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iPhone 4s facts for kids
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Black iPhone 4s
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| Brand | Apple Inc. |
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| Manufacturer | Foxconn & Pegatron (contract manufacturers) |
| Slogan | "The most amazing iPhone yet" |
| Generation | 5th |
| Model | A1431 (GSM China Model) A1387 |
| Compatible networks | GSM, CDMA, 3G, 3G+, HSUPA |
| First released | October 14, 2011 |
| Availability by country |
October 14, 2011
Germany
Canada France United States Japan Australia United Kingdom Egypt October 28, 2011
Austria
Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Mexico Netherlands Norway Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Saudi Arabia Sudan & Eritrea November 11, 2011
Albania
Armenia Bulgaria El Salvador Greece Guatemala Hong Kong South Korea Malta Montenegro New Zealand Panama Poland Portugal Romania United States (non-contract) November 25, 2011
Colombia
Moldova India Croatia December 16, 2011
Brazil
Chile Malaysia Philippines Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates Vietnam Kuwait Bahrain Israel January 13, 2012
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda Bolivia Botswana British Virgin Islands Cameroon Cayman Islands Central African Republic China Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Grenada Guam Guinea Conakry Ivory Coast Jamaica Kenya Madagascar Mali Mauritius Niger Senegal St. Vincent and The Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Uganda Jordan Venezuela Lebanon January 27, 2012
Costa Rica
Indonesia |
| Discontinued | September 20, 2012 (32, 64 GB) September 10, 2013 (16 GB) September 9, 2014 (8 GB) February 17, 2016 (India) |
| Units sold | Four million in first three days of initial sales (October 14–17, 2011) 60+ million total |
| Model before | iPhone 4 |
| Replacement model | iPhone 5 |
| Related | iPod Touch (5th generation) |
| Type | Smartphone |
| Form factor | Slate |
| Size | 115.2 mm (4.54 in) H 58.6 mm (2.31 in) W 9.3 mm (0.37 in) D |
| Weight | 140 g (4.9 oz) |
| Operating system | Original: iOS 5.0 Last: iOS 9.3.6, July 22, 2019 |
| System on chip | Dual-core Apple A5 |
| CPU | 1.0 GHz (Underclocked to 800 MHz) dual-core 32-bit ARM Cortex-A9 |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX543MP2 |
| Memory | 512 MB DDR2 RAM |
| Storage | 8, 16, 32, or 64 GB |
| Battery | 3.7 V, 5.3 Whr (~1430 mAh) Lithium-ion battery |
| Data inputs | Multi-touch touchscreen display Dual microphone 3-axis gyroscope 3-axis accelerometer Digital compass Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor |
| Screen | 3.5 in (89 mm) diagonal 3:2 aspect ratio widescreen LED backlit IPS TFT LCD 960×640 Resolution at 326 ppi 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) 500 cd/m2 max. brightness (typical) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back glass |
| Rear camera | Sony Exmor R IMX145 8 MP back-side illuminated sensor HD video (1080p) at 30 frame/s IR filter Aperture f/2.4 5 element lens Image signal processor (built-in A5) Face detection (stills only) image stabilization |
| Front camera | 0.3 MP VGA (480p) |
| Sound | Single loudspeaker 3.5 mm TRRS, 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response (internal, headset) 3.5mm audio jack Microphone |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) (2.4 GHz only) Bluetooth 4.0 Combined GSM/CDMA antenna: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (800 850 900 1,800 1,900 MHz) Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (800 850 900 1,900 2,100 MHz) (800 MHz unannounced) Dual-band CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A (800 1,900 MHz) GLONASS, Global Positioning System (GPS) |
| SAR | Head: 1.18 W/kg Body: 1.19 W/kg |
The iPhone 4s is a smartphone created by Apple Inc.. It was the fifth version of the iPhone. It came after the iPhone 4 and before the iPhone 5. Apple announced it on October 4, 2011. This was the last Apple product announced during the lifetime of Apple's co-founder, Steve Jobs. He passed away the very next day.
People could start ordering the iPhone 4s on October 7, 2011. It became available in stores on October 14, 2011. This included countries like the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It sold very well, with over a million sales in the first 24 hours. More than four million were sold in the first four days. It then launched in many more countries over the next few months.
