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
Living with the 4
Thus far the majority of this article has focused on the technical details of the new iPhone both in its advancements and shortcomings, but what is it like to live with?
As I implied in the introduction, the 4 makes the previous iPhone feel very old. But in day to day use it doesn’t feel much different. It uses the same iOS that iPhone 3GS users get access to so with the exception of FaceTime and camera improvements, the iPhone 4 is functionally the same as its predecessor. That’s an important thing to keep in mind because to a 3GS owner it makes the iPhone not feel any different.
We've already covered iOS 4 extensively so there's no point in rehashing that here. The only new experience we have to add is our time with tethering.
The option to enable tethering is unfortunately buried in iOS 4's settings. You need to go into general settings, then network and then Internet tethering. You also need to either have Bluetooth enabled or be connected via USB to the computer you wish to tether.
You of course need to have tethering enabled on your plan, which you can't do from the settings menu. You either have to call AT&T or add the plan via attwireless.com. From there just connect to the 4 and you can use it as a modem. The phone can even be locked while tethered. Once enabled it ranges from a lifesaver to a total waste of money depending on AT&Ts coverage.
Getting used to the size of the new iPhone isn't hard at all. The device is a lot thinner which makes two handed portrait operation more strenuous especially if you're typing a lot on it. The 4 is going to be one great gaming device because holding it in landscape mode feels awesome. Overall I'd say the size feels right.
The glass everywhere is nice. It does make it impossible to quickly tell which side is front when you're fumbling around your pocket looking for it though. And I still feel like I'm going to drop and break the thing in no time at all. While not as slick as the 3GS' plastic, the stainless steel and glass aren't exactly the most grippy surfaces.
The higher res screen makes even sending text messages clearer. Everything is just so much more crisp.
Browsing the web is more pleasant as well, but tiny text is still tiny text regardless of how sharp the display is. You'll still need to zoom in on regular sites.
You do get used to the screen though. It's only when going back to the 3GS that the 4 feels new again. It's sort of like an SSD, you miss the retina display when it's gone.
The seat of the pants feel has definitely improved thanks to the A4. Although, I'd say its subtle. Web pages load quicker, animations are smoother. It's not perfect however. There are still some choppy animations and pauses from the scheduler giving too much CPU time to a hungry process. In general though, the phone feels like it was designed to run iOS 4 while the 3GS can get a bit overwhelmed at times.
The OS improvements, although not specific to the 4, are still lacking in two key areas. Apple still hasn't implemented a good notification system ala Android or webOS. I expected that update with iOS 4 but I guess we'll get it next year instead.
Secondly the multitasking interface is nice but still not quite perfect. I am still holding out for either an improved webOS or for Apple to do it's own take on the card system.
How does the 4 compare to Android? The same differences are still there. Currently there is no Android phone quite as sleek as the iPhone 4, although I expect that could change in less than a year.
The latest Android phones have had better cameras and higher resolution screens, so the iPhone 4 doesn't have as huge of an advantage there.
Apple still has the UI polish down pat. Scrolling is far smoother and performance more consistent, although I believe Google isn't far away from fixing this. The Froyo update alone does wonders to performance. If Google could fix the scrolling issues I'd say a number of iPhone users would for sure be fine with switching.
There is this more open, more configurable, more capable feel you get with Android that you don't with the iPhone. That can be both a positive and a negative. Android phones feel more like computers while iPhones have more of that appliance feel. It still boils down to personal preference, the 4 won't change that.
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bplewis24 - Monday, July 12, 2010 - link
Consumer Reports confirms what I have commented on earlier about this article: that the "best case scenario" testing of one phone is clearly an attempt to excuse away this clear design flaw in a biased review. See the article here: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2010/... .And watch the video. This testing was done in a controlled environment with an RF Isolation Chamber that is impervious to outside radio signals. I suggest you guys stop misleading the tech nerd population with this review now, and revise it.
