4s

Early in 2011 we saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S2, a device that went on to become one of the best selling phones of the year. In the final quarter of the year we saw the new iPhone 4S released which quickly became the phone of choice for many consumers and was the phone of the year for many people. It is now Samsung’s turn to hit back with the expected release of their new Galaxy S3 a phone that they hope will over shadow the Apple iPhone. So how might this new model compare to the wonderful 4S?

One area where the Apple device has outshone every other device over the last 18 months is with the excellent screen technology that it offers. The famous Retina display may not use Super AMOLED technology but the LED backlit IPS screen still produces a pixel density that no other manufacturer can match. The phone displays a massive 326 pixels per inch which exceeds what the human eye can detect. The iPhone 4S does not use the largest of screens but this is a contributing factor toward the excellent quality that it offers. The 3.5 inch screen packs a massive 960 x 640 resolution which is why the quality is so high. Samsung have used Super AMOLED technology since the first Galaxy S was released and it is likely that this type of display will appear again on the Galaxy S3. Size is likely to be larger than the Galaxy S2 at 4.6 inches and it is rumoured that pixels per inch rating will be an excellent 319. Despite the brilliant colours that Super AMOLED can produce it looks likely that the model will struggle to match the Apple smartphone for quality in this area.

Although we have had no confirmed information on the design of the Galaxy S3 we can imagine that it will be similar to other models within the Galaxy range and if this is true it may struggle to impress us as much as the iPhone 4S. The Apple handset looks unlike any other phone available with its two sheets of glass sandwiching an attractive metallic strip. Many manufacturers opt for plastic or metallic back panels but Apple have been the only developer brave enough to offer glass on both the back and the front of the phone. Many people may say that this makes the phone more prone to damage than other models but Apple use a treated glass which is 20 times stronger than conventional panels. When the Galaxy S2 was released Samsung were very proud that it was the slimmest phone available at 8.5mm so expect the new phone to try and beat this measurement. It is unlikely that Samsung will be as brave as Apple and introduce a vastly different back panel so an attractive but unsubstantial plastic back panel is likely along with a neat metallic trim.

There is no doubt that the new Samsung Galaxy S3 will be the most advanced phone available in some areas but it will struggle to outshine the iPhone 4S in either the looks department or for screen technology.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2 are available now.

There any many features that stand out on the excellent iPhone 4S but one area that is exceptional is the still camera facility. This improved application offers 8 million pixel resolution together with a high quality sensor that makes it one of the best phone cameras available. This feature can be further enhanced by some excellent additional applications so we take a look at some of the better ones available from the iTunes App Store.

Despite the excellent image quality offered by the built in camera on the iPhone 4S they facility does not offer as many features as you may find on other rival models. Numerous applications can be downloaded that can rectify this problem and one of the best we have encountered is the superb Camera+. When you have this application installed on the phone their are a number of useful tools that can improve your final results. One of the main attractions of Camera+ is that it enables you to use touch focus on your photograph. This means that rather than the phone focusing on the subject in the centre of the screen you can actually touch the subject where you want the focused fixed. In addition to performing this task you can also use a second finger on the screen to manually adjust the exposure settings of the camera. This software also offers users automatic image stabilisation and a Burst mode that takes a series a photographs in quick succession which is perfect for fast moving subjects. This application is not only great when taking a photograph but also after the image has been captured as it has a range of impressive effects that can be applied to improve on the results. Camera+ is the most impressive photography applications that we have encountered for the iPhone and has numerous benefits both before and after your image has been captured.

The iPhone 4S has a number of applications available that add impressive effects to images after they have been photographed and one of the most interesting is the Coloursplash app. This excellent software removes all of the colour from your image which leaves you with a black and white photograph that looks very impressive. This is however where the fun begins as you can reintroduce colours into certain areas of the image. The final result is modern and artistic looking image that looks superb. Another application that comes up with some interesting results is called 360 Panorama. As you may guess from the name this software takes a series a photographs and merges them together to create a single image that contains a 360 degree view of your current surroundings. Similar software to this often requires the user to carefully align each individual image but this version lets you press the button just once and then simply move the phone around to capture a wonderful view of everything around you.

The iPhone 4S camera is one of the very best available and some excellent additional applications further enhance the facility. Camera+ is a superb app and will benefit anybody who wishes to use the camera facility while applications like Coloursplash and 360 Panorama are slightly more specialised but do produce brilliant results.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are available now.

