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Review: Apple iPhone 4S for AT&T

Form Basics Extras Wrap-up Comments 30

Media Camera Photos/Video Browse/Customize Extras

Music

The iPhone 4S and iOS5 continue to offer the absolute best mobile music player experience on any smartphone. Though the user interface of the iPhone 4S's iPod has barely changed since 2007, it is still easier to manage and easier use than all the competition. It can be used to create/edit playlists; sort via artist, genre, album, song; playback podcasts, and more. The iTunes Music Store offers an amazing selection of content that can be purchased directly from the device.

Perhaps its biggest failing (again) is its lack of social integration. You can't share songs with your Facebook or Twitter friends, can't email them to people, and can't see or send recommendations.

Of course, third-party options abound. Spotify, Slacker, Pandora, Last.fm, and Rdio are just a handful of the multitudinous apps available in the App Store.

Video

Syncing video with the iPhone 4S is painless thanks to iTunes and the iTunes Store. Watching movies on the iPhone 4S is satisfying, though (as mentioned earlier) it would be better on a larger display.

Sharing

iOS 5 has a some tools for sharing video content. First, if you have an Apple TV ($99), you can wirelessly beam any type of content (music, photos, movies) from the iPhone to the Apple TV and onto your HDTV. iOS devices can also stream media back and forth to one another. There's also an HD mirroring mode that allows you to push whatever is on the display of the iPhone to an HDTV. The iPhone does not play with industry-standard DLNA, however. You'll have to stick with Apple's “AirPlay” hardware and accessories for the most seamless experience.

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Apple iPhone 4S

3.5" display 640 x 960 pixels
Apple A5 processor
Headphone Jack (3.5mm)

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