My iPhone 4 Review

I have used the iPhone 4 for a while now and have a good impression of how this phone really performs. This is my iPhone 4 Review.

When Apple released their first smart phone in January 2007 after a long time of rumors it was a revolutionary phone. It was every Apple fans dream come true. It didn't even have the App Store but people still loved the device.

I did not get the first one Apple released in 2007. I got the 3G model, the 3GS and now the 4.

During all this time Apple have released new software upgrades giving people new features. One of the most important one must have been the App Store. A huge success. And multitasking. However the phone is not that revolutionizing anymore. HTC has come along with a few really good Android based smartphones and they are giving the iPhone 4 good competition.

First impressions

When I got the phone I was surprised about how small packaging Apple have managed to make. It's about half the size of the 3GS packaging.

The phone itself feels a lot more luxurious compared to the older model. The 3GS almost feels like a toy now when you have had the iPhone 4 in your hands. The build quality really stands out with the entire glass front and back. The metal borders encapsulates the phone perfectly while also functioning as the phones antennas.

Just a side note about the antenna. You have probably heard about people claiming bad reception if you hold the phone a certain way. I have tried this myself and havent got the phone to drop any calls. It could be that the cellular networks are better in Norway I am not sure. But I havent experienced any problems at least.

If you have problems with dropped calls it could help if you get yourself a case. The bumper case from Apple. I still think they offer them�free of charge.

Retina Display

One of the first things you will notice is the screen. The iPhone 4 screen is without doubt one of the best displays I have seen on a mobile device up until now. The pixel density is so high that the eye can not distinguish individual pixels. This in turn makes text crisp. It is a lot easier to read small font sizes and everything is just sharp. I really like the display, it is one of the reasons to get the iPhone 4.

5 Megapixel camera

They have managed to cram in a 5 megapixel camera in there. It takes decent photos, not anything highly impressive but it is a lot better compared to the older generation. If the lighting conditions is met the photos come out pretty good. It also records video in high def! (720p up to 30 fps). The video recording quality actually impressed me a lot. I was at a club event a while back, watching my favourite band: Infected Mushroom. I tested the iPhone 4 in this dark club with smoke, lights and this is what came out. Pretty impressive if you ask me. The video and sound are recorded using only the phone, this is straight from the device itself without any editing.

Link to (HD) video: Infected Mushroom / Bergen

Battery Time

In my experience I can get about 2 days worth of battery time. This is while using the phone in a work environment wich includes checking e-mail, making phone calls, texting, surfing etc... It all depends on how much I have to do that day but in general I can make it last no longer than two days. We come to expect this from smartphones nowadays.

Microsoft Exchange

I use this phone at work and we have a Windows only environment there. I havent met any problems yet. Exchange works fine it syncs with e-mail, calendar, contacts (if I want, turned it off). It looks like Apple have worked hard on Exchange support. The only problem I have is that I do not receive push e-mail notifications. I have to manually check the e-mail. Push delivery did work before but I think our IT department have changed the policy on that. I am not sure. It works when it works ... at least.

Facetime

The iPhone 4 also features a front VGA camera. With Facetime you can make video calls to other people using the same phone, or a Mac. I have tried it a few times and it works well actually.

Do I buy it?

I wont go into all the details surrounding this phone because I assume you already have read a few iPhone 4 reviews already. You can also find a lot of useful information and specs at the official Apple website. No point in repeating what other have said.

I bought this phone even when I already had the 3GS version. I didn't really need to have the latest version but if you are a gadget Apple nerd you always want the newest one. So while my spouse shook her head I ordered the phone when it was available here. I do not regret it at all. Just the screen itself is worth upgrading for in my opinion. Especially if you read a lot on your device it will be better for your eyes.

I also wanted the improved camera, as of this writing my twins are seven months old and it is much easier to take out the iPhone 4 if you want to have some snapshots of your kids, than the bulky DSLR camera.

And of course the design, it looks really nice and I am a sucker for nice design.

There you have it, now go out and buy one yourself! :)