The current generation of smartphones tend to offer consumers high quality 8 mega pixel still photography together with High Definition video capture. Which handset however stands out amongst its peers for boasting the best still camera package? Here we take a look at the iPhone 4S, the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Sony Ericsson Arc S and the HTC Sensation XE to see which one is the true king of camera phones.

We know the handsets all offer the same image resolution so we need to look at some other areas to assess the devices overall performance. The iPhone 4S performs best in the speed department. The starting time of the camera facility is the fastest of all four handsets with a time of just 1.4 seconds. This time is over one second faster than the HTC and the Sony Ericsson with only the Samsung coming anywhere close at 2.1 seconds. The Apple phone also came out on top when it came to taking two photos straight after one another. The time between the two snaps is just 0.7 seconds but the Xperia Arc does come a close second at just 0.9 seconds with the Sensation XE coming third with a time of 1.1 seconds.

All four of the cameras tested offer a macro mode which is designed to take detailed shots from a very close distance and all of the devices focused clearly on a subject that was just 7.5 cms away. The HTC Sensation XE does cover the smallest area with its macro capture which means that this handset offers the best magnification and consequently proved the best device for photography at close range. A good way of comparing the quality of various still cameras is to take identical shots and then crop the image to see how much detail is maintained in the enlarged version.

The iPhone 4S once again comes out on top in this area as it kept the most detail from our test shots, textures on brickworks could still be seen clearly whilst straight lines looked focused without any blurring. Although the Apple phone also offered the best colour rendition it did not come out on top in every area with the Samsung Galaxy S2 boasting the least picture noise and the Sensation XE the highest possible exposure accuracy.

Although it did not top the table in every area that we tested we still consider the iPhone 4S to offer the best still camera facility available on any handset. The phone scored consistently high marks in all departments that we looked at.

The Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S are superb alternatives if the iPhone is not for you whilst the HTC Sensation XE gave a good account of itself despite coming last out of the four phones we looked at.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2 are available now

The iPhone 4S has proved a huge hit with consumers since its release three months ago. With hundreds of thousands of these units in circulation there are dozens of handy accessories available which make perfect christmas gifts without breaking the bank. We take a look at some of the great extras that are available for this excellent model.

The iPhone 4S is constructed from two sheets of chemically treated glass which make the phone more durable than the average handset. Despite this fact the 4S is not totally immune from the odd scratch or scuff so investing in a case is often a very wise move. There are literally hundreds of protective cases available for this model but we have found two of the very best. A superb aluminium lined case from Proporta is available that looks superb and also does a great job of protecting the phone. The case incorporates a fold over flap which incorporates the aluminium panel that protects the screen. The rest of the body of the phone is protected by soft leather that is available in either a black or a brown finish. A great variation on the traditional case designs is the new Bookbook case which is produced by Twelve South. When closed this attractive case looks like an antique book with an eye catching distressed brown leather finish. Open up the case and you are presented with you 4S which is securely held on the right hand side. The left hand side features a handy holster for a number of credit cards along with a transparent space ideal for an identity card or for a photo.

The iPhone 4S features a high quality screen which makes the device great for watching movies. The trouble with this is that because the phone is so slim it is almost impossible to stand the phone up so you can enjoy your movie. Most users inevitably end up holding the phone or resting it up against anything that is close to hand. The new iPlunge is a novel idea which can solve this problem for as little as £5. The iPlunge is like a minature version of a traditional kitchen plunger and tis simply sticks to the back panel of your iPhone and acts as a kick stand. The idea is brilliantly simple yet very effective. A slightly more complex phone holder is the Spider Podium universal Desk Stand. This complex design features 8 legs which can be bent and twisted into any position. Four of these legs are designed to hold your 4S whilst the other four can be positioned to allow the phone to stand on a desk. As the legs on this stand are adjustable you can twist them around pretty much anything which makes the placement options almost endless.

If you are looking for a cheap stocking filler for somebody who owns an iPhone 4S or if you have the device yourself and are looking for accessories the four ideas we have looked at all do their job superbly without costing a fortune.

The iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 8GB are available now.

It seems that the folks at Apple are feeling festive as they have launched details of their annual Twelve Days Of Christmas application. This new download is available for users of the iPhone 4S and all previous models and is the manufacturers way of saying a big thank you to all of its customers.

