iPhone 4 Hands-On Reviews and First Impressions

[polaris20]

Yep, I know:

1 - Flash?

2 - Widgets?

3 - "Better" screen?

4 - Android?

5 - porn?

No, thanks.

1. Flash sucks; it's a constant security risk, as well as a CPU cycle sucker.
2. I guess they're useful for someone, though I never use them on my Droid
3. It's obvious the iPhone 4's screen is better than anyone else's.
4. Android 2.2 is very impressive, just not as impressive as iOS4.
5. Porn is available on nearly any mobile phone. It's called a browser. Want video? Download it and encode it with Handbrake.

 

[kevinkt]

Yep, I know:

1 - Flash?

2 - Widgets?

3 - "Better" screen?

4 - Android?

5 - porn?

No, thanks.

Don't even talk dude. You have nothing to say. Period!!!

 

[50548]

Posts like this really piss me off.

So you think this iPhone sucks cause they didn't make a 64GB iPhone for YOU? and didn't make it cheaper? If I pay you the difference, will it suddenly be a great iPhone?

How is it outclassed by the EVO? because of EVO's cheap thoughtless plastic design? or by the mediocre ugly software that runs on it?

I am also waiting for the stupid troll arguments that show how "better" the EVO is...

I've seen none so far, a sad realization for Android fanboys that is gonna grow even clearer now with the new iPhone.

 

[bbplayer5]

1. Evo isn't 64GB either, and even the 32GB MicroSD chips are next to impossible to come by, if at all.
2. No surprise there. Typical Apple. More features, same price.
3. Agreed. This does suck, if you want to actually do video chat on the phone. I personally don't care in the slightest about this, but that's just my opinion.
4. I think it looks fine, and time will tell what the public at large thinks of it. The people at MacRumors are hardly representative of that.

The only real disappointment is the lack of Verizon, or even T-Mobile. Otherwise, iOS4 is still better than Android, even 2.2 (barring a couple features like wifi hotspot and tethering).

How is iPhones OS any better than android?! Have you ever used 2.2? iPhone cant even touch it. It has all the features of iPhone and more. Fun fact is, I wont have anyone in my phone book that will get the iPhone 4 in the first year, so the faces thing is useless... Id rather edit movies on my computer. Multitasking on android is still far superior. What Jobs didnt mention is apps hibernate in the background on android also.

Android OS still > iPhone 4s OS. Only difference is a more stylish phone. EVO 4G has this beat pretty much hands down. Ill take a larger screen over a 3.5 any day.

 

[kevinkt]

Yep, I know:

1 - Flash?

2 - Widgets?

3 - "Better" screen?

4 - Android?

5 - porn?

No, thanks.

Don't even talk dude. You have nothing to say. Period!!!

 

[knewsom]

note the gap inbetween the bezel and the actual functioning part of the display - on the white phone, this frames your image in black, THEN white... on the black phone, it's just black, and much cleaner.

This may be an improvement over the last white iPhone, but still not as classy as the black, methinks.

 

[iMacoo7]

Did I miss it? How much ram does the IP4 have? I had a live audio stream going and did not hear it, as well as blog sites out the wahzoo up. Although I am sick, but any mention of ram size?

 

[capn7]

Posts like this really piss me off.

So you think this iPhone sucks cause they didn't make a 64GB iPhone for YOU? and didn't make it cheaper? If I pay you the difference, will it suddenly be a great iPhone?

How is it outclassed by the EVO? because of EVO's cheap thoughtless plastic design? or by the mediocre ugly software that runs on it?

I'm sorry, I just had to step in here. Firstly, you can't go cursing off people for having opinions, m'kay?

Secondly, you obviously have no idea of what you're talking about with the EVO. Cheap, thoughtless plastic design? Like the other 3 generation iPhones? Secondly, the device's software is optimized with HTC Sense, which in fact is no where near ugly.

Jesus Christ, so many hypocrites.

 

[skyehill]

So again: why waste your time posting here if the iPhone is so bad? We know you like your EVO, the message is clear now.

My message is clear because it was delivered via Sprint. See what I did there! And as I said, a lot of us post here because MAC RUMORS is more than just poorly made phones.

 

[Consultant]

Why would the front camera be on when you're on the home screen? Would be pretty wasteful. It's more than likely to allow for the proximity sensors.

MULTI-TASKING???

Maybe the video chat app is on in the background?

 

[BlizzardBomb]

thats a hard to notice circle! this is a out in the open grill!

