This is an iPhone 4 review, a review that is meant to speak to the average person, not the people that get geeked out on mega this, memory that and… we can’t forget about the number of app people.
The Antenna “Issue”
By now I’d imagine that you’ve likey heard about the iPhone 4 antenna issue that has been pointed out time and time again. Is it a huge deal?
I’ve had the phone (live in NYC where AT&T coverage is supposed to be “bad”) for nearly two weeks and virtually had no service issues due to the antenna (maybe I’ve been lucky). There was one day that my signal wouldn’t reconnect after coming up out of the subway, but that seem to be a fluke because it hasn’t happened since. I’ve purposefully tried to mess with the antenna to make the signal drop and it hasn’t happened.
Has the fact that the phone has a flaw made me think about taking it back several times? Absolutely. The only reason is that I’ve come to expect nothing but the best from Apple products and the iPhone 4 isn’t quite perfect (but it’s still a great device). They’re going to fix the issue and they will eventually make it perfect. If I took my current iPhone4 back I could wait until the fixed version is distributed, but… I really don’t know if it’s truly that big of a deal.
Enough about the antenna.
Screen Resolution
The screen resolution is fantastic, which comes into play when reading emails and messing around on the web. The text comes across really crisp. There have been a couple times where I’ve thought to myself, “Wow, it’s so easy to read this web page.” You’ll like that, a lot.
Video
I previously had the 3G version, which means video recording is a new feature to me. The iPhone 4 shoots HD video that looks really fantastic. And when I say “fantastic,” you have to keep in mind that this thing is still a phone. You’re not going to be the next major Hollywood producer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t edit video on your phone using the iMovie app. That’s sweet.
I shot the video below with the iPhone 4 while riding my bike early one morning in New York City; it’s not uploaded as HD though, but you still get an idea of the quality.
Camera
In addition to video, the phone has a great camera. It takes photos extremely fast and the zoom feature is pretty handy – oh, and it also has a nice flash. And on the flash, I’ve not really used it yet because the camera seems to do well in low light situations. You’ll also like the fact that the iPhone 4 has a front facing camera – you know, for the times you want to take a photo with you and a friend.
You’ve probably heard about how the iPhone 4 has a 5 megapixel camera and some other phones have 8. I’m telling you, the photos I’ve taken with my iPhone are really great. I don’t really know that they could come out much better… Click the photo to the left to see the full size.
For this iPhone 4 review I can’t really comment on Facetime, the video calling feature, because I haven’t used it – but you have to admit, that’s just a flat out cool feature.
Multipe Apps & Speed
The iPhone 4 also lets you run multiple applications at once and seems to operate extremely fast. I loaded a web page yesterday and remember saying to the person on the phone, “This thing is really fast.” Also, if you have the 3G you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say it seemed to take a moment for the phone to take a photo – it’s as if you had to hold still to let the shot process. Not so on the iPhone 4. When you click the button to take a shot – it’s done, and that’s nice.
Other Phones
There are other phones that rival the iPhone, but I’m not sure they have the total package. For example, the HTC Invencible is a nice looking phone, but it doesn’t have HD video, usess an app to connect to iTunes that has been described as something that “works if you’re lucky” and it doesn’t have the video calling option, or front facing camera (to my knowledge.”
Some of the other Droid options pack a punch, but they’d also take up my entire pant pocket due to their size, which doesn’t appeal to me. And… there’s like 800 to choose from which makes me feel like it’s hard to get the “right” device.
In the End
At the end of the day, the iPhone 4 is a cell phone, you know – one of those things we used to only use to call people with. Sure I use it to make calls, but a bulk of my use has to do with texting, taking photos/video, using apps and getting online. That being said, the phone could virtually not work and it would still be a worthwhile device.
Last but not least (I’m prob leaving tons of stuff out), the phone looks great. I can’t tell you the times people have seen me holding it and stopped me to look at it or ask questions. It’s like some sort of modern day fashion accessory. [Ladies, you no longer need a mirror for your hair, just look at the back of the iPhone 4 and you’ll be good to go – not that I’ve ever done that. :)]
I anticipate that I’ll end up keeping the phone, but there is an Apple press conference being held on Friday to discuss the antenna issue, so we’ll see what that’s all about.
I hope you’ve found this iPhone 4 review for the average person to be helpful.
