Introduction
The refrain common refrain over the past decade—since cell phones started snapping pictures—has been that mobile phones will kill standalone cameras. Now it seems likes phones are helping cameras to thrive. Sales are up, even in a crummy economy. Everyone is a photographer now, even if they just post a few phone snapshots to Facebook. More would-be Ansel Adams loyalists are discovering that they actually like to take photos. They learn to recognize the advantages of a proper camera, whether it’s a long-zoom compact or a full-fledged, interchangeable-lens DLSR, and upgrade from their humble camera phones when they can.
But that leaves us wondering about cheap point-and-shoots: They’re meant to take good-enough photos for sharing online, just like the cameras built into phones like the Apple iPhone 4S, on review here. The best camera is the one you have, and when your iPhone is always in your pocket, it’s hard to justify a pocket cam, even if it barely costs $100.
We’re reviewing the 4S as a point-and-shoot, not because we expect fantastic performance, but because we want to see if its camera is good enough to replace a standalone pocket camera. (And just to be clear, we’re testing the 8-megapixel, rear-facing camera, not the front-facing, VGA-quality camera.)
The Apple iPhone 4S is available in black and white shades in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB configurations, starting at $199.99 on contract with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.
| This review is organized into 16 pages | ||
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Page 1
Product Tour
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Page 2
Color
Default colors are striking and vibrant, but technically speaking, not very accurate. Read More... |
Page 3
Noise
The 4S works within its sensor’s limits for good (but not great) noise performance. Read More... |
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Page 4
Resolution
Crisp, consistent shots belie the 4S’s middling test scores. Read More... |
Page 5
Video
A solid movie mode, with 1080p resolution and decent color accuracy. Read More... |
Page 6
Sample Photos
A gallery of photos taken with the Apple iPhone 4S Read More... |
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Page 7
Playback
A simple, streamlined playback mode designed to make sharing easy. Read More... |
Page 8
Hardware
A beautiful gadget with a great display and decent camera specs. Read More... |
Page 9
Controls
Operation is mostly automated, but downloadable apps can expand user control. Read More... |
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Page 10
Design & Handling
As a mobile phone first and foremost, the 4S is not designed for comfy shooting. Read More... |
Page 11
Canon ELPH 100 HS Comparison
 We compare the iPhone 4S to the ELPH 100 HS. Read More... |
Page 12
Samsung MV800 Comparison
 We compare the iPhone 4S to the MV800. Read More... |
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Page 13
Nikon S4100 Comparison
 We compare the iPhone 4S to the S4100. Read More... |
Page 14
Conclusion
Read our final conclusion of the Apple iPhone 4S. Read More... |
Page 15
Photo Gallery
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Part 16
Comments
Read what people are saying about the Apple iPhone 4S. Add your comments... |
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Shop for the Apple iPhone 4S
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(add your own)