Apple iPhone 4 32GB review

Apple's annual update to its iPhone comes at a time when the latest Android handsets from companies like HTC are providing stiff competition. iPhone 4's big selling point is its sharper Retina Display screen, a beefier processor and battery life, and a front-facing camera with Apple's new FaceTime video calling tech. Is it enough of a leap over the iPhone 3GS? Read on to find out.
What we like
The iPhone 4 is certainly a slinky piece of hardware: it's flatter and slimmer than the 3GS, with a toughened glass coating on the front and rear, and a stainless steel band running round the edges. It feels reassuringly solid too, although only time (and a few accidental drops) will tell if it really can stand up to the knocks and bumps that Apple promises it can.

Apple iPhone 4 - 32GB - black (AT&T)

The good: The iPhone 4 offers enhanced performance, a lovely new display, and an improved design. It also adds a ton of sorely needed features, both by itself and through the iOS 4 update.
The bad: Multitasking entails some trade-offs, and home screen folders are limited to 12 apps. AT&T reception continues to be spotty, and you'll need a case for the best calling reception. Also, we'd prefer a 64GB model.
The bottom line: With the iPhone 4, Apple again shows that it is a powerful player in the smartphone wars. It won't be for everyone, the call quality and reception vary if you don't use a case, and AT&T's network remains a sticking point, but the handset's striking design, loaded feature set, and generally agreeable performance make it the best iPhone yet.
Editors' note: In light of Apple's decision to offer free cases for the iPhone 4's antenna, we are not changing our original iPhone's 4 rating. We are, however, withholding the Editors' Choice rating because of the attenuation issues that we experienced.

Is Apple bumper case scuffing steel antenna band on iPhone 4?

Users are reporting scuff marks and scrapes because of Apple's bumper case.

(Credit: ASD user dadooo)

According to a growing thread in the Apple Support Discussions forums, the Apple bumper case, made specifically for the iPhone 4 (and a major part of the "Antennagate" solution), is scratching the steel antenna band.
ASD user Dayvidpriddy reports:

"I received my black bumper about a week ago now. Took off the bumper tonight to clean my phone down and there are scratch marks on the steel band from the bumper (this is caused from the pieces of hard plastic on the underside of the bumper."

Many of the comments after the initial post point out that it is extremely unlikely that the hard plastic used to make the bumper would cause scratches on the stainless steel band. What is more likely is that some debris got between the case and the iPhone, causing the scratches.
ASD user richiebarthez, however, reports that Apple acknowledged the possibility that the bumper could have caused the scratching and replaced the unit:

iOS 4 troubleshooting: Unable to view e-mail previews, receiving blank messages

Blank e-mail messages can be frustrating.

(Credit: Apple)

One of the oddest things I have encountered while using my new iPhone 4 running iOS 4 is the occasional blank e-mail message or lack of message preview in Mail. A few simple steps can help alleviate the issue and have you back to your normal message-reading sanity.
After setting up a new account on your iOS 4 device, you may find that the Mail App will not load message previews or show that you have a message from "(No Sender)."

Apple could alleviate iPhone 4 proximity sensor issues with iOS change

A simple change to iOS could help solve continuing iPhone 4 proximity sensor issues.

(Credit: Apple)

One of the major issues surrounding the iPhone 4 release this summer was the proximity sensor failing during phone calls, resulting in muting, conference calling, and other inadvertent touch input. Despite the promise of relief in the iOS 4.1 update, many users, including myself, are still having proximity sensor issues.
A forum thread on the Apple Support Discussions addresses a functionality of the sleep/wake button (the one on the top of the iPhone) that could help users experiencing proximity sensor problems, if Apple would adjust the code in iOS slightly.

Tips Troubleshooting iPhone 4

 

 

If you can not turn on the iPhone or the display freezes or can not respond to, following his tips:

   1. Press and hold both buttons 'sleep / wake' and the 'home' at the same time at least 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
   2. If it does not work, delete all existing content on the iPhone. From the home screen, select Settings>> General>> Reset> Erase All Content and Settings.
If it still does not work, restore the iPhone software:

   1. Make sure you have an internet connection and no installation of latest version of iTunes from www.apple.com / iTunes
   2. Connect the iPhone to the computer,
   3. In iTunes, select iPhone in the source pane and click the summary tab,

