Can the iPhone 4S replace a "real" digital camera?→
The iPhone 4S’s camera is the biggest reason I even considered upgrading from my iPhone 4 (I didn’t end up upgrading, though). The one thing that I wish Apple would add is more manual controls (or at least the ability for third-party apps to adjust exposure/ISO/white balance). In any event, Ars Technica came away impressed:
As we said at the outset, every camera choice comes with its own set of compromises and won’t suit every individual photographer. Still, we have no qualms recommending the iPhone 4S as great alternative to compact, point-n-shoot cameras. It can take great photos when traveling or out with friends. Since it’s also your phone, you’ll always have it with you, so you may be able to grab shots in situations when you might not be able to otherwise take pictures at all.
And if you don’t believe them, you can take Annie Leibovitz’s word for it instead.
Why the iPhone 4S camera is amazing
A friend of mine recently claimed that the iPhone 4S’s camera wasn’t “amazing,” but merely “par for the course” while linking to a PC World article that showed the iPhone 4S being outperformed by an Android phone in both stills and video quality.
Image quality is obviously very important when it comes to cameras, but in my opinion, there are other factors that are equally — or perhaps even more — important. Those factors are low-light performance and shutter lag.
Much like the megapixel myth, we’ve reached a point of diminishing returns when it comes to image quality. Sure, there will always be room for improvement, but it’s no longer a pressing need. Most great cameras today — even those on smartphones — can take pictures that are acceptable to the average person provided there’s adequate lighting and good conditions. It’s when conditions are less than ideal, however, where things really start to fall apart, especially for compact/smartphone cameras.
Whether it’s from poor lighting conditions or startup/shutter lag, there’s nothing worse than missing a shot simply because your camera couldn’t take the picture. That’s why the two most important features that I look for in a camera are its low-light performance and speed. I already trust that the image quality will be sufficient given ideal conditions. I’m more interested in a camera that will allow me to take pictures in conditions where I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to with a different camera.
That’s where the iPhone 4S comes in. Aside from the meaningless bump up to 8 megapixels, the real advances in the iPhone 4S’s camera come in the form of its better handling of low-light conditions and reduced startup/shutter lag. The PC World article largely ignores these improvements. It makes absolutely no mention of the reduced startup/shutter lag, and it also only factors low-light performance for video, but not for stills.
PC World and my friend are both missing the point. What makes the iPhone 4S camera amazing isn’t its ability to take some great photos (but yes, it does that too). The iPhone 4S camera is amazing because it leads to less missed moments. And who doesn’t want that?
Edit: After rereading my post, I’d like to clarify what I’m saying — or rather, what I’m NOT saying. I’m NOT saying that the iPhone 4S is the best camera ever made or that it even revolutionized anything. It didn’t. It’s just a solid camera, plain and simple.
Better smartphone cameras will be released that will undoubtedly put the 4S to shame. The Galaxy Nexus, which was just announced last night, may even turn out to have a far superior camera. I thought it was interesting that they kept it at 5 megapixels — something I wish Apple had done with the 4S. More megapixels = more noise, and I’d rather have a clean 5MP image than a noisy 8MP one, but that’s just me.
The best (video) camera is the one that’s with you
They say that the best camera is the one that’s with you. That doesn’t just apply to stills, it also applies to video. These two videos show that the iPhone 4S is capable of some serious SLR-like video quality. And it fits in your pocket. I’m really impressed:
What really happened to the iPhone 5
A followup to last night’s iPhone post: 9to5Mac just posted an article that attempts to piece together what really happened to the iPhone 5 that was rumored to be released this year. According to their sources, an iPhone 5 with a thinner, lighter case was originally planned, but manufacturing difficulties forced it to be delayed until summer 2012. It’s an interesting read, especially if you’re wondering what went wrong.
Of course, it’s impossible to verify their story, but I tend to believe it. And I still stand by my opinion that it doesn’t take anything away from the iPhone 4S, as the only changes noted were mainly cosmetic (i.e. same internals). [9to5Mac]
The last big project that Steve Jobs worked on
According to CNET, Steve Jobs was not intimately involved with the iPhone 4S. Instead, he devoted most of his time to the upcoming iPhone 5, which is expected to be a “complete redesign.” Cue all the haters who were unhappy with the “minimal” improvements of the iPhone 4S.
Personally, I think the iPhone 4S is a ridiculously good phone. Aside from maybe the upcoming Nexus Prime, I honestly don’t see any other phone on the market that can compete with it. The only reason I’m not upgrading my iPhone 4 to a 4S is actually more of a testament to how great the iPhone 4 has held up. The iPhone 4S is actually significantly faster than the iPhone 4 — the only problem is that the iPhone 4 isn’t exactly slow, so the improvement just doesn’t feel as significant. That shouldn’t take anything away from the iPhone 4S, though.
Think of it this way: had Apple actually announced an iPhone 5 earlier this month, what would people have wanted on the inside? An A5 processor, an upgraded camera (easily my favorite feature, by the way), and the long-rumored “assistant” feature from Apple’s acquisition of Siri last year. And that’s exactly what the 4S is.
There were some complaints about a few things that weren’t upgraded from the iPhone 4 — namely, the form factor, amount of RAM, and 3.5” screen. The iPhone 4 is honestly the best designed phone I have ever owned, and it’s still one of the best — if not the best — constructed phones on the market today. Unless people wanted Apple to make a change simply for change sake, there was really no need to alter the design after only a year. The iPhone 4S may only have 512MB of RAM, but Gizmodo does a great job explaining why this is a non-issue (spoiler: iOS is more optimized than Android, so it performs better with less). In my opinion, the only legitimate gripe has to do with the screen size. Those who defend the current 3.5” screen claim that a larger screen would hinder one-handed phone usage, but there’s gotta be some wiggle room there. I’m not saying we need a 4.5” iPhone, but would a 3.7” or 4” screen really be that much worse from a usability standpoint? I’ll defer to the Apple R&D team here — I’m sure they have their reasons for why they believe that 3.5” is the ideal size — but it’s a legitimate gripe for some people who long for a larger screen.
The ironic part is that I actually think most people would have been satisfied had Apple simply changed the form factor and called it the iPhone 5 (along with the same internal upgrades, of course). In effect, people are upset over aesthetics — and it’s not as if the iPhone 4 is a bad looking device. So when you really think about it, it’s kind of silly. [CNET]
Better screen, same old typography→
Don’t know much about typography (don’t know much about biology), but I still thought this article on Apple’s apparent lack of attention to typography was interesting to say the least. [Subtraction via Engadget Alt]
The reason I just sold my Canon S90
Chase Jarvis loves to say that the best camera is the one that’s with you. I couldn’t agree more, which is why I’m replacing my S90 with an iPhone 4. And I’m not the only one.
Don’t get me wrong, the S90 is a great little camera, but between my iPhone 3GS and my DSLR, I just didn’t carry it around with me nearly enough for it to be worth it. Throw in the fact that the iPhone 4’s camera is looking pretty damn nice (with 720p video too), and I’m convinced that the iPhone 4 can serve as my everyday point and shoot.