The "s" in iPhone 4s stands for Siri. Siri is an intelligent personal assistant that was new to this phone. The iPhone 4s looked a lot like the iPhone 4. However, it had big improvements inside. It got a faster Apple A5 chip and an 8-megapixel camera. This camera could record videos in 1080p quality. It also came with iOS 5, Apple's mobile operating system. iOS 5 brought new features like iCloud, iMessage, and Notification Center.
People generally liked the iPhone 4s. Reviewers praised Siri, the improved camera, and its faster speed. The iPhone 5 replaced it as Apple's main smartphone on September 12, 2012. The 16 GB iPhone 4s was still sold at a lower price. The 32 GB and 64 GB models were stopped. Later, an 8 GB model was offered for free with a phone contract.
The iPhone 4s was officially stopped on September 9, 2014. This was after the iPhone 6 was announced. However, it was still made for some developing markets until February 17, 2016. The iPhone 4s was one of the most popular iPhones ever. It was the first iPhone to support five major versions of iOS. These were iOS 5, iOS 6, iOS 7, iOS 8, and iOS 9.
This phone was also the last iPhone to use Apple’s special 30-pin connector. The next phone, the iPhone 5, switched to the newer Lightning connector.
Contents
How the iPhone 4s Was Created
Even before it was announced, there were rumors about the iPhone 4s. These rumors were quite accurate. They mentioned the name "iPhone 4s", the Apple A5 chip, and a new camera.
Apple showed off the iPhone 4s at their "Let's Talk iPhone" event. This event took place on October 4, 2011. It was held at the Apple Campus in Cupertino, California. This was the first major Apple event where Tim Cook spoke. It was also Cook's first product launch without Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs' health was getting worse, and he passed away the day after the iPhone 4s was announced.
At the event, a game called Infinity Blade II was shown on the iPhone 4s. The game's creator said it used the same graphics technology as the Xbox 360 game Gears of War 3. This showed how powerful the new iPhone 4s was.
Many people thought Apple would release an "iPhone 5." So, when the iPhone 4s was announced, some media outlets felt it was a bit of a letdown.
The iPhone 4s looked almost exactly like the iPhone 4 CDMA model. The only real difference was that the 4s had a SIM card slot. All the big changes were inside the phone.
On September 10, 2013, Apple changed the name to "iPhone 4s" with a small 's'. This matched the names of the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. This was a change from how Apple had named phones before, like the iPhone 3GS.
The iPhone 4s was officially stopped on September 9, 2014. This happened after the iPhone 6 was revealed. However, it was still made for some countries until February 17, 2016.
On September 13, 2016, Apple stopped supporting the iPhone 4s with new iOS updates. iOS 9 was the last major iOS version available for this phone.
Software Features
The iPhone 4s uses iOS, which is Apple's mobile operating system. The way you use iOS is by touching the screen. You use multi-touch gestures like swiping, tapping, and pinching. The phone responds right away, making it smooth to use.
Some apps use the phone's internal accelerometers. This means the phone can react if you shake it. It can also change the screen view if you turn the phone sideways.
The iPhone 4s first came with iOS 5.0. This software was released on October 12, 2011. As of April 2021, the phone can be updated to iOS 9.
The iPhone 4s can also act as a Wi-Fi hotspot. This lets you share its internet connection with other devices. It also connects to the App Store. This is where you can find and download many different apps.
You can play music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks on the iPhone 4s. You can organize your media by songs, artists, or albums. You can also make playlists. When you turn the phone sideways, you can see album covers in a feature called Cover Flow. You can control music using the included Apple Earphones. You can also use the Voice Control feature to find songs or artists.
Siri: Your Voice Assistant
The iPhone 4s introduced a new voice control system called Siri. Siri lets you give commands to your iPhone using your voice. The phone will then do what you ask and respond to you. For example, you can ask, "What is the weather going to be like?" Siri will tell you the weather forecast.
You can use natural language, so you don't have to say exact commands. You can activate Siri by holding down the home button. Siri makes it easier to use your phone when your hands are busy. It also helps people who have trouble reading or typing.