4 Easy Answers to iPhone 4 Problems

So what if some iPhones lose reception when the hand covers the antenna? That's your problem, not Apple's. "Non issue," Apple chief executive Steve Jobs told a MacRumors forumgoer via e-mail. "Just avoid holding it in that way."
Fair enough, but what about iPhone 4's other reported issues, including screen discoloration, reversed volume buttons, stubborn cameras and scratched glass? If Apple's going to pin the antenna problem on users, why stop there? Here's how the company should handle all those other pesky complaints:

Yellow Blotches or Bars on the Screen

It's called Xanthopsia -- yellow vision. Look it up on Wikipedia. You'll find an article suggesting Vincent Van Gogh was affected by Xanthopsia due to a certain kind of epilepsy medication, and the result was some really awesome art. Think of the wonderful things you'll do on an iPhone 4 with a yellow-blotched screen. You probably won't go insane and cut off your own earlobe.

Unlocked iPhone 4 Coming To Canada For $659

Apple has been offering a factory unlocked iPhone for quite sometime and started offering factory unlocked iPhones in UK and France with the launch of iPhone 4.

We had also learned that SIM-free, factory unlocked iPhones will also be offered to Canadian customers.

Folks at Boy Genius Report point to an article on CBCNews, which claims that Apple will start selling factory unlocked iPhone 4  in Canada when it goes on sale this Friday.

The report claims that Apple will offer the factory unlocked 16GB iPhone 4 model for $659 while the 32GB iPhone 4 model will cost $779.

How to Replace Your Broken iPhone 4 Screen

In this iPhone 4 teardown video, DirectFix.com explains how to repair a broken screen—very handy if you didn't spring for the insurance, and like our very own Ryan, have suffered breakage already.
Along with the usual caveats and warnings about doing this yourself, DirectFix's video is a clear and comprehensive tutorial on screen replacement, but also shows off the iPhone 4's innards in HD.
Their iPhone 4 screens are currently sold out on their website, but more are expected soon

Clik here to see the video.

source : http://gizmodo.com/5572532/how-to-replace-your-broken-iphone-4-screen

iPhone 4 and Sex: The Good, The Bad, and the HD Ugly

 

Debby Herbenick—our sexology and human relationships expert—looks into the iPhone 4 and the implications for your sex life.

Steve Jobs has re-revealed the iPhone 4, first brought to us by Gizmodo. But how could its new features affect your online and offline sex life? Here are some thoughts:

Have You Noticed the iPhone Reception Problem in Practice?

We've seen many examples of iPhone 4 reception problems when people hold their devices a certain way, but we're wondering: What about during normal use? Have you experienced reception problems when you're not trying to replicate the so-called death grip?

Apple's Internal iPhone 4 Antenna Troubleshooting Guidelines Leak

The folks at BGR got their hands on Apple's internal iPhone 4 antenna troubleshooting procedures. This is what Apple representatives are supposed to follow when you call about your reception troubles. Of course, sometimes they even give the spiel word-by-word.
As I read these guidelines provided by BGR's source, I realized they sounded familiar. Why? Because I heard points a, b, d, and e recited word-for-word when I called AppleCare to ask about the iPhone 4 antenna issue recently.
Here are the guidelines the representative I spoke with may have been following:

iPhone 4 Camera Gets An SLR Lens Upgrade

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Sure, the iPhone 4 has a rather great camera, but is that really enough reason to find a special tripod and attach an SLR lens to the little gadget?

source : http://gizmodo.com/5581934/iphone-4-camera-gets-an-slr-lens-upgrade

Hide Your iPhone 4 In A Little Black Book

Rumor: New iPhone 4 Antenna Design Coming Late September

An executive at a Mexican cellphone carrier Telcel claims that Apple has a revised iPhone 4 coming late September that fixes the annoying antenna problems everyone's seen with the original model.
The exec says that Telcel customers are able to get the free iPhone 4 case until September 30, when it expires (in the US as well). This meshes with what we've been hearing behind the scenes at Apple, that they're working on an actual hardware solution to the antennas—one that doesn't hide the antenna, but either coats it or changes the material to something that doesn't react so badly with your skin.
Again, the date is a rumor, since everything is subject to Apple's whims on when they want to release their products. However, it could be a pretty interesting announcement at

source :  http://gizmodo.com/5626570/rumor-new-iphone-4-antenna-design-coming-late-september

How to Shoot Better iPhone HDR Photos

The iPhone 4's best new feature in iOS 4.1—besides not hanging up on people with your face—is its ability to capture HDR photos. But you've gotta use it correctly.
To revisit, a high dynamic range photo combines multiple photos taken at different exposures to create a single picture that looks more like what your eyeballs are able to detect than a standard digital photograph. (Dynamic range is basically the range between the darkest and lightest parts of an image. Check out Ansel Adam's Zone System for more on this.)

iPhone 4 Case Comes With Built-In Dual-SIM Adapter

This transparent iPhone 4 case doesn't exactly look great, but it comes with a clever feature: A dual-SIM adapter. It means that you can keep two SIM cards attached to your iPhone and toggle between them using a menu setting.
The adapter unfortunately doesn't allow both SIM cards to be active at the same time, but it's still a clever—albeit somewhat sloppy-looking—design. I'd just prefer the SIM cards to be hidden by an opaque case.

