IPhone 4 Review

This review will be from the perspective of an Apple IPhone user for three years. First, I will give you a list of specs obtained from Apple followed by my thoughts on the specs as well as my personal experience with the phone.

Qualifications

The first iPhone I purchased was an IPhone 3g in January of 2007. With my renewal date fast approaching I chose to update to the IPhone 4. I purchased the IPhone 4 in August of 2010 and have had it for just over four months.

For the techies and small explanations for the non-techies:

Capacity

Flash drive size: 16GB or 32GB

Dimensions and Weight

-Height: 4.5"

-Width: 2.31"

-Depth: 0.37 "

-Weight: 4.8 ounces

Display

-Retina display (an explanation of this can be found here )

-960 X 640 Pixles at 326 ppi

-800:1 contrast ratio (this is a typical ratio found in newer phones)

-500 cd/m^2 max brightness (cd/m^2 is units of luminescence candela per square meter, also a typical among newer phones)

- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (oleophobic just means its resistant to oils, this coating is supposed to prevent smears caused by oily skin)

-can display multiple characters for easy switch between languages

Calling and Internet Specs

-GSM model: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) (this just refers to where the phone can be used and says which frequency the phone can be operated with)

- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (Pros: solid signal range. Cons: slowest maximum speed when capered to other wireless technology and may interfere with home appliances)

- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR wireless technology

Battery Power

-Powered by rechargeable lithium ion battery

-Can be charged by usb or AC outlet

-Stand by time approximately 300 hours

-Talk time 7 hours for those who can get 3g and 14 hours for those still receiving 2g service

-Internet use: 6 hours using the 3g network and 10 hours using Wi-Fi

Camera and Video

-5 megapixle camera with LED flash (comparable to a cheap digital camera)

-capable of producing HD quality (720p) video at a rate of 30 frames per second with sound

-Tap focus (meaning you can choose to focus on any part of the image)

Sensors

- Three-axis gyro (knows when you change the phone from portrait to landscape )

- Accelerometer (for games and apps that require you to shake the phone)

- Proximity sensor

-Ambient light sensor (to lower the brightness to conserve energy)

My Take On These Specs

Out of these specs, three are a major concern to me.

1) Battery life - I expect a cellular phone to last at least one full day with extensive use, I have found that the IPhone 4 satisfies this requirement. With moderate use (numerous quick internet searches, few short phone calls, and hundreds of text messages) the battery lasts almost two full days before dying.

2) Camera/Video - I have found the camera takes okay pictures and great videos. I can assure you the IPhone 4's video capability is THE best feature that the IPhone 4 has to offer.

3) Sensors- This portion is of concern to me. I have experienced nothing but trouble with these sensors. While talking on the IPhone 4 I find the senor that turns the screen off when you're talking on the phone does not work very well. When I first got the phone I found myself constantly hanging up, muting, and pressing buttons while trying to talk on the phone. Software updates, as well as me getting acquainted with the phone have mostly resolved these problems, but I do occasionally still press a button during a phone call. I never had this problem with my IPhone 3G and I hope all the issues are resolved soon.

Personal Experience

When I purchased the IPhone 4 in August I bought two, one for me and one for my girlfriend. I opened the packaging and was extremely satisfied with what I just paid for, my girlfriend wasn't. My girlfriend's microphone would not work during calls unless the speaker phone was on, to say the least we had to return it and get a new one. So it is possible to receive a lemon.

The IPhone 4's release was hindered when news came out about the phone dropping calls. I have not experienced this at all with the IPhone 4 (even when I tried to grab/hold the phone in a way that reportedly caused these dropped). Overall, I believe the majority of bugs are worked out and I would recommend this phone to a friend or family member.

References:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html