As you may know by now, I just got myself a white iPhone 4S last Monday.

Those of you who have iPhone 4’s may not see the 4S as an improvement worthy of an upgrade, I know — I completely understand the knee-jerk reaction right there. After all, if it looks the same in the outside, there’d be nothing to blatantly brag about. For how else will you impress your Facebook friends or even the next guy at the grocery aisle that you have “the latest and greatest most amazing iPhone yet” if they can’t tell it’s a 4S at first glance?

But if you’re like me who came from a 3GS, a jump to the 4S is nothing short of satisfying. Sure, some may say all that it has over the iPhone 4 is the revolutionary virtual assistant called Siri. But I would beg to differ. There is so much more to the 4S.

So what do I like about the iPhone 4S?

Speed to me is a major consideration. Though I’m not exactly a speed typist on conventional keyboards, I do type (tap) faster on the iPhone mainly because of the freedom its autocorrect function provides me. The iPhone 4S, I’ve found is way faster and incredibly responsive in almost all aspects. Feeds, games, websites load faster. Practically everything you do is noticeably faster on the 4S. Whether its gaming, email, web surfing or tinkering with apps, the 4S won’t leave you wanting for speed.

It’s an eye-candy.

Photos, texts, and websites are rendered more beautifully on the 4S and the 8MP camera means you can really leave your digicams at home.

Siri: The Dealmaker

The iPhone 4S was officially launched here in the Philippines last December 16, 2011 but it’s been around here for quite some time and even longer in the US, UK and elsewhere overseas. Siri — the virtual assistant that comes preinstalled in the iPhone 4S has been tested and reviewed innumerable times.

I think Siri is definitely the defining feature of the iPhone 4S. And while there’s more to the 4S than Siri, I’d have to agree that it does make a significant difference especially because, for all the good reviews Siri got, it is officially still in beta which means Siri will inevitably get better. And nothing makes me happier than being an early adopter (okay, maybe there is something else). Experiencing technology firsthand as it evolves from obscurity to ubiquity is a most-satisfying experience for tech enthusiasts.

So since every 4S purchase comes with sleepless conversations with Siri, let me share some of mine (and others by my son).

Conversations with Siri

Let’s start with the usual — fishing for compliments. :)

Getting to know you’s

Power-tripping

And then of course, the random questions:

So, apparently to “have a love life”, one needs to have actual meetings with “Love”.

But, as with everything that rely on technology, there are limitations.

Siri is very impressive as it is now but I hope it gets outside the “Apple box” in the future, communicating with third-party apps and even altering phone settings at will.

Until then, it’s a little reassuring that the antisocial me will have somewhat sensible conversations with Siri whenever I’m alone. Though I’m a little disappointed that until I figure out how to put condiments inside my 4S, I still have to make my own sandwich.