Well, it’s here. And it’s got a familiar face.
With all new insides, the iPhone 4S keep the same glass/steel ice cream sandwich design we’ve all become very familiar with since last summer.
In fact, the 4S is exactly the same, except for two minor changes:
- It weighs 3 grams more than the iPhone 4.
- It now has four symmetric notches in the steel band, like the CDMA iPhone 4 and a micro-SIM slot on the side, like the GSM version.
Side by side, no normal, non-nerd human would notice.
So why would Apple do this?
The “Apple Screwed Up” Theory
Some people have been tweeting something along these lines:
Apple couldn’t get the iPhone 5 right, so they had to ship the new phone in the old case.
I’ve got a few responses to this.
- Even if Apple did have issues with an “all-new” iPhone design, it isn’t late or delayed until Apple makes a deadline public and misses the ship date.
- Even if Apple did have issues with an “all-new” iPhone design, do you think any of us would ever know about it?
- Let’s say that Apple did have issues with a new design. It’s not as easy to just slap new guts in an old case and ship a device. Apple’s hardware group spent serious time and energy on this device. Before you think that’s why this announcement didn’t happen in the summer, visit points 1 and 2 in this list.
If it Ain’t Broke…
The iPhone 4 is an amazing looking device. Its clean lines, neat edges and solid feel are a very hard combination to beat. Consumers seem to love it.
I think it isn’t unreasonable at this point to assume that moving forward, Apple will be on a two-year cycle with the iPhone. Most US customers are stuck on two-year contracts, so why release a brand-new iPhone every year?
Apple iterates its products. Revolution, then evolution. The iPhone 4S, like the iPhone 3GS before it, is an evolution of an already good design. Nothing more.