assistant people either love or love to complain about. I spent some time chatting with her that night. First impressions? Her error correction is solid, and my clumsy English didn’t seem entirely useless.
One particularly useful Siri feature is dictation. When you’re looking up a word in a dictionary, you can simply speak it, tap “Done,” and the text appears—especially handy during a workout or while your hands are occupied. Siri can also open websites when you say “Open XXX.com” or “Search XXX.” She’ll launch Safari and get right to it. Voice navigation doesn’t extend past that point on the webpage, but it’s impressive enough.
One shortcoming I noticed: Siri can’t yet open installed apps like “Calendar” or “Notes” with a command like “Open Calendar.” You’ll still need to tap into those manually. On the bright side, Siri doesn’t demand perfect English. In most cases, saying key phrases is enough—things like “Timer, one minute,” “Weather forecast,” “Search XXX,” or “Call XXX.” That’s a small win for non-native speakers.
Recent tests show Siri is a bit of a power drain. If you rely on her for most daily operations, you’ll likely need to charge your phone by day’s end. Another quirky behavior: if the network connection is unstable, Siri often won’t work at all. It makes you wonder—maybe that old joke about “a human operator behind every Siri” has some truth to it after all.
