Update: Ahead of our forthcoming and in-depth iPhone 4S review, we've added in more video, more information and taken a closer look at iOS 5 to help you decide whether to upgrade to the new iPhone.
It may not sport a bigger screen or a different design, but the iPhone 4S is certainly a step on from its predecessor, although much of the attention will be focused on just how big that step is.
Sporting the already-lauded A5 processor, improved aerial signal and a better camera, the hardware changes to the iPhone 4S from the iPhone 4 are by no means striking. It's difficult not to feel a little underwhelmed that an incremental increase has been 16 months coming.
brightcove : 1200452098001However, the Siri personal assistant software is likely to capture the headlines, the photographs we took with the new 8 megapixel camera may well convince us to throw away our compact camera and the big improvements in graphics and processor power could lead to some enticing opportunities.
We're not going to dwell on the design of the device – it's identical to the iPhone 4, so check out our hugely in-depth review to see how the hardware handles in the hand.
Siri-ouslyIt is Siri that raised the temperature at the launch event more than any other feature, so it seems that the personal assistant is the natural place to start.
Voice control is by no means a new concept, but interpreting what has been said and working out the context is something that has not been fully explored on a mobile device before.
Google is doing great work with its own voice software, but Siri appears to have taken things - for now at least - to a new level.
Why? Simply because it seems remarkably good at interpreting instructions and turning them into actions.
Siri isn't integrated into everything that the iPhone 4S does, but it does link up with some key features, allowing it to be a significant tool and not a cheap gimmick.
Demanding Siri to, for instance, set up an appointment for 9am on Friday not only creates the appointment, but checks first if you are free and tells you if you have a clash, offering the chance to change your mind.
Asking for a Wikipedia search brings the information fast, and the Wolfram Alpha integration means that you can get precise answers to mathematical problems and to things such as currency and weight conversions.
The feature also integrates into the new task list in iOS 5 (more on that later) which means you can set up action points not only for times and dates, but also when you leave a 'geo-fenced' area.
For example, asking Siri to set a reminder to buy your wife a card when you leave your workplace will do just that. It's a powerful mechanism and one that moves from 'cool, but something you won't use after trying it once' to 'actually something useful'.
There are also some slighty twee but satisfying Easter eggs. Ask Siri who she/he is brings up "a humble personal assistant" asking it the meaning of life was met with "To answer questions like these". (Although the obvious answer is 42, right?).
It's a very nice integration of something that any sci-fi buff has been expecting on their personal communicator for some time now. And although even Apple is clear that it's not perfect, it is a tool and not just a fad.
Of course, whether you can get over looking like a madman or a tool by talking to a robotic-voiced device is another question entirely.
And now you can see Apple's take on the software it thinks will revolutionise mobile phones:
YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNsrl86inpoAerial threat and happy snapperMoving on, Apple is also keen to point out that the aerial issue that tainted the launch of the iPhone 4S' predecessor – the iPhone 4 – is not likely to be repeated, with dual aerials in the 4S that can automatically switch to bring a faster and more stable signal.
We can't actually tell you if this is noticeable yet, because we were only able to use the phone on Wi-Fi, but we look forward to testing this out in our full iPhone 4S review later this month.
The camera is certainly an improvement; backed up by a very good processor and a decent sensor, along with some interesting software options, the snapper on the iPhone 4S will convince some that the time is ripe to only buy a DSLR for holidays and rely on their smartphone for everyday photo tasks.
8MP snapper: A shot from the iPhone 4S camera
The video camera is now capable of filming in true HD 1080p; given the iPhone 4's video functionality was laudable, this means that flip cams and even cheaper video cameras might need to watch their rear viewfinders.
However, don't think this is anything revolutionary - it's still only keeping pace with the imaging capabilities of the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S2. And the low-light capabilities of the iPhone 4S are yet to be proved better than the Exmor R sensor in the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S.
iPhone 4S hardware and OSIs A5 A1?Last, but not least for the iPhone 4S hardware was the arrival of the A5 processor, which has previously been busy making the iPad 2 the most popular tablet on the planet.
This not only brings double the processing grunt, but also a significant graphics upgrade; seven times better according to Apple's tests.
