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There was a lot of anticipation leading up to today’s Apple iPhone 4S announcement, so much so that it practically took down the Internet. Whether you were happy with or disappointed by today’s news, the fact is, the 4S is Apple’s next iPhone, so what does this mean for you and for the competition?
If you’re a current iPhone 4 user, there’s certainly a question of whether there’s enough there to make it worth an upgrade. However, for those looking for their first smartphone or those simply looking to ditch their current handset, the new models and addition of Sprint as a carrier certainly opens the door to new customers. As my colleague at CNET News Roger Cheng points out, the addition of another carrier and price drops on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 present a threat to rival handset makers.
That said, from a hardware standpoint, the iPhone 4S isn’t the top dog. Many of today’s higher-end Android devices match up with the iPhone’s specs and even outshine it in some areas. Windows Phone devices still have some catching up to do in the hardware (not to mention, consumer awareness) department, but they’re not shabby, either.
To give you a better idea of how the different smartphones stack up to each other, below you’ll find a side-by-side comparison of the iPhone 4S and some of today’s top Android and Windows Phone devices. Also, be sure to check out Jessica Dolcourt’s comparison of iOS with the other mobile operating systems.
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| iPhone 4S | Motorola Droid Bionic | Samsung Galaxy S II | HTC Titan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | iOS 5 | Android Gingerbread | Android Gingerbread | Windows Phone Mango |
| Dimensions | 4.5 inches tall by 2.31 inches wide by 0.37 inch thick; 4.9 ounces | 5.01 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.43 inch thick; 5.6 ounces | Size varies by carrier | 5.18 inches tall by 2.78 inches wide by 0.39 inch thick; 5.6 ounces |
| Display | 3.5-inch, 960×640-pixel Retina Display touch screen | 4.3-inch, 960×540-pixel qHD touch screen | 4.3 or 4.5-inch, 800×480-pixel Super AMOLED touch screen | 4.7-inch, 480×800-pixel touch screen |
| Camera | 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p HD video recording, backside-illuminated sensor; front-facing VGA camera | 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p HD video recording; front-facing VGA camera | 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 1080p HD video recording; front-facing 2-megapixel camera | 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, backside-illuminated sensor, 720p HD video recording; front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera |
| Processor | Dual-core 1GHz A5 processor with dual-core graphics | TI OMAP 4 dual-core 1GHz processor | Samsung Exnyos dual-core 1.2GHz processor; Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 dual-core 1.5GHz processor (T-Mobile version) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.5GHz processor |
| Storage | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | 16GB | 16GB | 16GB |
| Expansion slot | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| NFC support | No | No | Select models | No |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.0; Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); dual-mode world phone; GSM/HSPA+ 14.4; CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A | Bluetooth 2.1; Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); CDMA; LTE | Bluetooth 3.0; Wi-Fi (801.11a/b/g/n); GSM/HSPA+ 21; CDMA; WiMAX | Bluetooth 2.1; Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); GSM/HSPA+ 14.4 |
| World phone | Yes | No | Yes (select models) | Yes |
| Battery life | 8 hours talk time on 3G, 8.3 days standby time | 10.8 hours talk time on 3G, 8.3 days standby time | Varies by model. Ranges from 7 to 8.7 hours talk time on 3G, 6.9 to 16 days standby time | 6.83 hours talk time on 3G, 19 days of standby time |
| Carriers | AT&T, Verizon, Sprint | Verizon | AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint | AT&T |
| Pricing (on contract) | $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB | $299.99 | $199.99; $229.99 for T-Mobile model | TBA |