The adapter case is available now for $29.

source : http://gizmodo.com/5624040/ugly-iphone-4-case-comes-with-built+in-dual+sim-adapter

Can Intel Compete in a Mobile ARMs Race?

Both Apple's iPhone and iPad and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips are based on ARM architecture, as are almost all cell phone processors. But where is Intel and the x86? Can the world's largest semiconductor company thwart the public's embrace of ARM?
Electronics are shrinking faster than Las Vegas housing prices, the market for 2D kiddie flicks, and Lindsey Lohan's showbiz career. But for electronics, at least, shrinkage is good. Today's cell phones, tablets, and other trendy mobile gadgets would be impossible without the miniaturized electronics of system-on-chip (SoC) processors.
Indeed, SoCs are all the rage in today's gadget-loving tech circles. So why is Intel nowhere to be found?

iPhone 4: The Definitive Guide

We already showed you the new iPhone from every angle, inside and out. Today, Steve Jobs re-revealed it, telling us about the remaining details. Here's the exhaustive guide to all the features of the new iPhone 4.

The design

The Best Semi-Solutions for iPhone 4 Reception Problems So Far

There's no great fix for the iPhone 4 reception issues right now. Here are the best pseudo-solutions so far.

What Is Going On?

Depending on how you hold your iPhone 4 during calls you may or may not notice your reception drop. Some haven't seen it at all, but many of our readers and our staff have definitely experienced it while browsing, emailing or using apps. We think it has a bit to do with your initial reception and people in stronger coverage areas are affected less. But we're also pretty sure—and Apple confirms it—that touching the antenna does affect things—whether or not it has the final result of killing calls or speed of data connection.
This is how Apple explained it:

Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone.

Colored iPhones to make a splash at WWDC 2010?

An iPhone HD prototype we’ve all seen could represent just one of many colored flavors. That’s right, color may come to the iPhone at last.
According to the rumor-mill, Apple could sell the next iPhone in a variety of colors, in addition to obligatory black and white models. Cool new mockups let you see how a little bit of color might breathe a new life into the design of the product.
We’ve been especially liking a set of awesome iPhone HD renderings published at iSpazio that depict a ceramic white iPhone HD model, in addition to green, purple, and blue flavors. Of course, they’re just mockups so don’t take those images for granted. On the other hand, those renditions do represent a realistic take stemming from the looks of Apple’s allegedly lost iPhone prototype rather than an artist’s purely imaginative vision of what the device could look like.

iPhone 4G Rumors Heat Up

It's been less than a year since the iPhone 3GS launched, and the rumor mill is already churning out speculation about an upcoming iPhone 4G, expected as early as May.
A concept image of the rumored iPhone 4G, courtesy of iPhoneRoot.com.

New rumors have been circulating over the past couple of days, saying a new Apple iPhone 4G will be available by June, or even as early as May. Besides the earlier-than-expected launch date (new iPhone models traditionally come out in June or July), potential new features are in discussion as well, such as a better camera, an OLED screen, a removable battery, and different casing.

Apple iPhone 4 : calling, face time and contacts

The Apple iPhone 4 is still meant to be a phone first and foremost, no matter how many applications you put on there or how much the internet experience is optimised.
Previous iPhone incarnations have struggled somewhat to offer the best telephony experience, so has Apple failed to deliver a decent calling experience again?
The answer is no and sort of... no in the fact that the call quality and stability has been jolly improved, but only sort of because the iPhone 4 has some very worrying coverage issues we'll come onto.

