Every time a new iPhone hits the floor, millions of Americans camp outside of stores, anxiously awaiting the release of the supposedly “best iPhone yet.”
PC Magazine says that Apple has sold 55.23 million iPhones in 2011 alone. With the new release of the iPhone 4S, it is predicted that over 100 million units will be sold in 2012.
What is important to realize is that Apple only released an upgraded version of the iPhone 4. They cleverly introduced the new phone right before the winter holidays in order to make sure that their phone was on the top of people’s wish lists. Even cleverer, they have not yet released the iPhone 5. This means that another night of camping outside the Apple store will be in the future for Apple fans next year.
These new phones are sold at $199 for a 16 GB, $299 for a 32 GB, and $399 for a 64 GB with contracts from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Some of the new features of the iPhone 4S include a faster downloading and cellular speed, an eight megapixel (versus a five megapixel) camera, with 1080p Full HD video recording capabilities, and the anticipated Siri voice assistant tool.
But truth be told, the iPhone 4S is not worth the camping and anxiety that so many Americans had over it.
Consider the logistics. A faster phone means faster battery drainage, and that’s exactly what unhappy iPhone 4S users have been complaining about. The new iPhone has been losing its power much quicker than previous models.
One of the biggest reasons people have been upgrading is because of the Siri voice assistant tool. Because phones obviously waste so much of our precious time, we just have to keep upgrading to things that are more time efficient. You can command Siri to do anything from waking you up in an hour or looking something up for you. Simply setting an alarm or going to the Internet and manually typing something in on your phone is such a time waster.
Despite its praises, I went into the Sprint store to test it out its effectiveness myself. Sure it can set an alarm, look things up, and text people for you, but its accuracy level is not to perfection. When I asked it directions to the Seattle Aquarium, it showed me movie times.
OK, not every phone user will suffer the same results as me, but still. If you’re not looking to splurge, do not invest in the iPhone 4S. You can spend a few more seconds using the features on your phone, plus you get a longer battery life on the older iPhones.
If you are interested in a new phone eventually, it would probably be best to just wait for the iPhone 5. Apple likes to introduce new products frequently to keep their fans at the edge of their seats, or in this case, in tents outside their doors.