With everyone talking, writing and tweeting about the iPhone 4, it’s difficult to uncover the consensus on Apple’s newest gadget. In Part II of this blog series, we’ve sorted through the endless reviews to compile a list of the phone’s stand-out features that the technological world is ranting and raving about. For an overview of the iPhone 4’s new features and software, and their compatibility with older models, read Part I of this series, Apple’s Never-Ending Releases: New iPhone, New Software, New Apps.
Sleek and Skinny Design
Most reviewers agreed that simply holding an iPhone 4 will increase feelings of self-importance. It boasts a sleek, satin-like design, and represents the thinnest iPhone yet. Measuring just 0.37″, it surpasses its 0.48″ predecessor.
Screen Streaking
You can certainly look at the new iPhone’s radiant design, but can you touch it? Although the screen survived the Wall Street Journal’s drop test unscathed, reviewers have reported spotting problems as well as a construction concern. Because of a drying issue with the bonding agent, yellow spots or streaks have surfaced across the screen. These blemishes reportedly disappear within a few days, but the construction concern is more permanent.
Screen Construction
Unlike previous models with screws releasing the front display assembly, the two screws on the bottom of the iPhone 4 release its back panel. This means that if the glass breaks, you’ll have to replace the entire phone rather than just the screen, since the display and touch panel are glued to the glass.
Superhuman Retina Display
With Apple’s Retina display, the iPhone 4 showcases a 960×640 pixel resolution that renders the human eye inferior. According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, within this resolution, which is four times higher than that of the iPhone 3GS, there are so many pixels that the human eye is unable to perceive them all. Critics have praised everything about the phone’s display, from the impressively clear graphics to the bold, sharp text. The display’s quality has even been compared to that of a printed magazine.
External Antenna and Poor Reception
Considering the general sense of public dissatisfaction with the iPhone’s exclusive tie to AT&T, Apple sought to improve reception on the not-so reliable network with an external band antenna. The antenna was designed to pick up the least congested network band, or the one with the least interference in order to achieve the best signal quality, regardless of the actual signal strength. However, it may not pick up any signals at all, depending on how you hold it. In response to the public’s concern about the reception issues, Apple has deemed it a “non-issue” and offered two solutions: either hold the phone differently, or purchase a case to eliminate this performance-hindering contact.
According to Apple, iPhone 4 users should avoid grasping their devices around the bottom left corner, covering both sides of the band’s black strip. Despite being highly-publicized, these reception issues haven’t occurred often enough to increase the phone’s return rate, which stands at 1.7% since its debut, compared to the 3GS model’s 6% return rate shortly after its introduction last year.
Front-facing Camera and FaceTime
With the introduction of a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, self-portrait lovers will no longer have to use the bathroom mirror or a self-timer to snap photographs of themselves. Even better, this front-facing camera enables the iPhone 4’s impressive video calling application, FaceTime.
Although the iPhone 4 isn’t the first phone to feature video chatting, critics have already praised FaceTime for its user-friendliness and its ability to seamlessly function. Outstanding issues with the picture-in-picture calling feature include its availability only over Wi-Fi networks, and only from one iPhone 4 to another iPhone 4.
Lack of Flash
Although the iPhone 4 showcases this innovative video-calling app, the absence of a Flash player will prevent you from viewing actual video and other interactive content online. Users hoping to catch up on their favorite television shows or watch the latest sports highlights via their mobile devices should opt for a different phone, since Apple has defended the exclusion of a Flash player on the basis of both security and performance.
Who hasn’t defended this exclusion? Google. The company’s Android 2.2 platform allows Android users to download Adobe’s Flash Player 10.1 beta, and access the abundance of interactive online content via the mobile web.
Multitasking
The iPhone 4 may not be able to play video online, but it certainly can do just about everything else - and it can do it all at the same time. Arguably the most remarkable feature of Apple’s new iOS 4 operating system, “multitasking” allows you to run multiple third-party apps simultaneously. With multitasking, reading an e-mail won’t stop your Pandora tunes from streaming and answering a call (if anyone still uses a phone for that purpose) won’t stop your GPS app from navigating. Convenient? Yes. But original? Not entirely. Apple’s introduction of multitasking represents an answer to Google’s Android, which pioneered the feature in 2008 with the release of its first version, the HTC GI.
Affordability
Not surprisingly, a device with features being deemed “mind-boggling” and “eye-wateringly impressive” won’t be a steal. Depending on your current relationship with AT&T, you’ll have to shell out anywhere from $199 to $699 for the iPhone 4. On the plus side, AT&T is allowing subscribers eligible for an upgrade any time in 2010 to purchase the phone before their actual upgrade day at the subsidized rate of $199 (16 GB) or $299 (32 GB).
Without a contract with AT&T, it will cost $599 or $699 to get your hands on Apple’s latest success. Spending $699 can get you the iPhone 4 — $699 can also get you two round-trip plane tickets from Boston to Los Angeles, a 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise for two, or 214 grande lattes from Starbucks.
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