iPhone · The Aluminum Age · 2011
iPhone 4S
Unveiled the day before Steve Jobs died, the 4S brought Siri, a much better 8 MP camera and dual-core speed in the familiar glass body.
iPhone 4S: key facts
When was the iPhone 4S released?
The iPhone 4S was released in October 14, 2011. Apple discontinued it in September 2014.
How much did the iPhone 4S cost?
The iPhone 4S launched at $649 in 2011 — about $922 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the iPhone 4S’s specs?
The iPhone 4S used a Apple A5 running at 800 MHz, with 512 MB of memory and 16 GB of storage. It ran iOS 5.
Why does the iPhone 4S matter?
Introduced Siri and an 8 MP camera; first dual-core iPhone.
Full specifications
| CPU | Apple A5 · 800 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 512 MB |
| Storage | 16 GB |
| Display | 3.5" Retina LCD, 960×640 |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX543MP2 |
| Ports | 30-pin dock, 3.5 mm |
| Weight | 140 g |
| Dimensions | 115.2×58.6×9.3 mm |
| Operating system | iOS 5 |
| Released | October 14, 2011 |
| Discontinued | September 2014 |
| Launch price | $649 |
How the iPhone 4S compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 32× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 800 MHz, the clock is roughly 4.0× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 4,100 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $649 in 2011 — about $922 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
Some read "4S" at the keynote as "for Steve."
Related iPhone models
Open the iPhone 4S in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25