Now that we know all about Apple's next big thing (and that it's not the alleged iPhone 5) we discuss whether or not the announcement was worth all the hype.
It might've not've been what we were expecting, but Apple's announcement yesterday was one of the mostly hotly anticipated news events of the year. But was it worth all they hype and wait? The GamePro staff sounds off on whether they were swayed by Apple's shiny new toys.
And if you need to catch up on Apple's news, here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 4S and other iOS 5 announcements.
Patience Pays Off | Julian Rignall
As someone who hung onto their 3G and skipped a generation, I can't wait to get my hands on a 4S. Sure, it's not a huge technological leap over the current generation iPhone, but it's miles ahead of my previous-gen device. The thing I'm most looking forward to is the games. Of course, I'm sure we'll continue to see tons of non-tech-pushing iOS shovelware, but we're already seeing developers finally taking iPhone gaming seriously, and if its potential is truly tapped, I think 4S will give other mobile gaming platforms a real run for their money.
I'm sure both 3DS and Vita will have their own killer games, but in situations where I can only carry one piece of tech in my pocket, a great games machine with a stunning screen, that has a ton of useful, practical apps, and that's also a phone/camcorder/camera/entertainment system hardly seems a compromise.
Wake Me When iPhone 5 Arrives | Tom Price
I didn't see anything today that made me want to run out and upgrade. If anything, the inclusion of the A5 chip and what that could mean for gaming on the iPhone is just further evidence that I need to go get an iPad 2. If I want to truly commit to an iOS device for my gaming needs, I'd rather do it on a bigger screen at this point. As for some of the new features like Siri, they seem really cool, but nothing that I absolutely have to have at this point. Somebody wake me when the real iPhone 5 gets announced.
Playing the Waiting Game | Justin Haywald
I'm happy this wasn't a bigger announcement -- I can't justify the expense of a new phone, and my contract isn't set to renew for another year. Apple knows how to make some awesome flashy tech, but this is one year where my bank account will stay blissfully unmolested.
I wish we could integrate some of the announced features into existing phones, of course, instead of this forced yearly hardware revisionism. Siri sounds awesome (I've always been enamored by speech recognition tech), and I'd love the ability to add more battery life manually. But since Apple is conceding that this is an upgraded iPhone, instead of the rumored iPhone 5, what we get next year will be truly mind-blowing. Something like this, maybe?
I'll Stick with My iPod Touch | Kat Bailey
Apple missed the boat with this announcement. After all the hype for the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S reveal was a disappointment, to say the least. The power boost will allow developers like Epic to create even more powerful games, but is it worth dropping $200 on what amounts to the iPad 2 (they both use the A5 chip)? I'm going to say no. I can play Angry Birds on my iPod Touch... probably.
Give Me a Good Data Plan or Give Me Death | Chris Holt
To me, Apple was following its standard script pretty well. While the iPhone 4 was a large jump forward, they usually tweak and improve their technology slightly over a generation or two before making another jump. The iPhone 4S struck me as a half-step measure-- sure its faster and its camera is better, but the real additions happened in iOS 5 where they were able to gain ground on the Android. The most intriguing element of the presentation was the announcement of Siri, the voice command personal assistant that has a real potential to make your phone truly hands free. In Silicon Valley, this program alone will likely reduce car accidents significantly as people will no longer frantically glance at their phone for directions or to look up restaurants.
Source: Daily News from GamePro.com
Wednesday, October 5, 2011