The received wisdom is that Apple fans will just keep buying iPhones – or indeed iAnything – even if another product is technically better, just because Apple has that reputation and credibility. The reputation that it'll work right out of the box, do exactly what you want it to do, even if you're not especially technically capable.
And the credibility that says, well, just that you're stylish, more stylish than anyone who doesn't own an iPhone. These things are both underpinned by superb design that ensures Apple phones are both user-friendly and easy on the eye.
Has the Samsung Galaxy S2 already beaten Apple at their own game, even though it's significantly older than the iPhone 4S? Samsung has sold over 10 million Galaxy S2 deals already, making it the most popular Android phone of all time. Yet even though this latest Apple phone launch has met with more disappointment than any before, iPhone 4S deals will still outperform the S2 with ease, guaranteed (1 million pre-orders were placed on the first day they became available, before it was even released).
Let's take a look at whether those sales figures will be justified.
Look and Feel
First impressions are something of a tie. The Galaxy S2 is slimmer and smaller than the iPhone 4S, and looks just as cool, but feels distinctly less robust, largely because it eschews the current high-end smartphone trend for one-piece, machined-aluminium casings in favour of a lighter but probably weaker construction.
Still, at a mere 116g in weight and a shade under 8.5mm thick, it just feels a lot niftier than the iPhone's 140g and 9.3mm. If you live the kind of active life most of us do, though, you'll probably prefer the tougher-seeming iPhone, just to avoid the risk of that sickening feeling when you drop your £400 Galaxy on the floor and bits fly off with a loud cracking noise...
One thing that will be off-putting for some iPhone fans is that the 4S looks exactly like the iPhone 4. While Android fans may drool over processor speeds and storage space, many iPhone owners love being in a position to gloat over owning the latest Apple phone. The 4S lacks this gloating power.
Apple's big boast is still ease of use, but again the Galaxy easily lives up to this standard, with the Social Hub feature allowing you to seamlessly integrate several different email accounts, social networks or other communications platforms, finally bringing a bit of order to our 21st century, over-connected, over-informed chaos.
And the credibility that says, well, just that you're stylish, more stylish than anyone who doesn't own an iPhone. These things are both underpinned by superb design that ensures Apple phones are both user-friendly and easy on the eye.
Has the Samsung Galaxy S2 already beaten Apple at their own game, even though it's significantly older than the iPhone 4S? Samsung has sold over 10 million Galaxy S2 deals already, making it the most popular Android phone of all time. Yet even though this latest Apple phone launch has met with more disappointment than any before, iPhone 4S deals will still outperform the S2 with ease, guaranteed (1 million pre-orders were placed on the first day they became available, before it was even released).
Let's take a look at whether those sales figures will be justified.
Look and Feel
First impressions are something of a tie. The Galaxy S2 is slimmer and smaller than the iPhone 4S, and looks just as cool, but feels distinctly less robust, largely because it eschews the current high-end smartphone trend for one-piece, machined-aluminium casings in favour of a lighter but probably weaker construction.
Still, at a mere 116g in weight and a shade under 8.5mm thick, it just feels a lot niftier than the iPhone's 140g and 9.3mm. If you live the kind of active life most of us do, though, you'll probably prefer the tougher-seeming iPhone, just to avoid the risk of that sickening feeling when you drop your £400 Galaxy on the floor and bits fly off with a loud cracking noise...
One thing that will be off-putting for some iPhone fans is that the 4S looks exactly like the iPhone 4. While Android fans may drool over processor speeds and storage space, many iPhone owners love being in a position to gloat over owning the latest Apple phone. The 4S lacks this gloating power.
Apple's big boast is still ease of use, but again the Galaxy easily lives up to this standard, with the Social Hub feature allowing you to seamlessly integrate several different email accounts, social networks or other communications platforms, finally bringing a bit of order to our 21st century, over-connected, over-informed chaos.
