iPhone 4 Hands-On Reviews and First Impressions

[SkippyThorson]

what is that green light above speaker?

That's not a light at all, just a very poor reflection for the void in the white (that's there in the black, just not very notable - people thought it was purple on the older iPhones) that allows the ambient light sensor and proximity sensor to see the light of day. The black and white color is solid, and needs a cutaway for inner workings to see through.

What is the switch at the top left above the +/- buttons?

Someone new to the iPhone looking to switch! Woohoo! -- That's the ring / silent switch. It's like a mute button for your iPhone.

 

[NyArtboy]

The truth

LOL best thing ive read all day. This thing cant touch the EVO.

Its fine to think that. But in the end Apple wins with this product. I mean the amount of revenue a company can generate through the Appstore today is rivaling what companies are making on Google. That means bottom line, there is more room for growth in business and revenue through Apple. No company likes a steady line of business, they like growth. Therefore what really wins for these products is the Apps and developers who get behind it. So guess what, its not because the iPhone is a better product in every way or even most ways, its because its a sexier product. And when you and I are in the same coffee shop, I'll go home with all the chicks and you'll get to geek out with your friends for the rest of the night. LAWL!!

No seriously, look at the biggest comparisons though. 90% of the people want exactly what the iPhone delivers and some of what the iPhone delivers cannot be duplicated. I admit the EVO delivers a few other cool but obscure features but really, the fact that the iPhone can display info in a "can't touch this" resolution and screen quality, just kills the EVO. However the real win is the new interface of the iOS4. They just blew you and every other mobile competitor away with it. I mean, I've played with an EVO. Its a johnny come late. They just spun off on what Apple already designed. Its not as elegant, not by far. And most of what its holding over the iPhone is simple stuff, which can be overcome, or become a non-issue. i.e. cellular carriers, who says it wont still open up to others soon? What happens if a Mobile Me lite comes out? Still convinced?

So its ok, get an EVO, there's plenty of them and many just like it. But, you know the truth, there is only one iPhone.

 

[Aramando]

So what that there is only 32gb. If you want a phone that can store more than that, go get one, this is clearly not the phone for you. So what if the Android is an open platform and you can tether without jailbreaking. If that is what you needed then clearly the iPhone 4 is not for you either.

I'm inclined to agree on the matter of comparisons with Android phones. There's a lot of one-upmanship on both sides of the fence, when in fact peope are talking about fundamental but subjective differences whose relative merits depend entirely on the individual considering them. If I was bothered about being able to customise my phone extensively then I would not be slagging off the iPhone for not letting you, I would simply recognise that it was aimed at a very different market and let my interest wander elsewhere.

Storage capacity, on the other hand, is a far more incidental detail. A phone being equipped with too little memory for one's needs when you know it is technically possible and similar products from the same manufacturer do have the requisite amount does not make the phone undesirable, it just frustrates you that it is so close to being the perfect product choice whilst not *quite* being there.

 

[SAPPete]

You are an ****** troll. Maybe you should throw one down with your buddies who said that the iPad was 'gonna be a "fail."

64 GB? Get real. It's a phone. My 16 gig 3Gs still has ample space available. Of course, I don't live in my mom's basement and I have a life.

No price drop? If 199 ducats is too much, you might want to reconsider your career path.

WiFi only and exclusive iPhone to iPhone video chat? Try Googling "network congestion" you moron.

1,000's of Gizmodo readers hate iPhone4? Do you even understand that real people in the real world could give a fat rat's ass about you and your 999 nerd buddies?

If you're 'gonna bring it to the boards, please have something intelligent to say.

When you call people ******s and morons, do you look in the mirror ?

32GB is crap, especially with the newly added HD video recording. People who use more than 16GB have to live in their mom's basement ? How's that Down's working out for you ?

 

[gwangung]

When you call people ******s and morons, do you look in the mirror ?

You obviously don't.

 

[SAPPete]

You obviously don't.

That didn't make any sense. Keep trying, though.

Actually, I'd be fine with 32GB or even 16GB internal memory if there was some sort of removable media (SD/xD card or even some proprietary *****). It'd be great to bring some more music / movies along without having to shuffle stuff around constantly.

Yeah, I know, I can buy a different phone blah blah blah. That's not the point.

 

[franswa za]

good work apple TEAM!, again- minimalist solid physical design hiding practical surprises!

this c/would have been my first iphone had i not been locked in by vodacom/phone in south africa or willing to pay the equivalent of $1400 for a "free range" unit!

************************

"religion is the the root of ALL evil"

 

[matttye]

Nope, not so much....so show us the competitor out there with a screen like this or with more than 32GB built-in. Right, there aren't any.