The Twelve Days Of Christmas application is available from the iTunes App Store and can either be downloaded directly onto the iPhone 4S or on a home computer which will automatically synchronise the download with your phone if you are using the excellent iCloud service. Although the new application is available now it does not officially start until the 26th December. On this day and for the 11 days that follow Apple will send a free gift to the user. This gift will be either an audio track, a music video, an application or a book. Apple will send a push notification to your iPhone 4S when your gift is ready and then all you need to do is click on a button and it will be installed on your handset. What is impressive about this application is that the quality of gifts that are given away is very high. It would be easy for Apple to send you music from obscure bands and games that nobody has ever heard of but they do tend to give you some genuinely good surprises. Lasts years line up included some big names including Cheryl Cole, Kings Of Leon and Michael Buble.

The iPhone 4S is the perfect handset to make the most of these free gifts that you are sent. The audio player that is incorporated on the phone is one of the very best. It uses the same software that was used on the excellent iPod Touch device which means you are presented with high quality cover art and numerous ways of selecting the track that you want to listen to. Video playback is equally as impressive thanks to the model using the highest quality mobile display available. Known as the Retina display this screen can produce a resolution of 640 x 960. As a result of this the phone manages to display a massive 326 pixels per inch which is a level that exceeds what the human eye can detect. This screen is not only perfect for music videos but also for any games applications that you may be sent. The display is a capacitive touchscreen which allows you to perform all controls and manoeuvres on screen.

Apple tend to give away some great gifts as part of this application and the iPhone 4S is ideal to use all of them to their full potential. The phone offers a great music player and a high quality screen ideal for gaming and video playback.

The iPhone 4S and the HTC Explorer are available now.

The new iPhone 4S has many great features that make the handset one of the very best available. Among the list of features is the excellent Airplay facility which enables you to stream audio files to a compatible product. This system enables you to use your phone as a music player which can be listened to in other rooms in your property. We take a look at Airplay and what additional products are available to help you get the very best from this service.

Airplay on the iPhone 4S works in a similar manner to DNLA services on Microsoft devices. All audio files that you have stored on your phone can be accessed by additional products. These products can be music systems, speakers or AV receivers and help you to convert your phone into the centre of a multi room home audio system. Airplay takes advantage of the WiFi connection that is available to connect to other products although the majority of these can also be connected with an Ethernet connection. Music can be streamed to multiple rooms at the same time which is ideal if you are hosting a party or you can choose to simply have your music in a single room. It is not only the music that is streamed with Airplay but a host of other information is also transmitted along with the audio track. This means that song names, artist names and other information can be displayed on the additional equipment providing it has a display and album artwork can also be sent.

Owning a iPhone 4S is just part of running the Airplay service. There are numerous products that you can connect to help you enjoy your music in the best possible quality and the pick of all of these is undoubtedly the B&W Zepplin Air. This iconic speaker boasts an unusual yet modern design and also delivers the best possible audio performance. There are a pair of 25mm tweeters included and these are coupled with a pair of 75mm mid range drivers. Each pair of these speakers is driven by a 25 watt amplifier and there is also a 50 watt amplifier that is solely used for driving a powerful sub woofer. If you prefer a more traditional design then the Denon CEOL is the unit for you. Comprising of a pair of speakers and a main unit this excellent system is available in a black or a white finish. The amplifier section pushes out 65 watts to each speaker and the quality of sound that is produced makes this one of the best units available.

Airplay is one of the features that helps the iPhone 4S stand out from its competitors. The feature helps deliver high audio quality to additional products and the two that we have highlighted are the very best currently available.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Note are available now.

One of the main problems with the Apple operating system used on their mobile devices is that many developments and applications are often not released or are severely delayed thanks to some strict restrictions. A great example of this is the absence of Adobe Flash support on the iPhone 4S but there is one application that has been available on Android for some time that has finally found its way onto the new iPhone.

The BBC iPlayer application is a service provided by the British Broadcasting Corporation that allows user to catch up with any television programmes that they have missed over the previous seven days. This type of service has become hugely popular over the past two years with other British channels such as ITV and Channel 4 already providing applications that enable simple viewing of content that they broadcast. The original BBC iPlayer service was launched on Christmas Day 2007 and recently the service has been receiving over 123 play requests per month. The application is perfect for iPhone users who want to catch up on TV programmes that they have missed. The excellent 3G connectivity boasted by the phone together with its access to WiFi means that users can view content almost anywhere and this is particularly useful to people who spend much of their week commuting. The service is also great for UK citizens living or travelling overseas as it gives them access to programmes from back home.