What does this actually mean for the user? Well, loading apps is definitely snappier, and there was no discernable lag in the games we played, but we might well have to wait until some more demanding titles arrive in the App Store before we can truly gauge what we expect to be a significant impact.
iOS 5Onto iOS 5, the operating system the iPhone 4S will sport at launch. It's also coming to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS, and brings some significant changes.
Check out TechRadar's in-depth guide with our iOS 5 review
The most immediate improvement is the change to the way you're notified of text messages, emails, tweets and other events.
If you want to see the new iOS 5 in action, check out our in-depth video below:
brightcove : 1212903245001Instead of hidden away in apps or limited to a single update, the notifications centre shows when your handset is locked and, when you get a new alert, can be swiped down from the top to check out what has happened.
Notifications are something that the rival Android smartphone operating system has been better at pretty much since launch, and it will be a relief to Apple fans that their devices now have this similar functionality.
Another useful addition is the 'To do list', which allows you to schedule events by time, date and even as you arrive or leave locations thanks to tracking your location. However, it will be interesting to see the effect these constant pings have on the battery.
This is potentially hugely useful as our phones become a proper PDA, tied into the cloud, with knowledge of our location and able to look at our calendars and schedules - and when you factor in Siri, the potential is clear.
And if you want a sneaky peek ahead of our in-depth iPhone 4S review, then check out our verdict on the new iOS 5 in our review:
"iOS 5 has been trailed for so long that the element of surprise went ages ago, but there's enough here to make your iPhone, iPad or iPad touch feel shiny and new all over again.
"There's nothing particularly dramatic here and in some respects - notifications in particular - Apple's just catching up with what everyone else has been doing, but it's a solid upgrade to an excellent OS."
The popularity of magazines through Apple's current iOS means that a revamped 'Newsstand' brings a more natural home for your subscription.
This means easier access and a straightforward shop for more offerings all wrapped up in the now familiar Ikea-esque bookshelf that we've seen before with the iBooks app - although whether magazines and newspapers for an iPhone will really work on the smaller screen is up for debate.
The much-derided Games Centre has also been given a lick of paint – although the full impact of that is not easy to ascertain yet - and iMessage lets you chat with any iOS 5 contacts over Wi-Fi or 3G, in the style of BBM.
Deep Twitter integration will be welcomed by those with a 140 character obsession. You'll be able to post pictures, videos and links from the iPhone 4S to the micro-blog much more easily.
And Safari has been boosted with the arrival of Reader, which lets you strip out the body text and key pictures from any website and display them in an arguably more readable format on your phone.
Another more minor but crucial update is to the camera software that lets you access the camera from the lock screen, (finally) snap a picture with the volume up button instead of from the screen itself and add grid lines for composition.
Once you've taken the photos, you can organise them, enhance with a tap, crop and rotate, and remove red-eye all without leaving the photos app.
The new iOS 5 also supports over the air updates. This means you can buy the new iPhone 4S and never need to connect it to a computer to get up and running.
AirPlay is present in the latest iPhone 4S, a feature that has impressed on prior devices and allows you to stream to your other (AirPlay-enabled) devices.
Also significant is the arrival of the iCloud system, which makes the latest iPhones much more cloud and data friendly. The idea of being able to sync pictures, contacts and calendar notifications across a multitude of devices is a good one, but it's another example of Apple making a big fanfare (and rightly so) over a feature that Google has been crafting away at for Android for years now, arguably better.
All in all, the iPhone 4S lives up to its billing as the best ever iPhone, bringing it a clear step up from the iPhone 4.
Many with that handset will question if the upgrades are worth it, and that's something that could impact on the iPhone 4S - especially if people feel that they should hang on for an iPhone 5 instead.
It's important to remember that Apple enjoys a special relationship with consumers, attracting those who don't care a jot about smartphone specs but want to make sure they get something halfway decent. The trust in the brand is unerring for many.
But imagine this was the update Samsung threw out for the Galaxy S3 - technology enthusiasts would be pointing and laughing at the Korean giant for such a minor set of of updates.
Technically, the iPhone 4S manages to keep pace with the competition - and will likely find it will be quickly outdone in the coming months in spec terms.
But Apple has a way of making the features that rivals implemented years ago seem shiny and new. Given that Cook's Clan managed to get people queuing down the street for a white variant of a nine month-old phone, we fully expect swathes of consumers to line the streets again for the iPhone 4S.
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