Apple's iPhone 4: Thoroughly Reviewed
by Brian Klug & Anand Lal Shimpi on June 30, 2010 4:06 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Apple
- iPhone 4
- Gadgets
- Mobile
Final Words
The iPhone 4 is a tremendous improvement over the previous phones from Apple. Battery life alone is enough to sell a brand new notebook, there's no reason the same shouldn't apply for a smartphone. Being able to deliver real world battery life use of between 5.5 and 10 hours on a single charge is quite impressive. And if you aren't using the phone nonstop? Expect even longer battery life.
On top of the battery life improvements Apple finally plays catch up and surpasses the technological advancements in its Android competitors. The 4's camera is as good as it gets today and the screen is a beauty. I don't believe this advantage will last for the lifetime of the iPhone 4. The phones that are in development today at least surpass the 4's specs in terms of raw CPU speed. Given that Apple's retina display is in high volume production already I'd expect other manufacturers to pick it up in due time.
And believe it or not, even if you upgrade to the iPhone 4 today in another 12 months it'll most likely be replaced by a dual core version that you'll want even more.
HTC EVO 4G (back) vs. iPhone 4 (front)
The main downside to the iPhone 4 is the obvious lapse in Apple's engineering judgment. The fact that Apple didn't have the foresight to coat the stainless steel antenna band with even a fraction of an ounce worth of non-conductive material either tells us that Apple doesn't care or that it simply doesn't test thoroughly enough. The latter is a message we've seen a few times before with OS X issues, the iPhone 4 simply reinforces it. At the bare minimum Apple should give away its bumper case with every iPhone 4 sold. The best scenario is for Apple to coat the antenna and replace all existing phones with a revised model.The ideal situation is very costly for Apple but it is the right thing to do. Plus it's not like Apple doesn't have the resources to take care of its customers.
As for the iPhone vs. Android debate, the 4 doesn't really change much. If you're not a fan of iOS 4 or Apple then the 4th generation iPhone isn't going to change your opinion. If you're an existing iPhone user you'll want to upgrade. It's worth it. The 4 simply makes the iPhone 3GS feel dated, which it is. It's a mild update to three year old phone vs. the significant redesign that is the iPhone 4. If you're married to Android, in the next 6 - 12 months we should see feature parity from the competition. And if you're a fan of Palm, let's just see what happens when the HP deal closes.
There's another category of users who are interested in the iPhone but simply put off by AT&T. While enabling HSUPA and the improved baseband make the iPhone 4 more attractive from a network standpoint, if you hate AT&T's coverage there's nothing Apple can do about it. I do get the feeling that the AT&T exclusivity will be over sooner rather than later. The iPhone and iOS are soon to be a mobile advertising platform, which means Apple needs as many users as possible. This is in direct contrast to the Mac strategy which purposefully didn't focus on volume to maintain high profit margins. Ultimately it means that AT&T either has to grow to be much larger than Verizon, or Apple has to embrace both carriers in order to fend off Android.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
270 Comments
View All Comments
Brian Klug - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
I've read your commentary but don't see how we're in disagreement, about anything to be honest. I know for a fact that Apple is reporting RSSI (signal strength) in dBm and not using SNR. You'll just have to trust me that this is the case ;). This is entirely the point of the section - to illustrate just how useless that metric is especially in the case of the iPhone 4, and how much they need to use a different quality metric like CQI.In addition, this: "Because cellular carriers don't want clients to see less than 5 bars, so they have been pretty much rigged to display 5 bars in most situations until the signal is VERY BAD."
Is exactly what I've stated, a few times in so many words in the article. In fact, it's that kind of blatant lying about the dynamic range which makes this effect even more exacerbated. I realize that carriers have a vested interest in making the network look great everywhere - but turns out this ended up biting apple back with the iPhone 4 for reasons I stated.
I agree that normally -107 dBm of signal is bad, but have reason to believe that the iPhone 4's baseband deals just fine with the link even at that signal. Definitely grab someone's iPhone and try it out at -107 and -113; the amount of success I've had is unparalleled compared to other UMTS handsets I've played with.
-Brian
fhaddad922 - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
The subject says it all, but I'll type it again for the slow.If you have any type of "smart" phone (I have no idea whats so "smart" about it) and you are paying $100+ per month to use it, you are really dumb. The only smart people are the ones that convinced you to buy this crap!
Now, if you are some type of a business owner and you need to keep in contact with employees or customers or something similar, than by all means, purchase one of these phones and use it.
But for the rest of the world (which is probably 90% of the readers here), why the f**k do you need a $100+ / month plan?
The phone does nothing that you need. Stop making the cell phone companies richy.
They talk about how good the camera is on it... IT SUCKS!
They talk about how good the video is on it... IT SUCKS!
They talk about how you have to hold the phone the right away... I bet one of the designers said "oops"
FaceTime.. lawl... really?
They are already gouging their customers. For example, to charge $0.25 to send a text message is asinine. It's not even $0.50 to put a letter in the mail and mail it across the country. How do they justify $0.25 to send a text message? On top of that, for $50.00 / month and you don't get unlimited calling. Thats dumb.
strikeback03 - Thursday, July 1, 2010 - link
Thank you for the anti-capitalist rantpetzi-bear - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
Have you tried it with a glove?Should be easier that applying a thin film.
I thinking about clear coating the frame :-)
But a.) I am right handed
b.) I couldn't get my hands a phone yet - still sold out
Brian Klug - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
Very good point, I'll try that too!-Brian
MonkeyPaw - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
Actually, you might have more issues with the "touch of death" if you are right-handed. I'm a righty, and I hold cell's in my left hand all the time so that I can free my dominant hand for things like writing or mouse clicking.Personally, the iPhone4 is a nice step up, but I really question the design choices. Glass on both sides? A non-coated metal rim that doesn't like human touch? Serious engineering flaws for an otherwise well-designed device.
Brian Klug - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
See this is exactly how I end up holding the phone. I hold it in my left hand (the wrong way) and use the right hand to tap, select, e.t.c.-Brian
vol7ron - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
Trying with a glove would be interesting, since around here summers are hot and winters are cold (glove worthy).I was suggesting the film because many people I know use it because it makes the phone more pocket-worthy. Using a hard plastic case, or even a silicone case, provides unnecessary bulk, which is uncomfortable when wearing those stylish tight new pants -ha.
jasperjones - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
usually i find something to criticize but not today. excellent review. that is it.jasperjones - Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - link
Actually I found something.The battery life figures for the Nexus One were simply copied from the original Nexus One review (when the phone ran 2.1/Eclair). This doesn't make sense as you updated all other figures (performance etc.) to reflect FroYo.
FroYo has much improved battery life on my Nexus One.