The iPlayer application has been available for Android devices since version 2.2 of the platform was released nearly two years ago. Users of Apple devices have had a long wait for this feature but first impressions are very good. The iPhone 4S makes use of a 640 x 960 resolution display and this is perfect for displaying content in the highest possible quality. Sound is also very impressive through the speakers that are incorporated in the phone but for the best possible audio we recommend that you use headphones. The interface that the application uses is very easy to master and presents you with three main choices that you can make directly from the main screen. You can choose to browse either featured or popular programmes and another option lets you filter the results according to which channel the desired programme was originally shown on. There is also a search bar located beneath these three options that allows you to search for a specific title. The BBC also broadcast radio programmes and an icon at the bottom of the screen enables you to search these shows to see if there is one available that may take your fancy.

The BBC iPlayer application has taken a long time to find its way onto the iphone 4S and now that it has arrived it certainly does not disappoint. Shows look superb on the phones excellent display whilst the interface is one of the most simple that we have ever encountered on any application.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2 are available now

Recently we have been taking a look at two leading smartphones and seeing how they compare with one another. We have already looked at the camera facilities and the internet browsers on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the iPhone 4S and have established that both models are very evenly matched in both areas. We now take a look at the user interface used on both models.

One of the appealing features of the iPhone 4S is the user interface that it uses. The simple grid layout looks no different from earlier versions of the iphone and this familiarity is one of the attractions of this model. Despite the ease of use that the Apple platform offers one area where the Galaxy Nexus has the upper hand is with its use of live widgets. Live Widgets enable information to be displayed directly on the home screen of the phone. With the Apple handset the user would need to load a specific application in order to read information such as checking the weather or reading a Facebook status. The Nexus enables a host of this information to be briefly displayed on your main screen which gives the users an easy overview of what is happening in the world around them. The disadvantage of live widgets is that they do complicate the home screen unlike the Apple device which is simple and functional.

Both of these models offer excellent functions that can be launched directly from the lock screen. On the iPhone 4S a simple double tap on the Home button when the phone is locked will display a screen with a shortcut to the camera facility and basic controls for music playback. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus also lets the user launch the camera from the lock screen but one advantage it does have over the 4S is that a downward swipe will also reveal the notification screen complete with updates from all of the services that you have linked to it. On the iPhone you need to unlock the phone in order to access the new notifications service which is part of the iOS5 software. Neither of these models can be faulted for the visual appearance of the interface. Although the Nexus does use a more complex layout the icons are all colourful and refined. The active wallpapers that are used by the phone also add to the visual appeal of the device. The Apple phone uses simple icons which look great thanks to the phones superb Retina Display. Multiple home screens can be added so the user can install as many new applications as they like whilst the new notifications screen give a clear and simple overview of incoming alerts.

The new Samsung Galaxy Nexus uses an attractive but easy to operate interface that benefits from the inclusion of live widgets. The iPhone 4S is much simpler in its design and the result is a visually appealing interface that offers a great user experience.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are available now.

The iTunes App Store is one of the great attractions of the new iPhone 4S mobile device. This online store enables the user to download a variety of applications that range from productivity tools to the latest games. We take a look at some of the very best games titles that are available free of charge for users of this phone.

One of the very best titles currently available from the App Store is the excellent Words With Friends. This game is different version of a classic board game which requires you to spell a word from a selection of letters that you have been assigned. The game is designed to be played against your friends and you can connect with them via a number of methods. There is a Facebook option and also the choice to simply type in your friends user name. If you do not have any friends online at the current time then you can ask the phone to select you a random opponent and there is also a pass and play mode so two people can play on one device. The attraction of this title is not just the simplicity of the game but also the fact that it works across various platforms. This means you can be sitting with your iPhone 4S playing a friend on their Android device. Another title that benefits from Facebook connectivity is Farmville. This game lets you run your own virtual farm and the general idea is to make as much money as you can. It is not all work with the game as in addition to harvesting crops you can also spend your virtual money on decorating your farm and adding some personal touches. As the title is linked to Facebook you can also view how your friends are doing, help them out with their crops and even send them a virtual gift. The game is simple, fun and highly addictive.

