Apple iPhone 4 (GSM)
Phone Scoop Review
Jun 24, 2010 by Philip Berne
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Love My iPhone 4
I bought the iPhone4 on the day it was released. Before that I've owned the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3Gs, Blackberry Curve, Blackberry Pearl, and numerous other phones. I live in northeastern part of the city of Los Angeles where cell phone reception can be very problematic due to the hills and other signal obstructions, so I'm always searching for a better phone.
-So far, the iPhone 4 has the best performance of all of the phones that I've owned. I've even been able to receive phone calls inside of a bank vault in East LA. Note that I've had a bumper on the iPhone 4 from day 1. As for dropped calls, I've only lost calls in the same spot where my other phones could not even get a signal.
-Call quality is much clearer on the iPhone 4. Everyone says that it sounds clearer and the call quality is better than my landline.
-The battery life is much better than the previous versions of the iPhone so that an auxiliary battery will probably not be necessary.
-The Voice Control works better than it did on the iPhone 3Gs. That version would not always route my call to my bluetooth headset.
-Syncing with Mobileme makes it the perfect organizer as well as phone. It's my office now.
It was well worth waiting in line for this phone.
JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER
I was a loyal Verizon business user for years and went through every phone but finally switched to the Iphone after owning a Storm. Wow why did I wait so long, everything was so easy to set up and use.
PROS
Good battery life
Incredible screen
Perfect size
HD video and flash
CONS
Nothing
Wow! Slick! Cool! And then...Nothing Else...
Cool looking slick phone, but in the end you don't get what you pay for. Was using it in Portland OR.
PROS:
-Looks
-Highly refined and polished OS
-Camera is really good for a phone
-Apps, lots of apps that work really well
-Visual VM (looked great, worked well, FREE)
-Phone Design
-Email handling (the way it displays emails)
-Email attachment handling (nearly perfect)
-Messaging in general works well
-Speed
CONS:
-Call quality/clarity sucked
-Bluetooth earpiece compatibility sucked (of 3 new BT earpieces only one worked well enough to use w/ this phone, all 3 worked fine with other phones)
-Signal strength and stability lacked
-The limit on what emails you can see/download in your mailbox is what IMO makes this a dumb smartphone. If I need to see an email from a subfolder a few weeks old it's impossible to do on the iPhone
-No dedicated camera button
-Phone overheated in my pocket in an air conditioned building (outside temp wasn't hot either, 74 degrees)
-Closed highly proprietary system
-No speech to text options (Apple really missed the mark on this one, I now have a droid x and it's speech to text is pretty much flawless and works everywhere in the phone, navigation, email, sms etc - why did Apple leave this out?)
-Though the infamous antenna issue didn't give me much grief, it's a small ding to the phones reputation and possible resale?
-Expensive accessories ($29 for a bumper that costs Apple about 75 cents to make?) - At least Steve made them free when pushed to I guess.
-GOOD LUCK IF YOU EVER DROP THIS PHONE, ESPECIALLY ON CONCRETE/ASPHALT - IT WOULD NOT SURVIVE (for those saying "then don't drop it", that's completely unrealistic for moderate to heavy users, it's a fact of life people drop their phones).
Once I got over the wow and flash of the phone, I realized it didn't have much to offer. The Droid X I replaced it with doesn't have as refined and polished OS, but it's far more functional, cheaper and on a better network.
I can't imagine using any other phone ever again.
The only Apple product I have owned is my 160 GB iPod along with iTunes. You can now add iPhone to my permanent repertoire.
I have tried a couple different Blackberry models (Tour, Pearl Flip). My most recent phone was the Motorola Backflip. I have been a Motorola fan forever, but the battery on the Backflip was ridiculously poor.
So, I switched to the iPhone 4.
Everything about this phone is amazing. I don't know if I'm so impressed just because I've never owned an iPhone before, but I have never been so happy with a phone ever.
The only thing I was sceptical about was the issue with the antenna. I don't know anyone with an iPhone who doesn't have a case on it anyway, but the day I bought the phone I also bought a bumper to protect the edges from getting dinged and I have had absolutely zero reception problems.
There are lots of other competitors out there who offer more this and more that, but when you consider how intuitive this phone is and how fast it works I don't consider those competitors real competition. More megapixels don't always mean a better camera. Plus, if you like to store music on your phone, there is no better choice than iTunes - hands down.
Pros:
-Processor - Lightning fast, never seen anything like it on anyone's phone
-Camera (pic quality, very fast taking a shot, easy to use)
-Display - Absolutely amazing
-iPod integration - If you use iTunes there is no reason to look at any other phone than this one
-Browser - Although I hate Apple I've never seen a browser work better on any phone
-Maps - Easy to use, plus the ability to search your photos by location on the map is so convenient and cool!
-Easy to use - With all the features this phone packs, it is amazing how easy it is to use
-Touch Screen - Unlike the Androids, you absolutely don't need a physical keyboard because this touch screen is perfect
-Build - It's beautiful
-Reception - Yes, it's true
Cons:
-None, other than I don't like Apple.
Too Expensive For Drop Calls
I purchased the 32GB only to find out that I had to upgrade my Mac to MAC OX 10.5 for $200.00. I didn't read the system requirements I only jumped at the new IN THING.... I was impressed with the face time feature where you can talk and see the person, that works flawless. However when you hold the phone a certain way your hand makes the call drop or sound very badly. There are many good things, but the main thing is phone calls and to me that feature is not so good...
Best phone I've ever owned...
I'll try to summarize my opinions.
Pros:
-The display is incredibly clear and sharp. My friends have EVO's and there is no comparison in quality. It's like compaing 1080p to Standard definition.
