iPhone 5

[carlitos]

The major points for most people are that the 4S has a faster processor, Siri (voice commands/voice assistant), and a much improved camera. Basically if Siri and the camera aren't worth it for you, then the 4S isn't that much ahead of the 4.

Does the 4 have speech recognition at all? I don't use Siri very much, but I use the speech function in the keyboard all the time. Facebook, email, everything.

 

[TheL8Elvis]

Does the 4 have speech recognition at all? I don't use Siri very much, but I use the speech function in the keyboard all the time. Facebook, email, everything.

Yes, still does basic voice control. Play music, make calls.

 

[This is The End]

COGrizzly if you think the S3 is too big, wait a couple weeks, they are supposedly coming out with an S3 mini.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/03/samsung-teasing-galaxy-s-iii-mini-october-11/

It should have the same number of pixels as it's big brother, which means that the DPI (Pixels Per Inch) should be awesome! Which means it will look very nice.

 

[carlitos]

Yes, still does basic voice control. Play music, make calls.

I'm not talking about voice control, but speech recognition. On the keyboard of my 4s is a little microphone next to the space bar. Instead of typing, you can just talk. It works great. It's the thing I like most about my phone. Does the regular iPhone 4 have that?

 

[tyr_13]

I'm not talking about voice control, but speech recognition. On the keyboard of my 4s is a little microphone next to the space bar. Instead of typing, you can just talk. It works great. It's the thing I like most about my phone. Does the regular iPhone 4 have that?

I don't believe it does. You can download different keyboards for Android I know and some have voice... I honestly can't remember for the 4.

 

[TheL8Elvis]

I'm not talking about voice control, but speech recognition. On the keyboard of my 4s is a little microphone next to the space bar. Instead of typing, you can just talk. It works great. It's the thing I like most about my phone. Does the regular iPhone 4 have that?

Sorry for the misunderstanding. No, it does not have that.

As they say, though, there is an app for that. Dragon dictation, etc. Not the same, though, I know....

 

[OCaptain]

They are "an example".

Mmhmm.

 

[TheL8Elvis]

Interesting articles - thanks for that TheL8Elvis. If street view is made available in mobile Safari it would help a lot.

ETA: I've been playing around with Google maps in mobile safari. It has improved a lot since I last looked at it a couple of years ago. And I note it has a popup nag that offers me a way to turn it into an icon - I guess for quick access.

I'm warming to the idea of upgrading to iPhone 5, especially now that Orange has switched me over to EE. If they do actually manage to launch 4G next month I guess my need for speed will override any remaining concerns about driving into the North Sea while trying to find the M4.

Whatever would I do without you TheL8Elvis? Now, how good are you at fighting zombies?

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/10/google-street-view-now-available-on-web-based-google-maps/

Some iPhone users have mourned the loss of Google Street View in iOS Maps, and Google has heard their cries. The company has added Street View to the mobile Web-based version of Google Maps for iOS. It's not quite as integrated as the desktop version or the previous iOS Maps app, but it seems to work quite well and, naturally, doesn't require Flash.

 

[megaresp]

It's not quite as integrated as the desktop version or the previous iOS Maps app, but it seems to work quite well and, naturally, doesn't require Flash.

I've since upgraded my iPad to iOS 6 so I could have a look at Apple Maps. It's actually OK as a map - better than I expected.

In a delicious irony I entered 'Starbucks' into both Apple Maps and Google Maps in mobile Safari. Apple Maps correctly located the nearest Starbucks while Google placed it about 2 miles away from where it actually is . Of course this is the exception rather than the rule.

I also finally got my hands on an iPhone last Sunday. It's a very nice device to hold and use. I never really liked the feel of the glass back on the 4s and much prefer the size, weight and feel of the 5.

Yesterday I heard the 4G fiasco has finally been settled and that EE is now free to go ahead and launch.

Finally - decision made

 

[OCaptain]

I've since upgraded my iPad to iOS 6 so I could have a look at Apple Maps. It's actually OK as a map - better than I expected.

In a delicious irony I entered 'Starbucks' into both Apple Maps and Google Maps in mobile Safari. Apple Maps correctly located the nearest Starbucks while Google placed it about 2 miles away from where it actually is . Of course this is the exception rather than the rule.

I also finally got my hands on an iPhone last Sunday. It's a very nice device to hold and use. I never really liked the feel of the glass back on the 4s and much prefer the size, weight and feel of the 5.