If you prefer a more traditional type of computer game then the iPhone 4S has some great options available. One title that established great success on the Android platform is Gun Bros and this game is now available to iPhone users. The game is a basic shooting title where the idea is to simply blast your way through various enemies in order to reach the next level. This game differs from traditional shooters as you view all of the action from above which seems a much more effective way of using the relatively small screen on the phone. Where this title really excels is when you team up with a friend to play in multi player mode. You can connect via 3G or WiFi and help each other to progress as far as possible. Although you are unlikely to find premium sports games available for free there are some great variations available that will not cost you a penny. Cave Bowling is a fun title loosely based on the sport of ten pin bowling. There are a number of obstacles you have to avoid in order to strike the pins and the game has a fun prehistoric theme. Basketball games also undergo a makeover with the excellent Stardunk. The basic idea is to slam the ball into the net in the fastest time possible but the game is based in outer space which makes the task more difficult than it sounds.

There are thousands of premium games titles available for the iPhone 4S but there are hours of fun to be had with the titles that are available at no cost to the customer. The games we have mentioned above are some of the very best currently available.

The iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 8GB are available now.

There are several premium smartphone’s currently available all competing to become the most popular device with consumers. The iPhone 4S from Apple and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are two such models that are very evenly matched in terms of performance and specification. We take a look at the camera features that are on offer with these phones and see how they compare.

Samsung have opted to install a 5 mega pixel camera in their Galaxy Nexus device. Although this facility offers a high quality of image it is a lower resolution than what many rival phones offer. Samsung compensate for the lower resolution by fitting the camera with an excellent sensor chip which helps the model produce better results than many other supposedly better models. The model gives the user a simple interface with many of the more advanced camera functions hidden away until you need them. The handset does not feature a dedicated shutter key so you do have to tap the icon that is displayed on screen in order to capture your image. One thing we did notice about this model is that the shutter speed is incredibly fast so images are captured the moment you tap the screen. This is where many camera phones disappoint as there is often a delay between pressing the shutter and the photograph being captured. A number of additional features accompany the camera including manual controls for white balance and exposure compensation. There are also a number of preset scene modes that can be selected for different shooting conditions.

The new iPhone 4S offers numerous improvements over the iPhone 4 and the updated camera facility is one of the most noticeable. The phone now sports an 8 mega pixel camera which is a 3 million pixel improvement over its predecessor. Apple have also updated the lens and sensor that are used on this model making it one of the very best photography phones available. Unlike the Galaxy nexus the phone does boast a physical shutter key which is the volume up button. This is a great addition as it keeps your fingers away from the screen when you are trying to perfectly frame a photograph. The iPhone does not offer as many extra settings as the Galaxy Nexus but there is an excellent HDR mode available. When this mode is activated it takes three identical snaps at different exposure levels and combines these to give an excellent final result. This latest model also offers some basic editing features which allow you to perform simple tasks such as removing red eye and cropping the size of the image.

Both of these models offer great camera facilities and are two of the very best models available for still photography. The Galaxy Nexus boasts more optional settings than the iPhone 4S but ultimately the Apple device produces the higher standard of final image.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are available now.

Thousands of Xbox 360 users were recently treated to a free dashboard update that featured a number of new features. Voice commands have been improved whilst the platform now boasts a number of new TV based services. Another reason behind the update is to enable easy synchronisation between Microsoft devices such as Windows phones and Windows desktops. Microsoft have however launched a great application for the iPhone 4S to give users a similar experience on their Apple phone.

The Xbox Live application is available from the iTunes App Store and when you launch the software for the same time the application looks identical to the version found on Microsoft’s own platforms. There are three main pages featured on this application and you can scroll between them by simply swiping your finger across the display. The first screen that you are faced with is the Home page. On this screen there is a number of hubs that are arranged vertically. Some of these hubs are video files that show demonstrations of latest games and features whilst others are articles about various aspects of the Xbox platform. The video files are particularly impressive and make full use of the high quality Retina display that the phone uses.

