Iphone 4S, a let down? Really?

A lot of Tech reviewers are commenting that Iphone 4S is a big let down.

Why? Because it's not a new form factor? Because it's Specs are incremental over the iphone 4 (Stolen from Engadget):

iPhone 4S

iPhone 4

Price (on contract)	$199 16GB, $299 32GB, $399 64GB	$99 8GB
Processor	Dual-core Apple A5	Apple A4
Display	3.5-inch IPS 960 x 640	3.5-inch IPS 960 x 640
Primary camera	8 megapixel AF with flash and f/2.4 aperture	5 megapixel AF with flash
Secondary camera	VGA at 30fps	VGA
Video recording	1080p at 30fps, optional iMovie	720p at 30fps, optional iMovie
Cellular	Hybrid GSM / CDMA "World Phone", Bluetooth 4.0	Quadband GSM, pentaband HSPA
WiFi	802.11b/g/n	802.11b/g/n
Orientation sensing	Accelerometer, digital compass, gyroscope	Accelerometer, compass, gyroscope
FaceTime video calling	Yes	Yes
SIM standard	Micro SIM	Micro SIM
Battery life	Up to 8 hours talk time on 3G 14 hours talk time on 2G Up to 6 hours data on 3G Up to 9 hours data on WiFi Up to 40 hours audio Up to 10 hours video	Up to 7 hours talk time on 3G, 14 hours on 2G Up to 10 hours data on WiFi Up to 40 hours audio Up to 10 hours video
Weight	140 grams / 4.9 oz	137 grams / 4.8 oz.
Dimensions	115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm	115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm

This incremental increase, actually could be a good thing for consumers, as the Iphone 4 isn't going away, it's price dropped to $100 on 2yr contract. Also both the Iphone 4 and 4S are going to be available on Verizon, AT&T and now for the first time: Sprint.  Also the 3GS will be free on AT&T, but I would strongly recommend not looking at this SKU, as it's already over 2 years old.

So if you are looking for new Iphone, it really comes down to those minor feature differences, personally I would still go 4S, not for dual core CPU or 1080p video recording, but for Siri the voice interface personal assistant that includes voice dictation features.

I know... Big whoop... Android, and now Windows phone 7.5 (Mango) already has those features. Wrong! Mango doesn't have dictation built into every keyboard function, and the latest gingerbread update on Android phones seems to have made the Voice Keyboard in operable (at least on my Evo 4G and a Droid X I've seen)

I guess, it's all in the eye of the Beholder... I personally was disappointed in a lack of new Ipod announcements (a white Ipod touch, is not a new Ipod). And the price drops were more like a "duh" yeah, tech gets cheaper over time.

But as for the Iphone 4S goes... I think it's going to be success, a third Cell provider in the US, that will carry both the new 4S and the 4 is going to be awesome for consumers. Also I don't believe the difference between the 4 and 4S will be nearly as painful as the differences between the 3G and 3GS. A 1GHZ CPU seems to be just enough for almost all functions on a Smart Phone, a Dual Core CPU is great for when you want to turn your smart phone into a gaming console.

What do you think?

~Graham

Turn that old Smart phone into a decent MP3 player

Recently I lost my Ipod Touch (4^th Gen). Rather than buy a new one, I decided to wait and see what apple announces in September/October.  I did however still want to listen to tunes and podcasts. So I opted to use an old Palm Pre, that was no longer in use and was collecting dust in the bottom of a drawer. And it occurred to me that a lot of old smart phones could easily be turned into fairly decent MP3 players if not fair PMPs. Most Smart Phones of the last 2 years use standard 1/8” headphones  (unlike some of the weird standards of the past), and have a fair amount of storage, or could be easily expandable via memory cards, which have come severely down in cost.

How to turn that old smart phone into a really nice MP3 player.

1)      The assumption is that you are using an old phone that no longer has service. So turn off any services that may run in the background that aren’t needed for this device to be a media player:

1. Email accounts
2. Calendars
3. Notification applications that require web services (ebay, twitter, etc…)
4. Contacts

2)      Download any additional applications: like Podcast apps, or Video players. Or even alternative music players.

3)      Disable Radios you don’t need as they are just a drain on the battery.  Bluetooth is a given unless you are using a BT stereo headphones. But most importantly is the Cellular Radio. One Method is air plane mode, but that will turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well. 

On the Palm Pre, I found a code you can use in the phone dialer that disables only the phone radio (##633#) Different phone have different methods of doing this, so Google search it.

Also, I found that I still use Wi-Fi on occasion for the Podcast app, so I have a shortcut in the launcher so I can quickly turn on/off the Wi-Fi when I need it, so that way I’m not just draining the battery.

4)      Setup your launcher/Desktop for media centric controls. Remember this isn’t a phone anymore so Shortcuts to email, phone and messaging really don’t need to be at the forefront. I personally setup my launcher with Music And Video front and center (and the previously mentioned Wi-Fi control.

5)      Set setting to turn off the display.

Unless you are flipping through the music, or choosing a video to watch, you really don’t need the screen on for a prolonged amount of time, so setting the display to shut off after 10-30 seconds of nonuse is probably a good move and will also help to conserve battery power.

I can easily go a week without needing to recharge the battery (I listen to tunes for about an hour a day in my car). So far I’ve been impressed. My only real disappointment has been the lack of Podcast apps for WebOS. Android has a ton including Google’s own “Listen” app. I personally use Acast myself on my Evo.