It's only because this is the first time we've seen a white-fronted iPhone. Notice how the black iPhone 4's sensor is "hard to notice" as you say.

 

[polaris20]

Flash. Video chat between the phone and computers or other phones. Video chat over 3G or 4G or Wifi. A real OS with an even better one a few months away. No iAds to be found anywhere. No moronic Apple restrictions on Apps. Free tethering. Free wifi hot spot options via apps. I can go on and on, but it would make your fanboy head explode.

Flash sucks.
Agree on the video chat issues.
Android is going to a yearly cycle, same as iOS.
Ads exist on Android too, depending on the app.
Agree on the tethering, provided Verizon doesn't find a way to charge Droid users even though it's built into the OS.

When it comes down to it, iPhone 4 is extremely competitive to the Evo and Droid Incredible. Many of the features that shift favor to the HTC phones many people won't give two squirts about. If they do, that's fine. That's why there's a choice.

Luckily it's 2010, and not 2007 when there was the iPhone against Blackberry and WinMo.

If you didn't want an iPhone on AT&T, you were stuck with figuring which were the shinier of two turds.

 

[bmwhd]

Pssst, first and foremost its a phone. And the iPhone is a lousy PHONE. And if you want to make arbitrary arguments, show me an iphone with a replaceable battery. Show me an iphone with a 4.3 inch screen. Show me an iphone that runs the infinitely superior Android OS. Show me an iphone with 2 built in FREE turn by turn navigation options. I could go on and on.

Let me say up front, I'll be getting the new iPhone the second it's available. Still, you're spot on about the phone part. Two people calling each other on iPhones is just one step above two cans and a string.

My friends and I joke about it all the time and we live in the heart of some serious 3G coverage by AT&T. Can't imagine how crappy it is outside a major city.

I would say on average that 50% of my calls on my 3GS experience either periodic signal drop out or complete call drop and it's been that way for me on my original iPhone and my 3G as well.

 

[skyehill]

Yep, I know:

1 - Flash?

2 - Widgets?

3 - "Better" screen?

4 - Android?

5 - porn?

No, thanks.

Bigger screen

Better OS

Swappable batteries

Turn by Turn Nav for free

Not subjected to the infantile whims of Apple's acceptance policy on apps.

Psst, you just got owned.

 

[polaris20]

How is iPhones OS any better than android?! Have you ever used 2.2? iPhone cant even touch it. It has all the features of iPhone and more. Fun fact is, I wont have anyone in my phone book that will get the iPhone 4 in the first year, so the faces thing is useless... Id rather edit movies on my computer. Multitasking on android is still far superior. What Jobs didnt mention is apps hibernate in the background on android also.

Android OS still > iPhone 4s OS. Only difference is a more stylish phone. EVO 4G has this beat pretty much hands down. Ill take a larger screen over a 3.5 any day.

Sure I've used it. iPhone's keyboard (speaking now of 3.1.3, obviously not 4.0) is vastly superior. Android's multitasking isn't far superior. It's done differently. Cut and paste on Android still blows. I don't really see how Android 2.2 is so "vastly superior". It's not.

I'm sorry you can't see that everything you're saying is opinion. But please try to realize that, and state it as such.

 

[muddy cleats]

I really like everything about this phone... but in the middle of my 3GS contract... I'll wait and be very pleased to buy this at reduced price next year when the new model comes out....

 

[skyehill]

Flash sucks.
Agree on the video chat issues.
Android is going to a yearly cycle, same as iOS.
Ads exist on Android too, depending on the app.
Agree on the tethering, provided Verizon doesn't find a way to charge Droid users even though it's built into the OS.

When it comes down to it, iPhone 4 is extremely competitive to the Evo and Droid Incredible. Many of the features that shift favor to the HTC phones many people won't give two squirts about. If they do, that's fine. That's why there's a choice.

Luckily it's 2010, and not 2007 when there was the iPhone against Blackberry and WinMo.

If you didn't want an iPhone on AT&T, you were stuck with figuring which were the shinier of two turds.

We can agree that Flash sucks. But what sucks worse is not having the CHOICE to view a video using Flash. One phone lets you enable and disable Flash at will so that you're never forced to run to a real computer to view something, whereas the other device gives you no option whatsoever. I'll take choice over no choice every day of the week.

 

[jsimpson]

I may be reading something into this that's nothing but.... has anyone noticed that prior to iPhone 4 that in all pics of the phone on Apple's website they had AT&T next to the signal bars but now in everything they show on the website of iPhone 4 that AT&T is gone and it's just 3G there?