Apple iPhone 4 : Verdict

Well, there's been so much to talk about on the new iPhone that we're actually impressed Apple had that much to update on this iteration of the smartphone.
From HD video recording to a completely new shape, it's intriguing to see record-breaking numbers queuing up to pick up this device – but after playing with it for a few days, you can see why.
We liked
Well, we liked nearly everything on the iPhone 4. The main thing we enjoyed is the fact the interface is still so slick, as nothing beats the fact the phone reacts to your slightest touch.
The gyroscope is beyond awesome on a phone of this size, or on a phone at all come to think of it.
The battery life has been well extended to work long enough to not hate your phone any more, which is a welcome boost, and the camera and video recorder have been updated more than adequately to consider them actual replacements for the cameras and camcorders.
The Retina Display is really something else to look at, and we're even starting to like the sharp angles of the chassis – although we're still not huge fans.
The App Store is still brilliant, and will continue to get brilliant-er, and things like Google Maps offer a superb mapping experience.

Apple iPhone 4 : Official gallery

Apple iPhone 4 : Hands and gallery

Apple iPhone 4 : Battery life and Connectivity

Another big plus for the iPhone 4 is, despite being the thinnest smartphone ever created, the battery life hasn't suffered. Far from it, as Steve Jobs actually reckons it can last 40% longer despite the smaller chassis size.
And you know what - he may actually be (sort of) telling the truth here. Seasoned iPhone professional users will know that to use a couple of applications, watching a 30 mins of video, downloading new apps, run music through Bluetooth and also keep opening and closing it to perform other tasks is a real battery sucker, and usually means your iPhone won't see out the day.

Well, doing just that sat at our desk, we actually found that in a seven hour period, the battery only dropped 50%. It might sound a little drastic, but over the course of the day, when you're using the phone a lot less, this works out to be a much nicer figure to work with.
We actually found we didn't need to carry around a charger all the time when we were using an iPhone 4 - and even if you forget to plug it in at night, it won't be until sometime the following day it completely shuts down, which you have to applaud when you see how thin the chassis is here.
Of course, this isn't the all-encompassing fix we've all been waiting for in smartphones, as a simple hour's commute with push email, music and the camera all in use will drop things by about 10%, but that's not standard use.

Apple iPhone 4 : Apps and Maps

What's one of the main things Apple is famous for other than all the other things you're probably thinking like Macs and iPods and Macbooks? Yes, that's right: applications. Not the Newton.
The iPhone 4 is only the start here - the phone really comes alive when you start filling it with simple to find applications.
For app-naive, the App Store has over 200,000 mini programs in the App Store portal - some are free, some cost as little as 59p, and some over £50. But the sheer range of options on offer is dizzying.

For instance, you can get a BBC iPlayer application, a camera manipulator to improve the quality of your photos, iMovie, addictive games like Angry Birds and RSS readers - all for next to nothing.
We can't really tell you how to use the application store, but go and have a nose around - the addition of iAds (which are advertising applications discreetly hidden within the apps themselves) will mean more money coming in, and therefore more applications in the future.

Apple iPhone 4 : media

The iPhone has always been a good vehicle for digesting media - not least because it's the freakish offspring of an iPod and a touchscreen PC.
The iTunes interface is the best way to get media on your phone, and the 3.5-inch screen was always a good option for selecting music and watching a few bits of video here and there.
So you can imagine that if you take that, add in a much stronger processor and improve the screen quality, you're going to get a humdinger of an experience.

The music application actually hasn't changed that much, as it's still one of the most in depth music players on the market.
Cover Flow, where you can see all the album art of the records (yes, we're saying records) you've currently got packed on your iPhone 4, is much faster than before - the phone snaps between portrait and landscape in trice, and flicking through your albums is as fast as you want it to be.

Apple iPhone 4 : HD Vidio iMovie

Another trick the iPhone 4 is packing is the ability to record and edit HD video directly from the handset, with the plan clearly to make it into the ultimate media marvel.
Recording 720p video isn't anything new, as the Samsung i8910HD, Vodafone 360 H1, Sony Ericsson Vivaz and Vivaz Pro and the Samsung Wave all have managed to show off that trick in recent times, with the Nokia N8 coming up to do the same.
But Apple isn't about doing things the same way, and once again the interface becomes a differentiator for the video.
While the sparse settings are on offer once again, there's not a lot here you'd need. The video light can be set to 'on', 'auto' or 'off' (that's the level of detail we provide here at TechRadar and even in low light, the frame rate seems to stay pretty constant.