Brandon
plastic_avatar - Monday, July 12, 2010 - link
How can you not respect the research of someone who slides in an apt geek reference?zholy - Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - link
Only Apple can release a product with such a design flaw and respond to complaints with either "you're holding it wrong" or "buy another product to make it work correctly". Any other company would have their product returned in droves, Mac fanatics just say "ok"Hengie2000 - Saturday, July 17, 2010 - link
Help! I am a wireless tech that uses field test daily to survey in building wireless projects, but the iphone 4 or 4.0 upgrade lost that capability. I am willing to pay for someone to make a field test app or follow the steps that Brian and Anand have listed in this story. Is there any way to reach these guys for more details to get field test running on the iphone4? Does this give full field test menus or only replaces the signal bars with decibels?Stang289 - Monday, July 26, 2010 - link
It would be great if you had Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus performance numbers included in smartphone reviews. I would like to see how they stack up against other smartphones.marxster - Thursday, September 9, 2010 - link
...after all that, I'll give you my real world experience. We have a 3Gs and a 4 in our household. The 3Gs always shows more bars and does not drop calls at all while my iPhone 4 does drop calls and has less bars.We live far away from the closest tower and the iphone 4 doesn't ever get better reception here than -103db.
I'm now afraid to receive calls because I know they'll be dropped. Makes my phone useless.
I should say that both phones are on the latest iOS version and there isn't much of a difference whether I use a case or not.
By the way, please explain this to me. Why did Apple bother to spend millions of dollars shipping out cases when they clearly don't get rid of the problem. When I cup my phone with the case on, the bars drop just the same as without.
MisterQED - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - link
I am not a member of the “tin foil hat” crowd, I’m a guy with a physics degree and a Ham license, so I know a bit about radios. What I am about to point out seems so obvious to me, but I have never heard it discussed anywhere. Your article discusses the effects of having a exposed antenna as it effects phone reception, but that misses the main point, this is a receiving and transmitting antenna. Having skin contact with a transmitting antenna is not safe. Allow me to explain my thought process and tell me if I have a flaw in my logic.1) Constant irritation causes cancer. Whether it is fiberglass fibers, silica dust or coal dust in our lungs, to UV radiation from skin exposed to the sun, if you irritate an area consistently for long periods of time, you are just asking for cancer.
2) RF radiation from most phones is a subject of worry and present discussion, but it doesn’t worry me. RF radiation is a worry because it will cause electrical conduction thru body tissue. This would be an irritation and consistent irritation can lead to cancer. RF radiation from most phones has two methods of conduction, capacitive and inductive.
a) Capacitive needs: a sizable area, small dielectric distances and high frequencies. Cell phones have the high frequencies, but all other designs keep minimal gaps between antennas and the operator’s skin. Also the operator’s finger tips provide a rather small area to support capacitive conductance.
b) Inductive conduction needs frequency matched radiators to allow conduction i.e. a good antenna on each end. Body parts make poor antennas, and bodily dimensions generally don’t match the proportions of ideal radiators, so inductive conduction isn’t really a worry.
3) iPhone 4s, unlike any previous device, allow a third and a magnitude more effective connection between an operator and a transmitting antenna, a resistive connection. All a resistive connection needs is a low resistance, which skin has when sweaty or damp and the antenna has if it is not covered by a non-conductive coating. To add insult to injury, this contact de-tunes the antenna making it less efficient. This inefficiency causes the transmitter to up the power output as cell phones work on a “yell loud enough to be heard” system, so the worse the reception the more power the phone will pump into the antenna to be able to communicate with the cell tower.
So unless you can show me where my logic has lead me astray, I would expect that in the future some percentage of the population that use an iPhone without a case may find a small possibly cancerous mole forming on one of their fingertips.
That is a bigger problem than some dropped calls, so why didn’t you mention it.
smithpercy - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
Does this mean that I could cold weld a suitable socket to the gsm antenna side strip to allow a patch cable to an external antenna and get reception in the very marginal areas that I spend most of my time in?? I know that the shield would have to be grounded but that could be done thru one of the other connectors. I understand that would void the warranty, and give apple a conniption fit but that is their problem.keri - Thursday, February 24, 2011 - link
serious question here.jessicacoles - Saturday, December 12, 2020 - link
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