Discovering iPhone 4s Tech Specs

The first of those subtle changes focused on that antenna band, which now sports two discrete aerials. This allows the iPhone 4S to switch between them to achieve (and maintain) the best connection. This is a far cry from the antenna design flaw that afflicted the original iPhone 4, which could cause degraded reception and signal retention when users positioned their hands in such a way that they bridged a gap between two parts. To combat this, it both tweaked the design of the original iPhone 4 and gave anyone who had bought an affected model a free case.

The iPhone 4S is now what Apple calls a world phone, supporting both CDMA and GSM connections in a single unit, doing away with the need to produce two separate models for use on the various US networks, and reducing potential confusion among users.

At the same time it now supports faster mobile Internet connections, with HSDPA allowing downloads of up to 14.4Mbits/ sec. Anyone who was a regular Internet user in the days of dial-up modems will recall that for a long time this was one of the fastest connections you could hope for in a domestic setting.

The Independent Guide to the iPhone 4 - iPhone 4S, 2013 Editor Nik Rawlinson