The VAR Guy

Preliminary benchmarks of the iPhone 4S are showing impressive figures that are kicking the butt of many smartphones already in the arena. I’m starting to rework my initial thoughts of the iPhone 4S. Here’s the lowdown on the benchmark uptick …

If the iPhone 4S had all its new guts inside a new case, I can certainly tell you I would have been initially more attracted to it. But hey, looks aren’t everything, right? Can’t an iPhone get a purchase on its merits alone? Apparently, yes. According to Apple:

… pre-orders of its iPhone 4S have topped 1 million in a single day, surpassing the previous single day pre-order record of 600,000 held by iPhone 4 …

I chalk that up to a few reasons, the first of which is Sprint as a new iPhone carrier. That pent-up demand was clearly there. The second is there were likely many 3GS owners who were holding out just a little bit longer for their two-year contracts to carry over for an eligible upgrade. The third, I believe, is iOS 5 has finally addressed many of the complaints non-iPhone owners had about the iPhone in the first place.

It’s important to note Apple’s figure doesn’t take into account the people scooping up regular iPhone 4, which has dropped in price, or 3GS, which is now free on contract. Apple is attacking the cheap Android arena using an older device which still has a ton of appeal. Smart.

Meanwhile, if you’re a figures kind of person, benchmarks compiled by AnandTech show the iPhone 4S is completely obliterating the competition on a variety of fronts, second only to the iPad 2. Javascript benchmarks show the iPhone 4S two tiny points behind the Galaxy Tab 8.9 inch, but BrowserMark benchmarks put the iPhone 4S on top of all current smartphone devices and the Galaxy Tab 8.9 inch. Meanwhile, Geekbench’s gamut of tests put the iPhone 4S at just under the iPad 2 when it’s lined up against other iOS devices, but almost 70 percent faster than the iPhone 4. Anandtech also shows the iPhone 4 tops major Android smartphones in the 3D graphics department, with the Samsung Galaxy S II in second place, but behind by 50 percent.

Add in developer love for the iOS platform, iOS 5 software integration and optimization with the iPhone 4S hardware and a constantly growing iOS ecosystem, and Apple yet again has created an environment where Google has to step up its Android game. I’m hoping Ice Cream Sandwich proves a worthy opponent.

Read More About This Topic

• Related posts are coming soon