Apple’s iPhone 4S is a much speedier device than previous generation iPhones in many respects. However, the A5 processor and stronger internals are what make the 4S a speedier device. This should not be confused with 4G or similar technologies, as these technologies deal more with wireless networking, not the actual phone itself.
The iPhone 4S was presented as a device with more speed, power, and features than the regular iPhone 4. After all, many consider the “S” in 4S to stand for “speed.” All of these improvements and better technologies will make the iPhone 4S faster, however, it is not 4G capable, which should be taken into consideration if purchasing a new iPhone.
What does this mean? The iPhone will run on all major carriers, and be able to run on carriers that it previously could not, including foreign cell phone providers, as the 4S is a world phone. However, it will not be able to make full use of the latest speeds and technologies that some cell phone providers are releasing, such as 4G/LTE. The main effect that this will have on the iPhone is, that the iPhone may not be as fast with data, which mainly consists of mobile internet browsing, downloading files, and using some apps that require internet connectivity. Even things like GPS services are slightly faster on a 4G network compared to a 3G network, and the iPhone 4S is much closer to 3G speed, than it is 4G speed.
Technically, the iPhone 4S has HSPA+ 14.4 support, which is what AT&T refers to as 4G. So in that scenario, the iPhone 4S could be considered “4G.” 14.4 support would enable a device with download speeds averaging 1.5 – 2Mbps, which is a category that the iPhone 4S will likely fall into, depending of course, on the wireless provider. Another technology, HSPA+ 21, which many T-Mobile phones use, produce around 5Mbps speeds. Finally, true 4G/LTE would have speeds closer to 10Mbps.
This post was mainly written to clarify some things for people who are considering purchasing the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 4S is a great device, but it would have been a better deal if it supported the latest in network speeds.
