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iPhone 4G pictured in white and black.

Pros: Fast, Nice Display, Same user-friendly OS, Semi-multitasking

Cons: Closed OS, “Small” Display, Phone Signal, Glass Screens

Summary: I’m not sure it is worth the purchase, but this is certainly a great phone. I wouldn’t say it is worlds better than the old iPhone or other phones on the market, but if you are up for an upgrade you should get it.

At long last a new iPhone has finally arrived! Is it everything that Apple fans around the world want it to be—maybe. With a new design, better display, new camera, faster processor, and new OS, the phone has finally provided all its users with features long overdue. While almost every facet of the phone has been updated we are not so sure it is worth the upgrade just yet. Signal issues still exist and technically speaking it is far the most advanced phone on the market. Nonetheless if you have a discounted upgrade or are a die-hard Apple fan, you won’t be displeased with your purchase.

The phone is available through AT&T in America for $299 (32GB) or $199 for the 16GB model. Without a contract you will have to pay $699 and $599 respectively.

Design and Hardware:

The iPhone 4′s design is drastically different from its predecessor with a flatter, glossier look. Both the front and back of the phone are made of glass, while the phone is bordered in stainless steel. The phone takes on a much boxier design with this model, which is ok because of its clean “Apple-esque” look. Plus we are happy that it can now lie flat on a desk without tipping back and forth. The phone is available in black and white.

Just like previous models there is only one button on the front of the phone that can perform a few functions depending on how and when you press it. There are also power, mute, and volume keys on the phone. The glass surrounding the phone attracts fingerprints like crazy and we are skeptical of how far the phone can fall without breaking. The phone feels a bit heavier than previous models which we prefer as it gives it a sturdier feel. Like the iPad, the new iPhone utilizes a Micro-SIM format, which allows more room for a larger battery—a welcome addition. However, this will prevent you from switching phones freely.

In addition you will find a front-facing VGA camera, as well as a 5-MP camera with LED flash on the rear of the phone. Apple has also added an additional microphone that should help in noise-cancellation.

The iPhone 4 screen has been updated to a 940×640-pixel display coined the “Retina Display”. This is 4x the resolution of previous iPhone models and adds 800:1 contrast ratio. Although not many people complained about the old iPhone screen, this was a much needed upgrade to put the screen on par with other displays such as the HTC HD2 or EVO 4G. It would have been nice to see an AMOLED screen on iPhone, but it will probably be saved for later generations.

A 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 chip is powering the iPhone 4—the same one that’s in the iPad, and the phone comes with 512mb of RAM. The phone is definitely faster than either the 3G or 3GS.

Apple has done a great job upgrading the components of the iPhone, but it is a bit odd that they chose not to upgrade them to same level as competing phones. An 8-MP camera would have been amazing to see on this phone; along with a slightly larger display (4-inches would have been perfect!).

Software and Features:

The iPhone 4 ships with Apples brand new iOS 4 which offers many new features that were not present in previous generations. The biggest addition is the ability to “multi-task”. While the iOS 4 does not offer full multi-tasking it does allow 7 programs to run various tasks in the background. These include audio, GPS, push notifications, task completions, and local notifications. In order to access the “task manager” the user must double-click on the home button. This gives the user the ability to choose or close any open task. Apple restricted the number of apps that could run in order to conserve battery life and improve performance.

Another new feature of iOS 4 is the ability to add folders to the main screen. Each folder can hold up to twelve apps (not sure why it is limited) and there is no limit to the number of folders you can have. Folders can be named by the user and moved to any specific location. Other changes include a comprehensive inbox, customizable home screen background, spell check, search, and game center. The new spell check features provides a Word-like experience where unrecognized or misspelled words appear with a red line beneath them. The iPhone will no longer auto-correct words on its own. Game Center will be coming out later this year and will offer social network gaming, the ability to add friends, observe leaderboards and achievements, and matchmake games.

Unfortunately there is still no Flash support on the device. However, Hulu Plus was unveiled recently and will allow Hulu videos to be viewed on the iPhone or iPad for $10 a month.

Apple is touting FaceTime as a ground-breaking feature of the iPhone. It is one the first phones to offer video calling, but unfortunately it only works over Wi-Fi right now. Apple has promised that it will work over 3G eventually. Video quality is decent, but not amazing with the VGA camera.

Performance:

The iPhone 4 comes equipped with a 5-MP camera, LED flash, 5x digital zoom, and tap-to-focus. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the photos. They were much better than previous iPhone generations and were on par with the 8-MP EVO 4G. Unlike previous iPhones there is no longer a shutter lag between tapping the screen and actually taking the picture. Video quality was also very good on the iPhone with very few pauses or lags and iOS 4 allows you to quickly edit your videos right on the phone.

As usual call quality is a bit suspect. While Apple succeeded in improving voice clarity by adding extra microphones, their external antenna seems to be causing many users issues. When held with a natural gripping position in the left hand, the phone seems to lose signal and drop phone calls. Apple has acknowledged the issue and suggested users purchase a case from Apple for $30. Just recently a lawsuit was filed against Apple for knowingly selling a defective product. Since then Apple has conceded a bit and has issued a statement saying they will release a software fix in the near future that will correct the bar issue. Whether this will work remains to be seen.

Design and Hardware: 9.0/10

Software and Features: 9.8/10

Performance: 8.3/10

Overall Rating: 9.0/10 – Excellent

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