The second area of this application is the Social page and this is the one that Xbox users will find themselves viewing most regularly. Visually the page is by far the most impressive with your animated Xbox avatar dominating the 3.5 inch display that the iPhone 4S uses. Above this character you will find your gamer tag along with the current points total you have achieved on the console. There are three tabs located at the right hand side of the screen that give you access to details about friends within your Xbox community. The first of these is simply named Friends and gives you a list of all of your associates together with a host of information on progress they made on various titles. The second Messages tab is quite self explanatory and enables you to read any messages that you have received. The final tab on this page is called Beacons and lets you tell your friends when you want to play a certain game and your phone will notify you if somebody else wants to do the same thing. The last area of the Xbox Live application is named Games and it lists all of the games that you have ever played on your console together with the scores you have accumulated on each individual title.

The Xbox application for the iPhone 4S is both simple to use and visually appealing. The application lets you keep up to date with everything related to your Xbox console from achievements to the latest releases. Android users will be eager to see if Microsoft launches a similar app for use on their devices in the near future.

The iPhone 4S and the HTC Sensation XE are available now

One of the great thing about the new iPhone 4S is that you can access the excellent iTunes App Store. This online marketplace enables you to download from a huge selection of applications. The store currently offers over 500 thousand different titles from the latest games to office based applications for viewing and editing documents. We take a look at Flipboard, one of the latest apps available for this phone and also the excellent Newstand feature.

Flipboard has proved a huge success for the iPad so it was only a matter of time before we saw a version for the iPhone 4S released. Flipboard analyses all the information that is currently being shared with you and presents in an attractive magazine format that makes a refreshing change from the traditional news feeds and menus. The software has been modified to fit the smaller 3.5 inch display that the phone uses. The mobile version also offers a new feature that is not present on the iPad which is the improved cover page. The software analyses which type of content you spend the most time reading and compiles a cover page full of stories likely to be of most interest to you. Flipboard incorporates social networking updates into your magazine which effectively turn the software into a single place where you can keep up with what is happening in the world around you. The application is available for free and is a new and exciting way that could really change how we read material from the internet.

The iPhone 4S features the new Newstand feature which has been introduced as part of the new iOS5 operating system. This new feature enables you to download a variety of newspapers and magazines to your phone and read them at your leisure. Material is accessed via the App Store and you are given the option to purchase individual issues or opt for an annual subscription. If you do choose the subscription option then the issue is automatically downloaded to you handset the moment it is released. Just like the Flipboard app titles on Newstand appear on a well designed main page. When you tap on any individual title that publication loads and you can then simply scroll through the pages by swiping your finger across the screen. What is really impressive about this application is that it can incorporate video and audio files to give you a truly interactive experience.

Thanks to the high quality screen featured on the iPhone 4S excellent applications such as Flipboard and the Newstand not only look superb but offer an informed and entertaining change from traditional apps.

The iPhone 4S and the Blackberry Torch 9810 are available now.

There are thousands of great applications available for the new iPhone 4S but one of the most impressive that we have encountered is the excellent Evernote. This software has over 10 million active users and this number is increasing at a rapid rate. We take a look at this great application for the iPhone 4S and see how it can benefit you on a daily basis.

The principal behind Evernote is to connect your phone and other computer devices that you use daily. This enables you to capture data at one location and view it in another. Evernote can store a variety of different material. The program is designed as a way of keeping notes and is basically an extension of your brain. If you are sitting at work and think of an idea for a Christmas gift, type it into Evernote and then you can access this data from any device. The software is not only perfect for note taking but also for storing a variety of different material. Using your iPhone 4S camera you can capture a photograph or even record yourself an audio message. The developers at Evernote have also developed a superb desktop extension which allows you to store a web page minus all of the advertisements that you do not need. This removes the need to create web links or bookmark sites as the data is stored for you to view whenever you need it and on whichever device you choose.

Evernote for the iPhone 4S is an application that you could find yourself using on a daily basis. Filtering the numerous notes stored on this software could be daunting so it is refreshing to see an excellent search facility incorporated to help you sort your data. Tap the icon at the bottom right corner of your iPhone screen and a search bar appears. In this bar you can type a keyword or title of the note you are looking for. All of your data is then searched and you are presented with the results. This may seem a fairly basic function but Evernote takes it a step further by making text within photographs searchable. This facility really adds to the appeal of the application as it increases the scenarios when you may find the platform useful. You can snap a photograph of a wine label that you like or take a quick photograph of a business card and all of the text captured can be searched. Using the program is very straightforward with a very large icon at the bottom of the screen which you tap when you want to add a new note. You are then given options to record audio, type text or take a photograph. This simplicity is important as nobody wants a complicated process if they need to make a quick note or capture some important data.

