It’s been a week since Apple’s iPhone 4S went on sale in many countries, including Canada.
As promised, here are more of my thoughts on the device.

Siri

One of the biggest selling points of the iPhone 4S is the voice command system, Siri.
I am quite impressed with it, except for two hiccups I’ve noticed thus far.
First, the system is still in beta so it won’t give you a voice interface for business or mapping info in Canada.
Second, Siri remains accessible when your phone is locked unless you specifically set the phone to not allow this. You can ask Siri to send a text or e-mail, or create and manage appointments without having to unlock your phone. If your request requires access to an app (like Safari, for example) Siri will ask you to input your passcode.
This is either a feature or a major hiccup, depending on how you look at it. Each user will have to decide if the convenience versus security trade-off is worth it.

Location-based reminders

You can set reminders based on when you depart or arrive at a location.
If you add addresses to profiles in your contact list, Siri will recognize them.
You can ask Siri to remind you to buy milk when you leave the office or to reset your thermostat when you get home, for example. A notification will appear when you are leaving or arriving near to the specified location.
My first few attempts did not work. Before my third try, I allowed Siri access while my phone was locked — and that seemed to do the trick.
Again, it is a matter of whether you feel the convenience of having Siri working with the phone locked, versus the potential security risk.

Battery consumption

As I noted in an earlier post, the posted battery consumption of the iPhone 4S in standby is much less than its predecessors — 200 hours now versus 300 hours before.
However, the advertised talk time in 3G has improved slightly.
In real-life usage, I’ve had it drain almost completely in one workday with heavy usage on Tuesday.
But Friday, I’ve only used up about one-third of the battery over approximately the same time period.
Still looking for ways to extend battery life … suggestions welcome!
Of course, your mileage may vary.

3G or nothing

There is no longer an option to turn off 3G and force the phone to use 2G (EDGE).
That was a useful energy-saving trick. It also helped to trim mobile bandwidth usage, too.

Camera — out damned spot!

Apart from all the advertised improvements to the iPhone camera (8 megapixel, f/2.4, extra lens, etc.) there is one significant change: No more horrid blue spot at the centre of the screen when picture are shot under fluorescent light!
The new city skyline at the top of this site was shot with the iPhone 4S.
You can see a few more examples on my Flickr page.

Shake it, baby

The vibrator is different on the iPhone 4S compared to my old iPhone 4. It is not as “sharp” a feeling when you’re holding it, or when you’ve placed your phone on a table. However, it is still enough to be felt when the phone is in your pocket.

AirPlay

Most AirPlay mirroring will not fill a flat-screen TV as the phone’s aspect ratio is 1.5:1.
If an app in use provides AirPlay natively, you’re better off using that instead of mirroring.
And as I noted earlier, the upgrade to iOS 5 means AirPlay will no longer override your auto-lock settings.

Hot, hot, hot!

Perhaps it’s the better processor on the phone, but it feels as if the iPhone 4S runs a little warmer than the iPhone 4, especially if I’m playing a game, using the camera or editing photos for a good length of time.
Maybe it’s just me?

What are your iPhone 4S experiences? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment.