Baumann

Don’t judge a book by its deceptively similar cover. The iPhone 4S is far superior to any mobile phone that has ever been made. Period.

I was recently blessed with Steve Jobs’ last imprint of our generation and I noticed something immediate that I thought people needed to know.

As an avid iPhone user for the past three years there has been one thing that bothered me about the device. Initially, when the 3G came out, I was quite pleased. However, when technology progressed to 4G, WiMax, HSDPA+, and LTE, the iPhone was left out in the cold. Even with two iterations that followed each year, the 3GS and then the 4, the technology for a wireless connection peaked at 3G. It never really bothered me because being limited to AT&T as the sole provider of the device simply became acceptable. Then Verizon came around boasting its 4G LTE network. Here’s the catch: the iPhone doesn’t work on Verizon’s 4G network. Not even this latest model. I suppose that shouldn’t matter because for the last 17 months or so, some 30-40% of iPhone 4 owners think that the “4″ stands for 4G. I could do what I always do and simply say: idiots. However, I’ll just accept the fact that a person is smart, people are stupid. That’s why Apple has been so successful. More on this in a little bit.

As for people rejecting the iPhone because it’s not 4G, there’s something you should know.

A speed test result comparing Verizon’s 4G LTE and Sprint’s 4G WiMax networks was taken recently. The clear victor is Verizon with some pretty damn good speeds using the HTC Thunderbolt up against Sprint’s exclusive HTC EVO; the highest downstream was nearly 8 megabits per second. Both phones are two of the iPhone’s biggest competitors and because of Android loyalists, they often get a lot of accolades because of their features. There are many reasons why I consider any iPhone to be superior to every other phone; iOS is the main reason but the iPhone 4S just gave me a huge advantage.

Here are the results of my speed test running on AT&T’s “antiquated” 3G network:

Notice anything?

That’s right. The folks at Apple have made the phone so efficient with a new dual antenna system, that even running on a 3G network results in comparatively better speeds–Hell, it’s almost “4G”. AT&T’s 3G network; the bane of almost everyone I’ve ever heard who has an iPhone complain about. As for the entire iPhone experience? There’s a laundry list of why iOS is better than Android and why the features of the iPhone 4 were kept and improved upon as opposed to changed “for the better.” Let’s start with the chief complaint. People were upset at the lack of an iPhone 5, mostly because the Internet hype suggested that we’d see the next iPhone have a larger (possibly 4″) screen and a paper thin design. This likely started because of the iPad’s transition for the second model. After using the iPhone 4 for over a year after using the 3G for even longer, one thing is absolutely clear. The design of the phone is absolutely perfect. Stunning is the word that comes to mind. It’s smooth, has the right weight, and a 3.5″ screen is exactly the correct size for one handed use so that your thumb can reach every point on the screen. Why would a larger screen be more beneficial. Let’s not forget that the screen itself is gorgeous; it is hands down the best looking screen on any device ever created. The pixel density is much larger than even screens that are almost an inch larger diagonally. So many pixels in fact, that it’s impossible for the human eye to even see them. That’s a crystal clear screen. The thickness of the phone is also substantial because not only does it add credence to the sleek design, but also has a form factor that feels good when you’re holding it. It’s the same type of ergonomic design (especially with consideration to the thumb reach) that the Japanese concentrate on when building a car, and it’s wonderful.

Next up is the camera. I’ve already seen pics and video (shot professionally of course) from this thing and everyone is saying its the best camera ever put into a mobile phone. I don’t think there’s an argument here.

As for the software, is there really anything that can be said against Apple on this one? Sure, they delay the release of basic features that Android has had for months at a time. Sure it’s frustrating, but guess what happens when you finally get the finished product? It’s easy to revel in Apple’s reliable execution of even the simplest things. Android had notifications first, Apple’s implementation is better. Android had Twitter integration first, Apple’s is sleeker and more concise. Android is sloppy; many features that exist are difficult to find and operations that seem easy take many steps to execute. Apple? No contest. iOS’ interface is so simple, two year olds can understand it before they can form complete sentences. Oh, and once a two year old has interacted with iOS, it’s intuitive interface is expected to be universal to the child; he/she will try to use the same multitouch gestures on a magazine and get frustrated at the lack of response.

Well, there’s more gushing over the iPhone where that came from. I’ll finish with this; a great friend of mine got an iPhone about three months ago after being a staunch “I’ll never get rid of my” crack-berry. She couldn’t shut up about how much she loved the iPhone in the first weekend of using it. My sister finally got a 4S because of its availability from Sprint; just a wee three years post-envy of my acquisition. Her first FaceTime call was a lot of fun. My mother is next, then my girlfriend (admittedly, converting that one is going to be tricky, again, Sprint may help), then…the world.

Sent from my iPhone using Siri