iPhone 4S
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 23 of 60 smartphones by recommenders
People recommend it for its compact one-handed size, realistic camera photos and accurate typing. The most common caveat is poor battery life and inability to run modern apps.
People recommend it for its compact one-handed size, realistic camera photos and accurate typing. The most common caveat is poor battery life and inability to run modern apps.
12 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 12
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 12 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Compact, comfortable, one-handed size
“Perfect size, fits well in my hand, operable with one thumb.”
Comment from 19 Dec 2025 in “Making Google Sans Flex” “The 4S was the last true one-handed option in my opinion.”
Comment from 29 Jul 2026 in “iPhone Upgrade Program” Realistic, appealing camera photos
“The 4S has the best iPhone camera in terms of realistic looking photos.”
Comment from 22 Sep 2026 in “Apple iPhone 18 Pro Camera test” “But for "out of the camera" JPGs, the 4S is still supreme.”
Comment from 21 Sep 2026 in “Apple iPhone 18 Pro Camera test” “I also miss how the 4S camera looked”
Comment from 11 Oct 2026 in “Apple may have an iPhone 18 Pro demand problem”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Poor battery, can't run modern apps
“such horrible battery life or could run modern apps”
Comment from 9 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”
Other smartphones people recommend
The four most recommended other smartphones, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone | 706 | 882 | 44% | 13 | 7 yrs107 owners | — |
| Fairphone | 168 | 107 | 61% | 13 | 3 yrs19 owners | — |
| Apple iPhone Pro | 144 | 155 | 48% | 12 | 4 yrs26 owners | — |
| iPhone 13 mini | 141 | 51 | 73% | 12 | 1.5 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| iPhone 4SThis page | 12 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | Approved |
What people said
9 of the 13 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“iPhone 4s with native resolution textures felt truly magical”
“I also miss how the 4S camera looked”
“The 4S has the best iPhone camera in terms of realistic looking photos.”
“But for "out of the camera" JPGs, the 4S is still supreme.”
“such horrible battery life or could run modern apps”
“The 4S was the last true one-handed option in my opinion.”
“I consider Ivy Bridge and the iPhone 4S to be the best.”
“Perfect size, fits well in my hand, operable with one thumb.”
“My first iPhone was a 4S and i was astonished how correctly i'm typing.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.