Apple iPhone 4S On iOS 9: 3 Key Feature Upgrades To Expect

Apple pulled off a big surprise, a welcome one, when it announced that the iPhone 4S is listed as among the recipients of the upcoming iOS 9 upgrade this September 2015. Essentially, the 2011 flagship is given a fresh cycle of new device features and capabilities.

But what exactly to expect from an aging iPhone that will be injected with a new life courtesy of iOS 9? According to Adam Mills of Gotta Be Mobile, Apple's move is unprecedented as iOS support normally last three years, tops, but as it appears now the 4S is a different story.

By its current state, the iPhone 4S running on iOS 8.4.1 is sufficiently capable including on the hardware side. But the looming jump to iOS 9 makes for an exciting prospect for millions of 4S users worldwide as Apple is expected to deliver feature upgrades that really matter.

Mills has listed in his GBM article the enhancements that the iPhone 4S on iOS 9 will likely pack - three of which are provided below:

Performance boost

As promised, Apple will bolster the performance and stability of its iOS device lineup and that includes the iPhone 4S. Mills said that thanks to the new Apple Metal platform for developers, applications will be better rendered in the iOS 9-powered 4S.

Specifically, applications authored for iOS 9 will optimize use of the 4S CPU and GPU and the direct result is "faster scrolling, smoother animation, and better overall performance," GBM said.

Tougher security protocols

Mobile device security is more important than ever and iOS 9 on the iPhone 4S will surely make it harder to compromise the handset. Two upgrades are set to benefit 4S users, Mills said. First is the option to use a 6-digit pass code that should entail more hard work to crack the 4S.

Then two-factor authentication is also set to introduced with iOS 9 or the use of verification code on top of log-in credentials to ensure that files and privacy of mobile device users are tightly safeguarded.

Prolonged battery life

Apple has indicated that iOS 9 will extend iPhone battery life by at least an hour and the solid energy juice upgrade applies across the board, the iPhone 4S including. Tweaks performed on iOS 9 will render applications and other iPhone services less power-hungry, the tech giant said.

So far Apple's word seems to be proving true as Mill wrote that the beta versions of iOS 9 indeed saw significantly reduced battery usage and the final cut of the software is only expected to sustain the same showing.

Apple will likely deliver iOS 9 to iPhone 4S shortly after its September 9 event or ahead of the actual iPhone 6S release date on September 18.