REVIEW: iPhone 4S

All things considered, it is amazing how the the original iPhone took of.

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Who knew, the now iconic Steve Jobs iPhone announcement is one that will change the smartphone landscape forever.


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Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, is among those who ridiculed the phone when it was announced.


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Fast forward 5 years later, and we are now on the fifth version of the phone, the iPhone 4S.


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I have been using this phone for more than a month now, it's my first smartphone experience and I'm pleasantly surprised.


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I love Apple's packaging. So minimalistic yet so well thought out. You will never forget unboxing an Apple product, ever.


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The phone's industrial design is amazing. Honestly even now, I think only the Nokia Lumia 800 and the upcoming Sony Xperia P can match it in terms of design.


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I choose not to use any screen protector or bumper. I trust Apple's engineering on this one. But I understand why many would though, it is a very expensive phone.


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Many were disappointed Apple chose to keep the phone's design. But to quote Johny Ive, "Our goals are very simple - to design and make better products. If we can’t make something that is better, we won’t do it.". Sir Johny Ive is Apple's lead product designer.


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His product design is the best in the industry, hands down.


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It's no secret that Johny Ive is heavily inspired by legendary German designer, Dieter Rams. Rams design is like Apple, so simplistic yet full of function.


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The calculator app is a direct homage to Rams' ET44 calculator.


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The phone's ergonomic is not the best though. It is not particularly comfortable to hold especially for long periods of time. The tapered design of the iPhone 3GS did better in this aspect.


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Next to the Samsung Galaxy SII, another fantastic phone.


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The Galaxy SII in my opinion, has the perfect screensize for a smartphone.


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Apple's trademark white earphone.


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It's quite long.


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Here's Siri. Contrary to what many think, Siri is not an AI. So don't expect it to answer thorough or tough questions. What it is however, is a perfect assistant.


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Setting an alarm is a breeze. As is calling someone, just say it to Siri and she will call it for you.


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The camera is stellar. At 8MP and an aperture of F2.4, it can beat most Point and Shoot cameras in the market today.


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Notice the nice shallow depth of field effect.


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HDR off. This was taken on my way back from class.


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HDR on. This is a bad shot, notice the ghosting effect on the upper right corner. Though I do recommend turning HDR on all the time.


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So, black or white?


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White iPhones seem more prominent nowadays. I think white iPhones look great - it looks youthful, pure and modern.


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But in the end I chose black. It's hard to tell why, but fom a design standpoint I find a black iPhone more elegant and more "Apple like". I'm sure the late Steve Jobs thinks so too., if we were to look at his fashion sense


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But does it matter? This truly is the best iPhone yet.

circadian.

Welcome.


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This is my blog, a personal archive as you will, and hopefully a great mind and visual stimulant to others. I was inspired to write after watching a great Isaac Asimov interview on youtube


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His words when asked why he wrote a diary "Memory is so tricky. When I went through my diary I was astonished at the things I had forgotten about. Some things I remember happening does not in fact, happen at all. Whereas some events in my life got recalled in the wrong order. And I repeat I do have a good memory.".


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Its fairly long, clocking close to an hour, but I do enjoy his view on various subjects touched in the interview. Remember that he is so far the only man to write in all of the Dewey Decimal Classification.


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I'm currently studying to be a doctor. I just bought these 3 books.


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This is Mansoura, a town in Egypt. This place has been my home for close to 4 years now. Its funny how fast time flies.


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Its not an amazing place to live, far from it, but very full of life. 


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It may also not be the most modern place out there, but there's no denying that this place is full of characters. Look at the stacks of snacks at this shop. Colourful and tasty.


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The bread shop is the ideal place to go if you are short of money. 5 Slices of Fino Bread (Vienna Bread) typically cost around 1 EGP. Very cheap.


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I love the Beef Shawarma here. Their french fries are also delicious.


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Compared to Cairo (the capital of Egypt), its far more peaceful here. Car horns are loud and constant but you'll get used to it.


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Egypt is not the cleanest place in the world, I have to give you that.


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But I don't think looking at the negatives are the way to go. The Mansoura University is ranked 18th in Africa.  The Mansoura Urology & Nephrology Hospital helmed by Dr Mohamed Ghonim is one of the best in the world.


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The items are cheap too. Granted most of them are made locally or from China.


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It is staggering how large the gap between the rich and the poor is here.


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Not all is brown and grey in Mansoura, but the very limited land really limits the green sceneries.


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Notice how every buildings are between 5-10 stories tall, they are maximising usage of land lots available. 


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The size of every apartment varies, I'm blessed to have found a fairly big and comfortable home.


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I'm off to listen to David Cook. How about you do too.