I will think of the "Retina Display" as a gimmick until I see it myself; until then, any AMOLED screen is better/on par with it

I can't show you a phone that has more than that built in, but there's plenty of phones that support 64GB when you include the MicroSD slot

 

[bli625]

You are an ****** troll. Maybe you should throw one down with your buddies who said that the iPad was 'gonna be a "fail."

64 GB? Get real. It's a phone. My 16 gig 3Gs still has ample space available. Of course, I don't live in my mom's basement and I have a life.

No price drop? If 199 ducats is too much, you might want to reconsider your career path.

WiFi only and exclusive iPhone to iPhone video chat? Try Googling "network congestion" you moron.

1,000's of Gizmodo readers hate iPhone4? Do you even understand that real people in the real world could give a fat rat's ass about you and your 999 nerd buddies?

If you're 'gonna bring it to the boards, please have something intelligent to say.

I would like to have seen a 64GB option. However, this isn't necessarily Apple's fault as production of 64GB flash chips has not yet reached a point where it would be economically viable for Apple's margins.

Price drop.. I can't really say anything bad about this. More features for the same price is okay for me.

FaceTime via Wifi only is not Apple's fault. Cellular networks won't be able to handle the increase in bandwidth at this point in time.

 

[franswa za]

at this point in time.[/QUOTE]

it should read- at his point, or- in time, you are duplicating!



francois

 

[turbineseaplane]

If by any chance they were going to have to make it thicker to accommodate 64gb, I'm glad they didn't, as I'm SUPER excited that it's getting thinner.

I've always loved the feel of the iPod touch compared to the iPhone and I'm hoping the iPhone 4 is somewhere in the middle.

 

[Stella]

What phone has 64gig of memory available? Apple could have added this, but they would have had to make it thicker. With cloud-based iTunes on the horizon, the need for 64gig of storage on a iPhone will be minimum.

Then you'll need plenty of bandwidth on your cell phone plan, which most people won't have / unwilling to pay out $$$ for enough bandwidth. AT&T will scream in horror, and probably others too. Alternatively, be in range of WIFI - which isn't always possible.

Sorry, but cloud based media storage for cell phones just isn't here yet. Mobile internet is still expensive for the data required for media cloud storage. On board RAM is still the way to go.

 

[TroyBoy30]

I wanted to see a 64 gig option as well. My 32 gig is full!

larger screen would have been nice as well as a notification light!

I also wanted a simple addition! ADD THE BLUETOOTH REMOTE CONTROL PROFILE PLEASE

 

[Loves2spoon]

Can't we all just get along... lol

 

[MACHeadSF]

Easy fix. Don't buy it.

Exactly!!!!!

 

[spydr]

I, for one, am truly as excited for this phone as I was for the original iPhone.

To the naysayers: We all heard you loud and clear going blah blah blah about lack of physical keyboard and removable media and what not. The rest is history. Hope you like fiddling with your androgynous bricks

 

[Paladin]

And before some of you jump in I don't give a flying f*** if you can fit your whole life in 32Gb, I still want the option.

If your whole life fits into a phone's flash memory, whether it's 32 GB or 640 GB, then your life is seriously lacking. Please tell me there is more to you than your music, video and app libraries.

 

[LagunaSol]

You go on about apple fanboys but what about you android fanboys? You're just as bad.

Worse, actually, since the Android fanboys choose to troll an Apple forum ad naseum to rage about the iPhone and sing the praises of Android. Me, I own an iPhone and thoroughly enjoy it. Yet I've never been to an Android forum to brag about it (nor feel compelled to do so).

 

[polaris20]

Worse, actually, since the Android fanboys choose to troll an Apple forum ad naseum to rage about the iPhone and sing the praises of Android. Me, I own an iPhone and thoroughly enjoy it. Yet I've never been to an Android forum to brag about it (nor feel compelled to do so).

And this surprises you probably about as much as the Windows fanboys, I'm assuming.

Yes, I use an Android phone, yes, I even occasionally use Windows 7 (I have it up in a VM right now, actually).

But anyone who feels the need to champion their chosen platform to the point of being an illogical dumbass just gets old. Quickly.

 

[ChazUK]

Worse, actually, since the Android fanboys choose to troll an Apple forum ad naseum to rage about the iPhone and sing the praises of Android. Me, I own an iPhone and thoroughly enjoy it. Yet I've never been to an Android forum to brag about it (nor feel compelled to do so).

Some of us Android users choose to frequent said Apple forum as we are also Mac users who are also tech enthusiasts.

