What made the iPhone 4 better than the iPhone 3GS? What are some of the key differences between iOS 4 and iOS 5? How does the hardware of the iPhone 4S differ in respect to the hardware of the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 3GS?

My guess is that many consumers cannot accurately answer these questions and yet still form an opinion about the improvements, if any, Apple has made with the iPhone 4S.

Before discussing the iPhone 4S, let’s talk a little bit about opinion. An opinion is not fact … It is simply your personal belief or judgment about a product, situation or even another opinion. While you are always entitled to that opinion, you must take into consideration how such an opinion will influence others and their perspective on a given issue. As with any well-educated scientist, journalist or politician, a consumer who forms an opinion and makes that opinion publicly known has an obligation to root that opinion somewhere in fact. As with any argument, an opinion is worthless if it is not based on something that is tangible.

I could easily write this article and inform the SMU faculty, staff and student body that the iPhone 4S was not worth the 15-month wait, it is not the groundbreaking product release Apple needed to keep an edge over its competitors and that it is not worth the upgrade. Sure, that could be my opinion, but how did I form that opinion?

When it comes to the next generation iPhone, it may not be thinner, it may not have a bigger screen, but what is under the hood is astonishing. It has a better processor that makes the iPhone 4S twice as fast as the iPhone 4 and a brand new intelligent antenna system that will significantly increase call quality and connection speed. It has an astounding eight megapixel camera that may well replace digital cameras for many consumers worldwide, better battery performance and comes preloaded with iOS 5 and “Siri.”

Siri has the potential to change the mobile phone industry as we know it. Using the iPhone 4S and Siri, you can use your iPhone to perform a multitude of commands simply by speaking. Users can ask questions, such as “What will the weather be like in Dallas today?” or “How many days are left until Christmas?” or “How is the NASDAQ doing today?” and Siri will respond within seconds. You can use Siri to place calls, create and change calendar events, create reminders, set alarms and timers, write and send text messages and do virtually anything else you can put into words.

So what doesn’t the iPhone 4S have? The iPhone 4S does not have a new design, it does not have a bigger screen, it is not thinner and it does not look any different from the iPhone 4. However, in my opinion, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I may not be the first person in line on Oct. 14, but in my opinion, Apple has made some significant improvements to the new iPhone, and iOS 5 has some features that will revolutionize the way consumers use mobile phones.

Like anything else, you are entitled to your own opinion, and that opinion should be respected by others. You may prefer mobile phones manufactured by RIM, HTC, Samsung or Motorola, and you may prefer the Android or Windows Phone 7 operating systems over iOS 5. But before making posts on Facebook and Twitter and before telling your friends that the iPhone 4S is not an improvement, make sure your opinion is based on something tangible.

Ask yourself: If the new iPhone were called the “iPhone 5” and it looked a little different from the iPhone 4, would your opinion change?