It was a beautiful device and I started awaiting my purchase based on the rumor that a “GS” model would arrive the next year. Unfortunately it took a bit more than a year to pass… Apple officially moved its iPhone event to October, giving me another 4 months with my trusty 3GS. No worry, the 4s was worth it.

The iPhone 4s (2011)

Apple announced the 4s on October 4, my 3-year wedding anniversary. It included the dual-core A5 chip introduced with the iPad 2 which provided significantly improved performance and graphics over the A4 (2x and 7x), a new antenna designed to reduce the occurrence of “antenna gate”-like behavior, faster download speeds, an 8 MP camera with a better sensor, 1080p video, and a gyroscope. From a software perspective it was the first device to include Siri.

The iPhone 4s was a bit strange, however as it was Steve Jobs’ last product at Apple, and probably one that he was less involved with. He had stepped away from the company earlier in the year due to medical issues and officially resigned in August. The introduction of the iPhone 4s was the first major product announcement that didn’t include Jobs on the stage since his return to Apple in 1997. Tim Cook and the other executives did their best but it was awkward at times and was missing Steve’s magic. All but finished with his fight against cancer, Jobs watched the introduction from home – he passed away the next day.

I bought the white model that Apple had just pioneered 6 months earlier in the iPhone 4. I really enjoyed the design; it was simple and sleek, just glass and aluminum. While it didn’t have the curved shape of the 3GS and weighed a tiny bit more it still felt great in my hand. Calls were clear, the screen was beautiful, the camera was great, and performance was fantastic.  It was the first model that came in a 64 GB capacity and I gladly shelled out an extra $100 after subsidy to get it. The extra space allowed me to keep my entire music library on it along with all the apps and photos I wanted. It was totally worth it. Did I say I loved it in white?

After my contract ended and my iPod video died, it became my dedicated carPod. It ushered in the age of Apple Music with iOS 8.4. It’s now resting happily in the Mac Museum.