The new iPhone 4S update caused quite a stir upon its release; some consumers were disappointed with the lack of a total overhaul, while others were excited by the new features.

Some students at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) upgraded from the previous iPhone model, while others made a complete switch to the Apple phone.

Matt Petronzio, FCLC ’12, recently switched from his old Blackberry to the new iPhone 4S. Petronzio made the switch for more than one reason. “My contract was up for the Blackberry and it wasn’t working to the capacity that I wanted it to. I was having issues with email and texting so I figured the logical choice was to get an iPhone.” Petronzio stated his main reason for buying the new iPhone was “the faster web browsing and app function.”

Petronzio said, “I heard good things about the phone and now I know why.”

Lauren Rushing, FCLC ’12, an intern at Good Housekeeping Research Institute in the consumer electronics engineering department got the rare chance to test the iPhone 4S before it hit the market. After testing different phones, Rushing concluded that the  iPhone 4S had the best apps and the most functional Google Maps tool.

Her favorite feature was iCloud, which allows the user, if they have a Mac, to back-up their files on the Internet and have them accessible from any other Apple product with an Internet connection. “This is something that is particularly useful for students. If your computer crashes and you have a paper due that day, you don’t have to worry about losing all your work; it’s all accessible through iCloud,” said Rushing.

iCloud also provides a solution for those who find that they take too many videos and photos for their phone’s memory capacity. The iCloud service offers 5 GB of storage with the option to upgrade to more for a price. Overall, in Rushing’s experience, the iPhone is more reliable and easier to use than the Blackberry.

While there seems to be a clear distinction between using a Blackberry and using an iPhone, what about those who don’t have a Blackberry and are just looking to get a new phone or upgrade their old iPhones?

Alex Mitchell, FCLC ’12, and Joe Pellicone, FCLC ’12, believe the answer is Siri and the new HD camera. “The voice recognition is nearly flawless,” Mitchell said. “Siri is awesome, but the kicker is the dictation. I had never been much of a fan of touch keyboards, so the fact that I can speak text messages and emails has made typing secondary.”

Pellicone said, “I love  Siri. Words cannot describe my love for it; whether I’m telling it to call someone, respond to a text, find a restaurant, take a note or just play around, it is amazing.” Certainly Siri seems to have won over the old iPhone crowd, as both Mitchell and Pellicone had the old iPhone 3G. Both claimed this old iPhone was getting slower and generally underperforming, prompting them to look for a new phone.

In addition to Siri, Mitchell  also praised the new HD camera. “The camera is incredible, it really has to be seen to understand how great the pictures are.”

Pellicone was also a fan of the new camera. “The camera is amazing. The resolution, the flash options and the ability to use a camera on the front of the phone make it so much easier.”

For iPhone 4S owners the Apple slogan should be, “Siri is great and so is the camera. And if that doesn’t impress you, at least we aren’t Blackberry.” The iPhone 4S is available at Apple stores and online starting at $199.