Apple iPhone 4S vs iPad 2 | Apple iPad 2 vs iPhone 4S Features, Full Specs Compared
iPhone 4S and iPad 2 are both wonderful products from Apple in different sizes and for different purposes. iPhone 4S is equipped with 1 GHz Apple A5 processor and iPad 2 is also packed with the same 1GHz dual core Apple A5 processor with iOS 5.0 Both iPhone 4S and iPad 2 are designed for GSM and CDMA technologies and both will support Wi-Fi . Application wise both are the same. The main differences are the display size and phone feature. iPad 2 is a tablet PC, which does not have the basic phone features, but it has a large display. Therefore, it is ideal for browsing, gaming and e-reading on the go. On the other hand, iPhone 4S is the most popular smart phone, having multimedia features in addition to the phone features. Here, the real estate is much small but it has higher resolution display. Therefore, though it is small, the text is crisper and images are very clear.
iPhone 4S
The much speculated iphone 4S was released on October 4th 2011. The iPhone which has bench-marked standards in the smart phone hemisphere has raised the expectations more. Will iPhone 4 deliver to the expectations? Having one look at the device one can understand that the appearance of iPhone 4S remains similar to iPhone 4; the much raved predecessor. The device is available in both black and white. The glass and stainless steel built that most find appealing remains intact.
The newly released iPhone 4S remains 4.5” of height and 2.31” of width the dimensions of iPhone 4S remains similar to its predecessor iPhone 4. The thickness of the device is 0.37” as well regardless of the improvement done to the camera. There for, iPhone 4S remains the same portable slim device everyone love. iPhone 4S weighs 140g. The slight increase of device is maybe due to the many new improvements that we will discuss later. iPhone 4S includes a 3.5” touch screen with 960 x 640 resolution. The screen also includes the usual fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating. The display marketed by Apple as ‘retina display’ has a contrast ratio of 800:1. The device comes with sensors such as an accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate, three-axis gyro sensor, a proximity sensor for auto turn-off and an ambient light sensor.
The processing power is one of the many improved features on iPhone 4S than its predecessor. The iPhone 4S is powered by a Dual core A5 processor. According to Apple, the processing power is increased by 2 X and enables graphics that are 7 times faster and the energy efficient processor will improve battery life as well. While the RAM on the device is still not officially listed the device is available in 3 versions of storage; 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. Apple has not allowed a micro SD slot to expand the storage. In terms of connectivity, iPhone 4S has HSPA+14.4Mbps, UMTS/WCDMA, CDMA, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. At the moment, iPhone 4S is the only smart phone which can switch between two antennas to transmit and receive. Location based services are available through Assisted GPS, digital compass, Wi-Fi and GSM.
iPhone 4S is loaded with iOS 5 and usual applications one can find on an iPhone, such as FaceTime. The newest addition to the uniquely designed applications on iPhone is ‘Siri’; a voice assistant which can understand certain keywords we speak and virtually do everything on the device. ‘Siri’ is capable of scheduling meetings, checking weather, setting timer, sending & reading messages and etc. While voice search and voice command assisted applications were available in the market ‘Siri’ is quite a unique approach and sounds more user-friendly. iPhone 4S comes with iCloud as well, enabling users to manage content across multiple devices. iCloud wirelessly pushes files across multiple devices managed together. Applications for iPhone 4 S will be available on Apple App Store; however it will take some time for the number of applications supporting iOS 5 to increase.
The rear facing camera is another area improved on iPhone 4S. iPhone 4S is equipped with an improved camera with 8 mega pixels. The mega pixel value itself has taken a huge leave from its predecessor. The camera is coupled with LED flash as well. The camera comes with useful features such as autofocus, tap to focus, face detection on still images and geo tagging. The camera is capable of HD video capture at 1080P at about 30 frames per second. In cameras it is important to have a larger aperture since it allows the lens to collect more light. The aperture in the lens of camera in iPhone 4S has been increased allowing more light to come in however, harmful IR rays is filtered away. The enhanced camera is capable of capturing quality images in low light as well as bright light. The front facing camera is a VGA camera and it’s tightly coupled with FaceTime; the video conferencing application on iPhone.
iPhones are generally good on their battery life. Naturally, users will have higher expectations for this latest addition to the family. According to Apple, iPhone 4S will have up to 8 hours of continuous talk time with 3G on while on GSM only it will score a massive 14 hours. The device is rechargeable via USB as well. The standby time on iPhone 4S is up to 200 hours. In conclusion, the battery life is satisfactory on iPhone 4S.
The preorder of iPhone 4S starts from 7 October 2011, and will be available in US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, and Japan from 14 October 2011. Worldwide availability starts from 28 October 2011. iPhone 4S is available for purchase in different variants. One will be able to get their hands on an iPhone 4S device starting from $199 to $399 on contract. The price without contract (unlocked) is Canadian $649/ Pounds 499/ A$799/ Euro 629.
Apple iPad 2
iPad 2 is the latest version of the last year’s largely successful iPad by Apple Inc. iPad 2 was officially released in March 2011. A significant change in software is not visible; however hardware modifications can be seen. iPad 2 has definitely become thinner and lighter than its predecessor and has benchmarked the industry standards for tablet PC’s.
iPad 2 is designed ergonomically and users may find it a little smaller than the previous version (iPad). The device remains 0.34″ at its thickest point. At nearly 600g the device cannot be called a light weight device. iPad 2 is available in Black and White versions. iPad 2 is complete with a 9.7” LED backlit multi touch display with IPS technology. The screen has a finger print resistant oleo phobic coating. In terms of connectivity, the iPad 2 is available as Wi-Fi only, as well as, a 3G version.
The new iPad 2 has a 1 GHz dual core CPU called the A5. The graphics performance is reportedly 9 times faster. The device is available in 3 storage options such as 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. The device supports 9 hours of battery life for 3G web surfing and charging is available via power adapter and USB. The device also includes a three-axis gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a light sensor.
iPad 2 comprises a front facing camera, as well as, a rear facing camera, but in comparison to other cameras in the market, the rear facing camera is of less quality, though it can record up to 720p HD video. In still camera mode, it has 5x digital Zoom. The front camera can be mainly used for video calling called “FaceTime” in iPad terminology. Both cameras have the capability to capture video as well.
Since the screen is multi touch, inputs can be given by many hand gestures. Additionally a microphone is also available with the iPad 2. As for output devices a 3.5-mm stereo headphone mini jack and a built-in speaker is available.
The new iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3 installed. iPad 2 has the backing of the world’s biggest collecting of mobile applications for a platform. Applications for iPad 2 can be downloaded from Apple App store directly to the device. The device comes complete with multi lingual support as well. “FaceTime”; the video conferencing application is probably the highlight of the phones capabilities. With the new updates to iOS 4.3 the browser performance is also reportedly upgraded.
As for accessories iPad introduces the new smart cover for iPad 2. The cover is designed seamlessly with iPad 2 that lifting up the cover is capable of waking up iPad. If the cover is closed iPad 2 will immediately go to sleep. A wireless keyboard is also available and it’s sold separately. Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound is also available via an Apple Digital Av adapter sold separately.
The cost of ownership for an iPad is perhaps the highest in the market to own a tablet PC. A Wi-Fi only version can start at 499 $ and go up to 699 $. While a Wi-Fi and 3 G version can start from $629 to $829.