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Generational divide: iPhone 4S vs iPhone 4

iphone-4-vs-iphone-4s-white
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple’s newest smartphone offering, the iPhone 4S, looks identical to the iPhone 4. On the inside, however, these two devices sit miles apart. According to Apple, the iPhone 4S clocks in at twice the processing speed as the older iPhone 4. Other iPhone 4S upgrades include a better camera, more powerful graphics processing and dual-mode GSM/CDMA worldphone capabilities. But that’s not all that’s different between the two Apple handsets. Let’s take a look at the nitty gritty details, shall we?

iPhone 4S vs iPhone 4
iPhone 4S iPhone 4
Price (w/contract) $199 16GB; $299 32GB; $399 64GB $99 8GB
OS iOS 5 iOS 5 (w/update)
Processor Apple A5 (dual-core) Apple A4 (single-core)
Display 3.5-inch 960×640 IPS 3.5-inch 960×640 IPS
Dimensions 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 (mm) 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 (mm)
Weight 140g 137g
Cellular GSM-CDMA hybrid/HSPA GSM or CDMA/HSPA
Max. speed 14.4Mbps 7.2Mbps
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (single-band) 802.11b/g/n (single-band)
Rear camera 8-megapixel AF w/flash & f/2.4 aperture 5-megapixel AF w/flash
Front camera VGA VGA
Video capabilities
1080p at 30fps 720p at 30fps
Max. battery life 8 hrs talk on 3G/14 hrs talk on 2G/6 hrs browsing 3G/9 hrs browsing on Wi-Fi/10 hrs video playback/40 hrs music playback 7 hrs talk on 3G/14 hrs talk on 2G/6 hrs browsing 3G/10 hrs browsing on Wi-Fi/10 hrs video playback/40 hrs music playback
Siri voice control
Yes No
FaceTime video calling Yes Yes
Colors Black, white Black, white
Carrier AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint
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The iPhone 4S will be available for pre-order on Oct. 7, and will hit stores starting on Oct. 14. Users of iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G S will be able to upgrade to iOS 5 on Oct. 12.

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
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