iPhone 4S Release Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade? (PHOTOS)

NEW YORK (PETER SVENSSON, AP/THE HUFFINGTON POST) -- Apple is trotting out a new iPhone on Oct. 14, but it's not the iPhone 5 some were expecting. Instead, it's a more modest upgrade, the iPhone 4S. Here are some facts to help you decide if it's time to make the plunge.

Take a look at the slideshow (below) to see if the iPhone 4S is right for you, then check out the 13 things you need to know about the new iPhone.

Feeling underwhelmed? You're not alone. Read on for more insight into why Apple's latest handset is a letdown for some.

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Comments

[womackgirl]

12:59 PM on 10/07/2011

Well I have a iPhone 3G and have been waiting to upgrade. My battery is starting to die on my 3G so I can't wait for the rumored iPhone 5 so I will be upgrading. If I had an iPhone 4 already, I would not upgrade.

[alexii]

04:27 PM on 10/05/2011

Nothing but a pile of junk! Grow up people!

[wonderYrednow]

06:10 PM on 10/05/2011

Blow up ? people ??

[Feurio]

04:13 PM on 10/05/2011

Upgrade?
Haven't bought the first one yet.

[Kritikos]

04:09 PM on 10/05/2011

I don't care.....its a phone, for pete's sake!

[Channa]

04:01 PM on 10/05/2011

I have an iPhone 4 and won't be getting this. The new features and speed are nice, but I have an iPad so it reduces how much I need to use my phone. If it had NFC, LTE or other compelling upgrades I would go for it but, meh.

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

03:35 PM on 10/05/2011

Will it have a snap-on aerodynamic kit like the Toyota Corolla S?

[wonderYrednow]

06:11 PM on 10/05/2011

Spoilers cut down on wind bags.

[meetsonya]

02:44 PM on 10/05/2011

If you want a bigger screen, it's available already and it's called an ipad *shrug*

http://www.myphonedaily.com

[rkreyn]

02:35 PM on 10/05/2011

I was waiting for the iphone 5 thinking they would have caught up with the black market apps they won't allow us to load. They haven't done that yet. I'll stick with my jailbroken 4. I won't be switching until they get it together and give us a new innovative product that WE can control. This "upgrade" is a downgrade if I have to get rid of my black market apps.

[suchabigmouth]

02:32 PM on 10/05/2011

Are we spoiled or what? A new phone comes along with a better camera, faster chip, and the ability to act as a digital assistant via voice commands, and critics claim that's not enough? Can anyone talk to their phones like that already? I don't think so.

[rhymney]

12:20 AM on 10/06/2011

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Tellme/default.aspx

[theveggiedude]

11:58 AM on 10/06/2011

Tellme is nice, but has nothing to do with artificial intelligence.

[PizzaGuy1]

10:56 AM on 10/06/2011

The upgrade is lame. Nothing there that I can't do with my android and Tasker.

[bombzombie]

01:52 PM on 10/05/2011

What more could a person want in an iPhone? You want it wider and thinner with a digital home button. The slightly larger size doesn't really make sense when you consider the resolution and screen size requirements for the extra .5 inch. Just look at the difference in sharpness between some late-model android phones and the iphone 4/4s. You want 4G/LTE. It's largely not publicly available, and it sucks battery life like a vampire. So, sure, you can download faster but you run out of power more quickly. Near field communication....how many people are going to trust their credit info to a phone where the access code can be cracked in 18 minutes. I'm not really sure what more you could want out of a phone. The i5 will likely go to a bigger screen, add 4G/LTE and then add near field. But what else is there to add? Seriously. The 4s is a good first step to phones that might already do to much.

[thegrrrr8est]

02:42 PM on 10/05/2011

I love the iPhone. Love everything Apple makes. But, I'll wait until they partner with a more reasonably priced carrier than AT&T or Verizon. I know an awful lot of people who feel the same way. Wonder why Apple hasn't figured that out yet?

[theveggiedude]

11:59 AM on 10/06/2011

The only carrier they lack is T-Mobile.

[StevenJLovelace]

12:03 PM on 10/05/2011

It's technology. There will always be something better next year. Buy a phone when you need a new phone, and pick the best one for your price range. Then stop worrying about what phone the Joneses are buying.

[Prelldarunner]

12:02 PM on 10/05/2011

Last time I looked although this is the "iphone5" I am still going to up grade b/c its a better phone then the Iphone4 so why not upgrade, oh wait, b/c it is not in a different looking case, give me a break that is all these people care about is the outside design, I think the design ranks above all the other touch screens that are out there. I care about the programs and apps that it provides and the speed of the phone and it looks as if it will be a great phone after all. Even if it looks like the Iphone4 its still much improved....

[Ben Lucier]

11:55 AM on 10/05/2011

Nobody's said how well Siri will work on the legacy iPhone 4 though... so if you really want Siri to work well, I would guess you'd want the faster hardware as well. Anybody know for sure?

[Michael Kitson]

03:20 PM on 10/10/2011

Siri is only available on the 4S. You cannot use this feature on the 4.

[cuoi]

11:09 AM on 10/05/2011

"Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead" dept: "There's speculation that the more significant iPhone 5 upgrade may be less than a year away, and it could add important new features that are worth waiting for." Sheesh, when will the iPhone 5 rumors die...

[wonderYrednow]

06:16 PM on 10/05/2011

When the iPhone sex rumors start ?

[miles16852]

06:37 PM on 10/05/2011

when people stop there 'STINK'IN THINKIN! ' LOL