A Closer Look at the iPhone 4S – The Geek Girl Report

Last week, Apple announced the release of a new iPhone. Not the iPhone 5, like everyone was expecting, but the iPhone 4S. While it looks to be just an upgraded version of the iPhone 4, there are a few features that are worth noting. Here's a closer look at the iPhone 4S:

Visually, the iPhone 4S looks just like its predecessor, the iPhone 4. The differences here are all on the inside. For example, the iPhone 4S will feature a 8-megapixel camera with a higher resolution lens. it will take pictures better than any iPhone before it, however, several of the iPhone's competitors have had 8-megapixel cameras for a while. This may not be so much of an innovation for Apple as it is trying to "catch up."

Another new feature of the iPhone 4S is its dual-core A5 processor. Apple boasts that this processor will make the iPhone 4S twice as fast and that apps and graphics will load at a much faster rate.  Apple also says that the new processor is power-efficient, which will result in a longer battery life. I've a had an issue with the relatively low battery life on my iPhone, (I have a 3GS, by the way) and I'm sure I'm not the only one who runs out of juice on my iPhone way too quick, so I'm glad Apple's trying to address this issue.

What looks to be the most interesting feature of the iPhone 4S is "Siri." Siri is a voice-activated personal assistant program that allows you to perform various functions, such as texting, setting up reminders, and finding directions just by asking Siri to do it for you. Apple claims that you can talk to Siri just like you would talk to a regular person and that it is smart enough to understand not just what you said, but what you mean. Although there's no guarantee how well it will actually work in its final version, it looks very promising and, if it works, I could see Siri becoming a part of future iPhones.

The iPhone 4S will be released on October 14th, but with many places already sold out of iPhone pre-orders, some people may have to wait a little bit longer to get their hands on one. I can see some potential for the iPhone 4S, particularly Siri, but I view it as more a stepping stone between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 5. So until the iPhone 5 is released, I'm going to hang on to my little 3GS for a little while longer.