It may not be the iPhone 5 that everybody expected but Apple does have a new iPhone, the iPhone 4S. Unveiled by new Apple CEO Tim Cook, the iPhone 4S is best described as an evolutionary upgrade over the iPhone 4: it boasts the same design, the same screen and an identical look and feel, but has an upgraded processor, a better camera and a new voice recognition feature called Siri.
Read our detailed iPhone 4S preview and our reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation.
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Though the iPhone 4S is expected to remain one of the most popular smartphones in the world, it has plenty of competition. In Australia, the iPhone 4S will immediately go up against two of the most popular Android smartphones currently on the market when it hits the shelves on 14 October: the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation.
The Samsung and HTC Android phones have similar specifications — the HTC Sensation sports a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3in qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera and wraps it in a unibody aluminium design. The Galaxy S II also has a 4.3in screen and an 8-megapixel camera, but uses Super AMOLED Plus display technology that produces more vibrant colours.
So how does the iPhone 4S stack up against the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation when it comes to specifications?
Apple iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II vs. HTC Sensation: Specifications
| Feature | Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S II | HTC Sensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Apple iOS 5 | Google Android "Gingerbread" | Google Android "Gingerbread" |
| Display size | 3.5in | 4.3in | 4.3in |
| Display technology | Capacitive LED-backlit IPS | Capacitive Super AMOLED Plus | Capacitive S-LCD |
| Display resolution | 640x960 | 480x800 | 540x960 (qHD) |
| Pixel density | 330 ppi | 217 ppi | 256 ppi |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front camera | VGA | 2 megapixels | VGA |
| Rear camera | 8 meapixels w/single-LED flash | 8 megapixels w/single-LED flash | 8 megapixels w/dual-LED flash |
| Camera features | Autofocus, touch focus, geotagging, face detection, video stabilisation | Autofocus, touch focus, geotagging, face detection, smile detection, image stabilisation | Autofocus, touch-focus, geotagging, face detection, image stabilisation, instant capture |
| Video recording | 1080p HD @ 30fps | 1080p HD @ 30fps | 1080p HD @ 30fps |
| FM radio | No | Yes | Yes | GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Internal memory | 16GB, 32GB or 64GB | 16GB | 1GB |
| Expandable memory | None | microSD | microSD |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm | 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm | 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm |
| Weight | 140g | 116g | 148g |
| Application Store | Apple App Store | Google Android Market | Google Android Market |
| Processor | Apple A5 dual-core (800MHz) | ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core (1.2GHz) | Qualcomm MSM 8260 Snapdragon dual-core (1.2GHz) |
| RAM | 512MB | 1GB | 768MB |
| Australian 3G networks | HSDPA 850/900/2100 | HSDPA 850/900/2100 | HSDPA 850/2100 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11a/b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 with A2DP | 3.0 with A2DP | 3.0 with A2DP |
| NFC (Near Field Communication) | No | No | No |
| HDMI-out | No (Yes with Apple Digital AV adapter) | No (Yes with MHL adapter) | No (Yes with MHL adapter) |
| Quoted battery life | Up to 8 hrs | Up to 8 hrs 40 min | Up to 6 hrd 40 min |
| Battery capacity | 1420 mAh | 1650 mAh | 1520 mAh |
| Adobe Flash support | No | Yes | Yes |
| Carriers | Telstra, Optus, Vodafone | Telstra, Optus, Vodafone | Telstra |
iPhone 4S vs. HTC Sensation vs. Samsung Galaxy S II: Design
The Apple iPhone 4S retains an identical design to the iPhone 4. It's constructed largely from aluminium and glass, is just 9.3mm thick and has an industrial look and feel with distinctive, sharp edges. The iPhone 4S also retains the iPhone 4's glass back that does look slick but attracts plenty of fingerprints. The iPhone 4S remains a very well constructed smartphone, but is beginning to look a little outdated.
The Samsung Galaxy S II is an entirely different proposition to the iPhone 4S. It's made largely from solid feeling plastic and is just 8.49mm thick, making it the thinnest smartphone in the world (at least until another competitor trumps it). The Samsung Galaxy S II has an attractive carbon-like finish on its rear battery cover that does feel a little flimsy when removed, but helps keep it impressively slim.
The Samsung Galaxy S II Android phone is just 8.49mm thick, making it thinner than the iPhone 4S and the thinnest smartphone in the world.
One of the most lauded features of the HTC Sensation is its unibody aluminium design, which has also been used on a number of HTC's other Android phones including the original Desire, the Desire HD, the Legend and the Incredible S. The HTC's unibody casing is constructed from a single piece of aluminium and gives the phone a premium look and feel.