Siri: Should I upgrade?

I’ve had a couple of days usage of the iPhone 4S under my belt now and wanted to put a few words down to those people who may find themselves in a quandary over whether to upgrade or not.

I’ve been on a 3GS for the past 24 months now, so I’m one of the many people finally getting their hands on a sexy new body and the phone is slightly slimmer, a little heavier, but generally easier on the eye.

I’d agonised over whether to upgrade to the 4S or whether I should switch to a cheaper HTCsomethingorother or just go on to a sim-only deal and keep my trusted (still fully functional) 3GS.

Having tried the ergonomics of a few other phones (HTC & Samsung Galaxy SII seemed huge to me) it quickly became apparent that there is nothing else with the build quality of an iPhone.

The clincher was reading numerous phone reviews from a variety of sources, where each time the new kid on the block was put in the ring with the veteran iPhone 4 and each time would leave the ring having taken a pasting or sometimes, having only lost on points. Either way the 4 was left jubilantly dancing about the arena, whilst the vanquished contender went away to lick its wounds.

Decision made.

Fortunately, I was out of contract with O2 and following some particularly lamentable service recently, I jumped ship into the welcoming embrace of Orange. Rather oddly, their shop was empty Friday morning, whilst I understand that O2 was packed (both Kendal).

If you’re coming up from the 3GS, the dual cameras are a welcome bonus as is the fantastic Facetime feature.

The main thing I have noticed since upgrading is the speed, particularly when Hipstamatic is processing a photo at the highest quality level. The 3GS would take a few seconds to get it sorted, whilst the 4S completes the task instantly. The regularly used Tweetlist and Facebook also load and update quickly, but I’m not sure if this is the phone or recent updates to the apps (maybe a bit of both?).

Phone signal appears to be improved (I don’t know if this is down to service providers) and the retina display is simply superb. Text looks clear and smooth and your photos have never looked better on the small screen.

Updating to the iCloud is a doddle (even for an Apple novice like me) and the notification centre is a welcome - if belated – addition.

Let me guess what you’re thinking: better camera, better/faster chip and everything else he’s mentioned I can get just by updating to iOS 5. Am I close?

What I haven’t mentioned is Siri. The voice activated personal assistant/metaphorical bum wiper that sets the 4S apart from the 4.

Voice activation is nothing new (heck, we’ve all seen Knight Rider), but Siri would appear to be a major step forward in this kind of technology. I’ve not tried rude words and all that rubbish with it yet, but what I have done is ask it to set my alarm at 8am, remind me to send some money to my sister and to call my girlfriend and various (subsequently annoyed) family members.

Siri performed each task at the first time of asking. For someone like me who is ultimately useless and has a brain like a sieve, that reminder service alone is priceless.

Forgot to mention, that Siri will also give you its opinion on the coming weather and any question it can’t answer directly will be referred to the interweb with no further input required on your part.

Apple hater or not, you’ve got to admit: that’s some freakin’ clever stuff right there.

Better Camera. Better Chip. Siri. Are they worth upgrading for?

If you’re considering upgrading from a 3GS/A. N. Other phone…

Ponder no longer and get yourself down your nearest telephonic emporium, slap a wodge of cash on the counter and demand that an iPhone 4S be placed in your ownership forthwith.

If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 4…

Tough one, but my honest advice would be to wait for the iPhone 5. Siri aside, I don’t think you’ll see the benefit of the recent changes as much as us dinosaurs slowly crawling out of our 3GS contracts. Wait until next year, wait for that moment when you’ve got the teardrop shaped handset in your hand and Siri’s capability has extended to project a holographic self-image of your choosing and then you can finally say “glad I waited the extra year”.