iPhone 4 review
The iPhone 4 is the most discussed phone of all time. With the antennagate issues, the Retina Display and FaceTime software this is a phone with many good and bad points. But is it also the best smartphone in the world? Find out in our review.
A new iPhone is always greeted with a certain amount of fevered hype and expectation. In the case of iPhone 4 it is deservedly so. With the first genuine redesign of the hardware since the original model and a number of new features in the software this device represents a real leap over what has gone before.
The competition to the iPhone is tougher than it has ever been, however, so is Apple really surpassing its rivals, or merely catching up with the competition?
Although the design sticks with the trusted formula – large screen, single home button – the iPhone 4 has undergone a radical redesign. The smooth curves of its predecessors are gone, replaced with sharp lines in an industrial design with a retro appeal.
It’s undeniably a beautiful piece of hardware and makes the older models seem distinctly dated by comparison. Not to mention fatter as well: iPhone 4 shaves 3mm off the thickness of the 3GS and noticeably so. It’s weightier than you might expect, but not in a bad way as the device feels extremely solid, with build quality unrivalled in any other smartphone.
The front and back are made of toughened plastic which feels tough but is not completely scratch proof so we would recommend a case. The edges of the phone offer genuine innovation in that the assorted wireless antennas are built into the actual casing. Although we could replicate issue signal drop issue when holding the phone in a certain way, we could not get it to drop calls. In any case the addition of one of Apple’s bumper cases solved any concerns.
The undoubted highlight of iPhone 4 is its screen. It has a pixel density of 326ppi, and Apple calls it a Retina Display because it says that once you get beyond 300 pixels per inch the eye can no longer make out the difference. It sounds like marketing hype, but it’s not.
It’s extraordinarily good. You could, if you wanted, read text on web pages when fully zoomed out, and at no point can you make out the individual pixels. It is also bright and reasonably viewable in sunlight, and has a near free viewing angle. Naturally this doesn’t suddenly render all other high res displays terrible, but this does set a new standard.
Elsewhere the improved hardware performed well. The new 1GHz processor ensured there was no lag when navigating the phone’s menus or apps. The Wi-Fi signal strength was outstanding, and the upgraded camera, now five megapixels and with a larger sensor than in most smartphones, could now be considered a realistic alternative to a compact.
HD video recording was also among the best we have seen on a phone.
iPhone 4 runs the new iOS4, of which the standout feature is what is best described as pseudo-multitasking. It isn’t full multi-tasking, and apps won’t automatically continue running in the background. Many are simply suspended when you switch away from them, and then continue exactly where you left off when you switch back.
In areas where they are allowed to run in the background, such as music streaming or uploading files, apps need to be specially written to take advantage of the feature. Apple hasn’t added any of its usual unique touches to the UI for this task switching, a simple double tap on the home button shows a row of running or recently launched apps that you can move between.
Even though this isn’t full multi-tasking in the way that Android or Symbian provide it does present the perception of multi-tasking. Apps continue running when needed, and switching between suspended apps is quick enough. For most users that will be enough. Whether any limitations in the implementation arise remains to be seen.
The much vaunted FaceTime – video calling – works, but only over Wi-Fi to other iPhone 4 users. Video calling on mobile devices has proven a tough sell to date, and will likely continue to be so even with Apple pushing it.
The other new software features are fairly minimal and often fill in some of the more noticeable gaps in functionality. Being able to sort apps into folders, for instance, is welcome and long overdue.
But some of the areas where the iPhone software had fallen behind Android remain. Opportunities to customise the phone are very limited, there is still no support for home screen widgets, and the notifications system remains as clunky as before.
iPhone 4 is quite different from what we have seen before, but it turns out it is not different enough to change anyone’s mind about the product. If you love the style, ease of use and bountiful App Store then you will continue to love it – and the iPhone 4 is a pretty tempting proposition even for current 3GS users.
But if you think ease of use is a euphemsism for ‘lack of functionality’ or dislike the vice-like grip Apple has on the entire ecosystem (nothing is allowed on an iPhone without the official seal of approval, remember) then you are unlikely to be won round, no matter how pretty the phone is.
Price: £499 SIM-free
Web: www.apple.com
Essential verdict
Performance: 9
Design: 10
Feature: 8
Value: 8
Overall score: 9/10
Popularity: 4% [?]
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Bought an Iphone 4, had it 3 days and it hung up on everyone every 2 minutes, the sensor that locked the screen when it was held to your face went out, and the phone overheated so much I couldnt hold it. When I returned it on the 4th day of ownership, I was told it was a $35 restocking fee. I asked if I could try another Iphone 4 because it was the only phone I wanted and was hoping the phone I purchased the first time was a fluke. I was told no. Once you walk out of the store with it, whether it works or not, you have to keep it. According to the ATT representative Apple has a contract that says you can only trade in the Iphone 4 one time, even if it is broken. I even called their 1-800 number to confirm. Very very disappointed in this phone and Apple’s policy. I switched to an Android instead. One that ATT is willing to stand behind.
It is true that the iPhone is well built, and the email integration and browser are very good. Also, the UI responsiveness is excellent.
The rest, is just very average or bad. The camera is quite bad. The GPS is awful. The multi-tasking is a joke (i can check my calendar in a call for example). The connectivity is very poor also. (Bluetooth services, file management, 3.5G, HDMI, …). Customization is very limited, the lock screen doesn’t inform of missing calls, emails, meetings, … it doesn’t sync Outlook task or have any task manager built in without the apps. There are many apps available, but most rubbish. I think it is a gadget. but not a good phone. fun to use, but that’s all.