The iPhone 4S really does boast some excellent applications that make life easier and Evernote is certainly one of these. The simple interface makes the software both appealing and easy to use while the synchronisation between multiple devices is a very attractive feature.

The iPhone 4S and the HTC Rhyme are available now.

With an ever increasing number of features being incorporated in modern mobile phones many consumers are finding that their devices are offering a much shorter battery life as a result of all of the extra functionality. We take a look at battery performance on the impressive new iPhone 4S and also explore the new iCloud storage system that is offered by this new model.

Older versions of the iPhone were renowned for offering a lower than average battery life but things changed for the better with the release of the iPhone 4. This model saw Apple use their own processor which seemed to have a positive effect on life expectancy from the battery. The new iPhone 4S offers similar performance times to the iPhone 4 although we did find the newer model lasted a slightly shorter time in standby mode. This drop can be forgiven however as the new model uses an improved notifications system with more features than ever giving you automatic alerts thanks to push notifications. In terms of every day use we tested the handset continuously using a variety of applications and features and found the model managed to last a whole day from the time we awoke to when we retired for the night. With less intensive usage the phone easily lasted two whole days which was very impressive. Realistically the phone should offer the average user over a full day of moderate use but it is good practice to charge the phone on a daily basis just in case you find yourself using more features than normal.

The new iCloud storage system which is part of the new iOS used by the iPhone 4S is one of the more attractive new features of this model. The main purpose of this new service to to automatically back up all of your important data. This data includes contact details, calendar appointments , notes and photographs. The photograph facility will be of the most interest to consumers as other data can normally be replaced but the same cannot be said for a photograph. The iCloud gives users up to 5GB of storage space completely free of charge which should prove ample for the average phone user. The iCloud service is also superb if you use multiple Apple devices. These devices can all be signed in to the same iCloud account and data can then be easily shared between these units. A great example of this is how you can take a snap on your iPhone and return home and view it from the camera roll on your iPad.

The new iPhone 4S is an impressive device that offers battery performance that is superior to what many rival models can offer. The new iCloud storage system is also a great method of protecting your data and sharing information between multiple devices.

The iPhone 4S and the HTC Sensation XE are available now.

The new iphone 4S is one of the very best phones for social networking thanks to some excellent connectivity options and the new integration of Twitter into the operating system. To date Facebook and Twitter have dominated the social networking market but their is a newcomer in the form of Google+. With the power of Google behind it this platform may well become popular over the coming months so we take a quick look at the iPhone 4S application and see what it has to offer.

Google+ is an attractive looking platform that benefits from offering a much more simple layout than the likes of Twitter and Facebook. When you load the application for the first time you are presented with a well designed homescreen that offers you five different options. The first of these options is the Stream feature which gives you a timeline of updates from all of the people that you follow. These updates can be filtered so that you can also display updates posted from a location near to you. The second option on the homescreen is the Messenger facility which gives you access to the instant chat facilities. This feature allows you to message friends for free and you also can send picture messages by clicking on the camera tab at the bottom of the screen. When you perform this action you can either choose a photo that you have previously taken or launch the camera feature to take a new photograph.

One of the more impressive elements of Google+ on the iPhone 4Sis the Circles option. Circles allows you to place your friends within different “circles” so they are easier to categorise and view. Each one of these can be named and posts that you write can be shown to selected circles rather than being automatically displayed to everybody in your contacts list. Similarly when viewing posts in the Stream feature you can select posts from certain Circles to be displayed. This particular aspect of the system works very well as it leaves you with a very clean news feed unlike other sites such as Twitter where your feed is cluttered with numerous posts that may not be of any interest to you. There are two remaining items on the homescreen which we have not covered and one of these is the Profile option. This simply enables you to view your own profile including posts you have written and photographs you have posted. The final icon is named Photos and this lets you view photographs that have been posted by yourself and by your friends. On the iPhone 4S there is also an option to view photos that are stored on your handset.

The iPhone 4S offers some excellent social networking features and these are enhanced by the introduction of the Google+ application. Only time will tell whether it will prove as successful as Facebook and Twitter but it is certainly an impressive site with an excellent iPhone application.

The iPhone 4S and the HTC Desire S are available now.