Messaging and Languages
On the iPhone 4s, you can send texts by speaking into the microphone. Besides regular texting, the phone has iMessage. This is a special messaging service for other Apple iOS 5 products. It lets you send unlimited texts and include media like photos.
The iPhone 4s supported many languages when it launched. Siri, for example, understood French, English, and German. Because the phone uses a touch screen keyboard, it can easily support many different keyboard layouts.
iOS Updates and Performance
On September 19, 2012, iOS 6 was released for the iPhone 4s. This update added new features like Apple Maps and Facebook integration. On September 18, 2013, iOS 7 was released. The iPhone 4s handled this update well. However, some newer features like AirDrop were not available on the 4s.
The iPhone 4s could also run iOS 8, released on September 17, 2014. Some users found that the phone became very slow with iOS 8. They reported battery problems and calls freezing. Apple later released iOS 8.1.1, which made some small improvements. However, the 4s still didn't run as fast as newer models. The iPhone 4s cannot work with the Apple Watch because its hardware is older.
Inside the iPhone 4s
The iPhone 4s uses the Apple A5 chip. This chip is also found in the iPad Mini (1st generation). It has a special graphics part called PowerVR SGX543. Apple said the iPhone 4s had graphics up to seven times faster than the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 4s has 512 MB of RAM. You could get it with 16, 32, or 64 GB of storage. In 2013, Apple offered an 8 GB iPhone 4s for free with a two-year contract. The screen is the same as the iPhone 4. It is 3.5 inches (89 mm), with a 640×960 resolution, known as Apple's "retina" display.
Better Antennas and Connectivity
The iPhone 4s has a better antenna design than the iPhone 4. The new antenna is split into two parts within the steel band around the phone. If you hold the phone in a way that blocks one antenna, the phone switches to the other. This helps keep a strong signal. The iPhone 4s can download data at speeds up to 14.4 Mbps. It is also a world phone, meaning it works on both GSM and CDMA networks worldwide. It also supports Bluetooth 4.0.
Camera and Sensors
The camera on the iPhone 4s is called an iSight camera. It can take 8-megapixel photos and record 1080p videos. The camera has better quality because of an extra lens and a wider f/2.4 opening. It also has an Image signal processor built into the A5 chip.
The phone's gyroscope helps to stabilize video recordings. Other camera features include taking close-up pictures (macro) and faster photo capture. It can take the first picture in 1.1 seconds and the next one half a second later.
The iPhone 4s has a 3.5 in (89 millimetres) multitouch Retina display. It has volume buttons and a silent switch on the left side. On the top left, there's a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microphone. This microphone helps with noise cancellation during calls. The power button is on the top right. The right side has a Micro-SIM card slot. At the bottom, there's a speaker, a microphone, and the Apple 30-pin dock connector.
The phone also has several sensors. These include a three-axis gyroscope, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor. The iPhone 4s was said to have 200 hours of standby time. It could also last 8 hours for 3G talk time or 14 hours for 2G talk time. You could browse the internet for 6 hours on 3G or 9 hours on Wi-Fi. It could also play 10 hours of video or 40 hours of audio.
Design and Look
The iPhone 4s has a stainless steel design with two cellular antennas. This design is the same as the iPhone 4 CDMA model. Apple changed the antenna after some iPhone 4 users had signal problems. The improved radio in the 4s can switch between the two antennas for the best signal. These antennas are part of the steel band around the phone. The bands on the iPhone 4s are split for cellular and GPS. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi use an internal antenna.
Jonathan Ive designed the iPhone 4 and 4s. These phones look different from older Apple designs. The curved back and side bands were replaced with flat surfaces. This design matched other Apple products like the iPad. The iPhone 4s is smaller than the iPhone 3GS.
It is 115 millimetres (4.5 in) tall, 59 millimetres (2.3 in) wide, and 9.4 millimetres (0.37 in) deep. This makes the iPhone 4 and 4s about 21.5% thinner than the 3GS. The parts inside are placed between two panels of aluminosilicate glass. Apple said this glass is "20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic." This means it should be more resistant to scratches and more durable.
See also
In Spanish: IPhone 4s para niños
- Comparison of smartphones
- List of iPhone models
- Timeline of iPhone models