I know in the hands on pics AT&T is there but at this time there isn't any other option. Just seemed to stand out to me.

 

[jamesryanbell]

If you aren't blown away with iPhone 4, then you don't deserve to have one.

Immediately the best phone on the market for anyone that recognizes it.

Don't like it? Don't buy it. Buy a lesser phone and live with that.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

I am also waiting for the stupid troll arguments that show how "better" the EVO is...

I've seen none so far, a sad realization for Android fanboys that is gonna grow even clearer now with the new iPhone.

Believe it or not, the EVO does have advantages over the iPhone 4. I take it you don't own one so you won't be able to judge right? I won't bore you with all the details, but there are some significant advantages over the iPhone. Both the iPhone and the EVO are great phones, it's an amazing time for anyone into tech to be around! Never before have we seen such amazing phones. Whether you prefer the Android & HTC combo or Apple is purely personal preference. One is not really better than the other.

 

[polaris20]

We can agree that Flash sucks. But what sucks worse is not having the CHOICE to view a video using Flash. One phone lets you enable and disable Flash at will so that you're never forced to run to a real computer to view something, whereas the other device gives you no option whatsoever. I'll take choice over no choice every day of the week.

You have a choice. Go buy an Android phone. It's very capable. I don't see what the problem is, really. You want the ability, Apple doesn't offer it, so vote with your dollar. Done.

 

[tom844]

I wonder what IBM and Cisco are going to have to say about Apple using "iOS".

 

[skyehill]

Let me say up front, I'll be getting the new iPhone the second it's available. Still, you're spot on about the phone part. Two people calling each other on iPhones is just one step above two cans and a string.

My friends and I joke about it all the time and we live in the heart of some serious 3G coverage by AT&T. Can't imagine how crappy it is outside a major city.

I would say on average that 50% of my calls on my 3GS experience either periodic signal drop out or complete call drop and it's been that way for me on my original iPhone and my 3G as well.

Many put the blame solely on ATT, but its the phone. My mother-in-law has ATT and in spots where my iphone did nothing but drop calls, hers maintained service just fine. I love the new design of the iPhone. Love it. But as I said, it's first and foremost a phone. And as phones go, it's simply dreadful.

 

[Glideslope]

I'm personally not a fan of the white. I had a white 3G, but I think the black front frames the image so much nicer. Gives it a "dim the lights" effect.

Have to agree. I had a White 3G and really liked it. Something about the White iPhone 4 seems distracting to me. Just personal I guess. Maybe in person it will be a different experience.

Still hoping for another carrier some day.

 

[hiptobesquare]

Not bad at all.

FaceTime is good to be introduced, but it is new. Not everyone has a device capable of it, and the cell networks likely need to get a lot more speedy, which evidently this phone is ready for. That is good.

The throughput on the cell networks would be insane to transfer full duplex video all over the place. You think you have dropped calls now...

Notice, they said "FaceTime Devices" projected to sell in the future... Whaddya wanna bet that the Rev.B of the iPad, and the next iPodTouch/iPadNano, and iChat on a mac computer is going to all get wrapped together.

It wouldn't surprise me if Vonage, Skype, etc... VoIP carriers and video chat programs are going to wrap into compatability with this, as well, for purely WiFi connectivity, or compatibility with other brand devices across various networks.

The gyroscope+accelerometer+compass+gps combo sounds fantastic to me... I can only wait to see what becomes capable for VR, or remote control, or augmented reality.

I can imagine an autonomous/auto-pilot helicopter, aircraft, or even ground vehicle, built from the components of an iPhone. Two cameras, an A4 chip, gyro stabilization, compass-based heading measurement, accelerometer and GPS positioning, wifi/BT/Cellular connectivity, and FaceTime is pretty much ready for first person flying, even with an illuminated HD camera! Also a down-view from the alternate camera. Add some automotive sonar parking sensors (the buttons on car bumpers for parking distance alarms) for proximity detection, and you have a very interesting automaton or RC vehicle. You could control one from another iPhone, or an iPad, with corresponding control inputs. Maybe use the retina screen to display telepresence, or other information, too.

The hardware content that you can hold in you hand today was unbelievable just a few years ago.

I am going to pick one of these up, then the only question will be, how to get my original iPhone onto a very cheap family second line on the same common minutes and unlimited data, or a pay-as-you-go, and hand it down. I use the computing features more than I make calls anyway.