It’s not the iPhone 5, but knowing how Apple named the iPhone 4S’s predecessors, you should’ve known that by now. But no matter what you call the new Apple smartphone, no matter how technically impressive its competition, the latest iPhone has always been considered the best phone during its time—and that is truly impressive. Because each iPhone model consistently stayed on top of the mobile phone heap for a year (more or less) after its release, each iPhone was judged not by its features but by how large the leap is between the previous and the latest model. Does the iPhone 4S make a large enough leap, or is it merely an evolution of the previous model?

How is the iPhone 4S different? At first glance, not much. The 4S looks just like the iPhone 4, down to the metal band/antenna that holds the entire device together. The rear is still flat; the glass is still glossy and scratch-resistant. The circular volume buttons on the right spine looks exactly the same. The iPhone 4S looks just as expensive and as gorgeous.

The hardware changes this time around include: an 800 MHz Apple A5 dual-core processor, HSDPA connectivity, double the maximum storage (it’s now at a whopping 64GB), a SGX543MP2 graphics chip and an 8-Megapixel primary camera that lets you record up to 1080p full HD.

The most ballyhooed feature in the iPhone 4S is Siri, a voice recognition app. What makes Siri different from the countless voice recognition software that came before it? It’s somewhatbetter in understanding the words you say. How? You don’t need to say commands in a certain structure for Siri to understand. The problem is that Siri doesn’t understand the Australian accent very well, and can’t provide directions outside America. It gets better: your iPhone 4S needs to be connected to the internet for Siri to work. This means you’ll consume more power and have data charges when using Siri.

Fortunately, the iPhone 4S has an excellent camera. The megapixels have been bumped up to eight (the previous model had five), but more megapixels do not necessarily mean better pictures. What makes the 4S’s snapper better is its faster speed in almost everything—from executing the camera app, to focusing and taking each photo. Hardly any lag was felt. In addition, its stills are a little more saturated so the colours are a bit deeper. The video quality is impressive as well. As advertised, you can record 1080p videos at 30 frames per second.

Are the iPhone 4S’s improvements significant enough to warrant an upgrade? If you’re using the previous release, the leap is pretty small, so no. If your model is more than two years old, or if you’ve never had an iPhone before, then this one should erase any of your doubts. The iPhone 4S is the best phone out there right now. Features like its voice recognition software may not be as great as advertised, but the 4S has several other compelling reasons that should make your purchase worth every cent.