Are us non 100% Apple users not welcome here?

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Worse, actually, since the Android fanboys choose to troll an Apple forum ad naseum to rage about the iPhone and sing the praises of Android. Me, I own an iPhone and thoroughly enjoy it. Yet I've never been to an Android forum to brag about it (nor feel compelled to do so).

You forgot something. Android is still a much smaller market. If you go a while back when apple was still a nitch one you would find apple fanboys trolling around on PC forums but not the other way around.

Now you have the Apple fanboys here clashing with Android fans who like Apple products and do use many of them.

Remember these forums are more than just iPhone forums. If you go to an iPhone only forum you will not see android fanboys really at all only iPhone fanboys because there are not other products in the mix.

here you have the Apple computers, iPod, iPad and iPhone plus the list of software apple makes. So Android fans can and will be here because of any of the first list of products other than the iPhone.....

Take off your apple blinders for a second and see that this site is a large apple community which includes people who like one apple product but hate the iPhone.

 

[polaris20]

You forgot something. Android is still a much smaller market. If you go a while back when apple was still a nitch one you would find apple fanboys trolling around on PC forums but not the other way around.

Now you have the Apple fanboys here clashing with Android fans who like Apple products and do use many of them.

Remember these forums are more than just iPhone forums. If you go to an iPhone only forum you will not see android fanboys really at all only iPhone fanboys because there are not other products in the mix.

here you have the Apple computers, iPod, iPad and iPhone plus the list of software apple makes. So Android fans can and will be here because of any of the first list of products other than the iPhone.....

Take off your apple blinders for a second and see that this site is a large apple community which includes people who like one apple product but hate the iPhone.

I don't think the annoying part of Android users participating here is the fact that they're Android users. It's how their posting that's moronic. Not all, of course. But many.

"Android is INFINITELY better!"
"The iPhone is junk!"
"iPhone 4 can't remotely compete with EVO!"
"Android is better because I have choice!"

These are all subjective comments made in this thread that are vehemently stated as fact. All it succeeds in doing is making the poster look like a tool.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I don't think the annoying part of Android users participating here is the fact that they're Android users. It's how their posting that's moronic. Not all, of course. But many.

"Android is INFINITELY better!"
"The iPhone is junk!"
"iPhone 4 can't remotely compete with EVO!"
"Android is better because I have choice!"

These are all subjective comments made in this thread that are vehemently stated as fact. All it succeeds in doing is making the poster look like a tool.

By the same token you have annoying apple fanboys here posting

"Take that Android"
"Android sucks even more now"
"Evo does not stand a chance"
"iPhone rules"

And the list goes on. It makes them look like a tool as well.

 

[LagunaSol]

Some of us Android users choose to frequent said Apple forum as we are also Mac users who are also tech enthusiasts.

Are us non 100% Apple users not welcome here?

I'm not saying that at all. I'm not talking about you or about all Android users who comment here. Just the trollish segment. Talking trash in a juvenile way about the "other guy" on that "other guy's" users' forum is obnoxious and rude. And by "trash" I'm not talking about reasoned argument - I'm talking about the flamebait being spewed by a small segment.

See our friend skyehill's commentary in this thread for a perfect illustration of what I'm talking about (and the numerous responses to his commentary). How about referring to the iPhone as a "turd Steve Jobs squeezed out from between his legs" or something to that effect. What is this, the 8th grade?

Sadly the mods appear unwilling to, well, moderate this useless type of commentary designed solely to agitate. Me, I'm no longer engaging the trolls directly. I'm going to rely on the moderators to bring this forum back under control.

Take off your apple blinders for a second and see that this site is a large apple community which includes people who like one apple product but hate the iPhone.

See above.

I don't think the annoying part of Android users participating here is the fact that they're Android users. It's how their posting that's moronic. Not all, of course. But many.

"Android is INFINITELY better!"
"The iPhone is junk!"
"iPhone 4 can't remotely compete with EVO!"
"Android is better because I have choice!"

These are all subjective comments made in this thread that are vehemently stated as fact. All it succeeds in doing is making the poster look like a tool.

Amen.

 

[polaris20]

By the same token you have annoying apple fanboys here posting

"Take that Android"
"Android sucks even more now"
"Evo does not stand a chance"
"iPhone rules"

And the list goes on. It makes them look like a tool as well.

COMPLETELY agree. Android's keyboards are inferior (in my opinion). However Android 2.2 has free tethering, both wired w/ USB and wifi. iPhone 4's screen is preferable to me. EVO's screen size is bigger. iPhone 4's HD video is higher quality.

It goes back and forth. Pick what works for you, move along.