Yesterday I heard the 4G fiasco has finally been settled and that EE is now free to go ahead and launch.

Finally - decision made

In some instances with Maps, Apple is being very forward thinking. At least one Chinese user that I've read has reported far more accurate results than Google's maps data. Think about where tech is growing the most globally - China! This can't be an accident.

 

[carlitos]

Just out of curiosity, how do they improve maps over time? Does it somehow learn by my using it? Is there a feedback mechanism?

 

[tyr_13]

Ask Maggie on Cnet has useful points in the comparison between the GS3 and the iPhone 5.

 

[roger]

Just out of curiosity, how do they improve maps over time? Does it somehow learn by my using it? Is there a feedback mechanism?

Yes, it has a report home function. It works as follows: if the user searches for something, the phone tracks the user using it's gps to see if they go to that location. If they do, and the location is wrong, then the phone reports home with it's last dying breath that it is being stomped to death. Apple marks whatever is in the database for that point as needing to be checked for accuracy.

 

[TheL8Elvis]

 

[This is The End]

More trouble for Apple factories in China. Supply issues will continue.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/06/us-apple-foxconn-idUSBRE8941JF20121006

Thousands of workers went on strike Friday at a Foxconn plant in central China that makes Apple Inc's iPhone 5, paralyzing production of the smartphone, the rights advocate group China Labor Watch reported.

The reported strike comes at a crucial time for the U.S. corporation, weeks after kicking off its largest-ever global rollout of the smartphone. Apple is already struggling with supply constraints, analysts say.

the labor group said 3,000 to 4,000 workers began their strike at Foxconn's Zhengzhou complex in central China in the afternoon, angered by over-exacting quality controls

"In addition to demanding that workers work during the holiday, Foxconn raised overly strict demands on product quality without providing worker training for the corresponding skills," the Watch said in a statement on its website (here).

"Additionally, quality control inspectors fell into conflicts with workers and were beat up multiple times by workers. Factory management turned a deaf ear to complaints about these conflicts and took no corrective measures."

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/news/new-433.html

This led to workers turning out products that did not meet standards and ultimately put a tremendous amount of pressure on workers.

It was reported that factory management and Apple, despite design defects, raised strict quality demands on workers, including indentations standards of 0.02mm and demands related to scratches on frames and back covers.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

I suppose this is the best place to ask this, so how does the iPhone compare with other phones for memory? I have a 32GB iPod and I have to down-convert to 128, which luckily iTunes does automatically. For 64GB I could down-convert to 192 or 256 and still have room for all the non-music junk. (And before you ask, yes, I need every one of my songs .)

But I tried looking at the other smartphones and the most I saw was 16GB, but generally memory is not even listed. I'm guessing they'll take removable memory cards, but I've been out of that market for so long I don't know what is available anymore .

 

[Darat]

Many are available with different memory specs, but generally you can shove a 64Gb memory card into any of the ones that take a memory card. The only top-end range that I can think of that doesn't have a memory card slot are the HTC models.

 

[WildCat]

I suppose this is the best place to ask this, so how does the iPhone compare with other phones for memory? I have a 32GB iPod and I have to down-convert to 128, which luckily iTunes does automatically. For 64GB I could down-convert to 192 or 256 and still have room for all the non-music junk. (And before you ask, yes, I need every one of my songs .)

But I tried looking at the other smartphones and the most I saw was 16GB, but generally memory is not even listed. I'm guessing they'll take removable memory cards, but I've been out of that market for so long I don't know what is available anymore .

The iPhone 5 does not have a memory card slot, so you'd have to buy the hideously expensive 32 or 64GB model.

Or just get a Galaxy S3 (16 or 32GB models), and as big a memory card as you need.

 

[carlitos]

I never bothered to load any of my iTunes into my iPhone. I just listen to Pandora, XM or Spotify. Almost every album I want to listen to is on Spotify anyway, and when I look for it, I often find something even better to listen to. Now I have both a physical media graveyard and a virtual media graveyard.

 

[TheL8Elvis]

Many are available with different memory specs, but generally you can shove a 64Gb memory card into any of the ones that take a memory card. The only top-end range that I can think of that doesn't have a memory card slot are the HTC models.

Google Galaxy nexus, LG optimus nexus ... notice how the people who control android are moving away from SD cards ..