-The pictures and video are so nice that I no longer carry my point and shoot camera with me. And my point and shoot doesn't even record in HD! 4th of July fireworks were impressive on this phones video.
-The phone is actually faster than my previous 3GS. Browser, app loading and switching, taking pictures, scrolling, etc.
-Call quality is very good and no dropped calls for me, but I guess I happen to live in good coverage area for AT&T.
-Ipod function will never be trumped here. It's pretty much perfect especially now that you can make play lists on the fly.
-Touch screen. Again played with the EVO and it's getting better, but the pinch to zoom and some scrolling isn't as fluid as the Iphone.
-The apps. 200,000+ and competes with the PSP and Gameboy to some extent. I would have never expected gaming to reach these levels on a phone. Definitely cake here!
-Battery life!!! Yes! I am noticing anywhere from a 30-40% increase in battery life based on my specific usage throughout a work day. Mostly emails, browsing, texting, some pics, a few phone calls.
-Multitasking is pretty intuitive and convenient. This approach is much easier on the battery than Android from what I have experienced. I won't even comment on Windows Mobile. Yuck!
-Folders. It's a function of the OS, but it is handy nonetheless. Reduces clutter of all my apps! Simple and handy.
-Better GPS and now free voice navigation with Mapquest 4 for those that don't know. Works wonderfully and even calls out street names! Cool to me at least.
-Lastly, the phone is beautiful and sturdy in construction.
-Oh, and speakers play louder and clearer with ring-tones and speaker-phone.
Cons:
-Glass seems fragile.
-Case hides beautiful design.
-Attracts haters and sparks infantile jealousies in others.
Best iPhone so far
I received my phone yesterday and can't put it down! Still brought it after all the talk about drop calls. I love everything about this phone. Others can't compare! I upgraded from the first iPhone! Would have gave it a 5 but I did have a few drop calls. It is not as bad as people are saying.
Amazing phone
This phone is amazing. The os is very simple to use and the screen looks amazing and the text is very sharp. The camera takes beautiful pics and the hd video comes out very sharp and crisp(way better than the evo which looks blurry and dark). Just compare the camera and video on both the evo and this phone and you will see the iPhone 4 has superior pics and vids to the evo. It's build quality is top notch making other phones feel like toys. Multitasking is nice Nd the battery lasts much longer than the 3GS. International language support is bulky in the os unlike android which has no international support. The favebook app is very simple and easy to use. Get this phone...it's a computer in your pocket!.
Back in love again!
I got iphone 4 on Thursday, and the EVO on Friday. I have owned every iPhone, and I was concerned not being able to jailbreak iPhone 4 because of AT&T sending signals to our iPhone's to detect if the phone has been tampered with and shutting them down. Also I'm really upset because it has no flash player, every phone will have it soon, why not the great iPhone?? So I decided to get the EVO also to see if it was 'that good'.. Well the EVO turned out to be way more than I expected. It has everything you could ever want in a phone. The call quality was excellent and I had NO dropped calls.. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning was strictly EVO, I had to learn, or attempt to learn a new OS. I started to test both cameras and video recorder. iPhone blew the doors off the EVO. EVO's pictures looked like the original iPhone compared to iPhone 4. It wasn't even close.. Browsing the web on EVO is like nothing I've ever experienced on a phone! I was able to go to any website I wanted, and view every video or live stream available. I was truly in love!! My problem is, I love the EASE of use of this damn iPhone! It integrates everything so easily other than social networking sites, but there's an app for that! When this phone is fast...it's BLAZING fast, but when it's slow, it goes backwards! The EVO is a complicated phone, but it's great if you need all those functions. Yes it has more features than iPhone, but there is no phone on the market better at simplifing everyday functions.. Ps 4g never worked for me and I live in Philly! It was still fast thou.. I'm back in love with my simple iPhone that performs like an all-star that has no FLASH!!
Pretty good, but slightly overrated
I have had the original iPhone, 3G, 3GS and now the iPhone 4. I have also had a multitude of other devices including the Droid, Pre Plus, and Bold. So far, the iPhone 4 has been an excellent smartphone, but please do not believe all of the hype. Yes, this phone has a lot to like, but it isn't a game changer like Apple makes it out to be.
Pros
Screen is much better
Design is fantastic
Sound Quality is much improved
iOS4 adds a lot of good features
Camera is outstanding
Cons
Battery life is so-so
AT&T Reception is VERY bad
Multitasking (more like fast app switching) is terrible
Notifications are annoying
The screen is a big improvement over the iPhone 3GS. No doubt about it, but it is not like looking at paper or 3-years ahead of the competition. Not close. The design is great in my opinion, and the sound quality is much better. iOS4 adds a lot over 3.0 in terms of features--customizable wallpaper, folders etc. The camera is great; I don't need my Canon Elph anymore!
To have an iPhone means you have to sacrifice something. That something is call quality. I average 4-5 dropped calls PER DAY. It is that bad (I live in Denver, it may be better elsewhere). Data is fast when I am not around other iPhones; if I am at a stadium or mall, I think GPRS moves faster yet my phone says I am on 3G.
Multitasking is simply a joke. Apple claims they have done it better, but WebOS, Android, and even Windows Mobile is a better alternative. It is simply fast-app switching (yes, I am still talking about Apps that are iOS4 compliant!).
Notifications are very bad on the iPhone. They are annoying; they pop up right in the middle of your screen and beep loudly in your ear while on a phone call (no option to turn this off). Apple needs desperate help here.
While some of these problems are huge for some, they aren't earth shattering for me. I still love the added benefits of that are included in the iPhone.