However, under those lighting conditions, you couldn't really say the HD quality comes screaming out at you – looking at the same footage on the computer screen shows that the graininess is out in full force.
In outdoor conditions, things improve somewhat, although there is some distortion in the image quality that you simply wouldn't get with a standalone HD video camera.
But the frame rate is good; the interface simple to use and the constant auto-focus makes things very simple to see when looking through the iPhone's eye.
Click here to see the full resolution version of the footage

Apple iPhone 4 : camera

The world grumbled about the cameras on the iPhone and iPhone 3G: 2MP with no flash simply wasn't going to cut it.
Last year the iPhone 3GS brought a 3.2MP camera when the world was readying itself for the first 12MP cameraphones – again, Apple seemed to be lagging behind.
So thankfully the iPhone 4 brings not only a 5MP camera, but also an LED flash and significantly upgraded sensors to improve picture quality.

Apple iPhone 4 : internet

Another thing Apple has always excelled at is the internet experience on its phone – it used to be the leader in this area without a shadow of a doubt.
Then Android got its WebKit-browser together and with it came a real rival to the throne of best mobile phone browser – and we're not sure that Apple comes up trumps this time.
The Apple A4 processor under the hood certainly has sped things up though – the internet browsing experience is markedly improved from the iPhone 3GS, with web sites loading a shade quicker and scrolling through them a much more pleasant experience.

We're still 'limited' to eight open pages at once though – any more than that and you're not allowed to start up another window.

Apple iPhone 4 : messagging

The Apple iPhone 4 follows its predecessors in offering a large amount of messaging options, and that number has been swelled since the introduction of iOS4.
The keyboard – both landscape and portrait – is eerily accurate, and if you've never tried it before you'll be dumbfounded at how quickly you get used to smashing out messages as fast as possible.
The main method of interaction is through email, and Apple now lets you have multiple Exchange accounts on the iPhone as well as Gmail, YMail... in fact all kinds of webmail is supported.
And getting involved with these is as simple as pie – for our Yahoo account, it was simply a matter of username and password and we were away – slightly disconcerting privacy-wise but a dream to set up.
Google Mail can be done in the same way, or you can channel it through the Exchange route if you want to sync the contacts or calendar - Google has a good explainer on how to do it.
Corporate Exchange is a little trickier, as it requires you to know the settings and domain name and mail address – you might be better throwing the phone and a couple of beer tokens at your company's friendly IT guy if you're struggling.

Apple iPhone 4 : Interface

When Steve Jobs releases a new phone, it always comes with an updated firmware too - and the iPhone 4 is no different. The new iPhone OS has been dubbed iOS 4 now, seeing as it's being used on the iPad too, and it's bringing a lot of upgrades that people have been hankering for for years.
But we'll quickly run through the high points of the iPhone for the uninitiated: the same iPhone home screen is offered, where it's a simple grid of icons to select applications.

If you want to re-order these, simply long press on any one, and they all start to wobble around, allowing you to flick them in whichever order you like or if you want you can delete them by pressing the X.
You can't delete the pre-loaded applications though: for instance, nobody cares about Stocks, but you have to have it there. We'd love to know if anyone has ever created a decent portfolio based on the fact they had to stare at the Stocks icon all the time and finally cracked.

Apple iPhone 4 : Retina Display

Another big feature of the Apple iPhone 4 is the new high resolution display - Steve Jobs has decided the best name for this is a 'Retina Display' by dearth of the fact it's meant to be so high-res that it's actually more than the eye can cope with.
We think Retina Displays are actually images projected directly onto the retina in a super-space age way... but we don't care enough to make a big deal about and email Steve or anything. We're sure he's busy telling people how to hold stuff.

But the main point is the screen is so packed with pixels - we're talking 326 pixels per inch, and a 960x640 display, making it ridiculously high resolution for a phone with a 3.5-inch display.
This beats the Nexus One, iPad and pretty much every other phone on the market at the moment - it's immense and we can't really do it justice by describing it; essentially you have to see it to believe it.
The idea is that the days of pixellated images are over - now it's all smooth and sleek lines for everything.
This claim is certainly shown when looking at a web page on maximum zoom; sure, the old iPhone 3GS' effort looked a little ragged, but we accepted it because of the high zoom level and the fact that, well, we didn't care.

Apple iPhone 4 : overview, design and feel

Apple's launch of the iPhone 4 has seen the greatest excitement for a new phone ever - and with HD video recording, a super high-res screen and ridiculously slim dimensions, it's not hard to see why.
But things are a little different now - not only was the iPhone 3GS something of a non-update to the iPhone range, but there are finally decent alternatives in the smartphone market, with the HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S leading the Android fight right to Apple's door.

Add to that the first major leak of an Apple product a couple of months before launch, and suddenly the iPhone 4 has a lot to do to impress.

At least Apple has unleashed the big guns for this effort - before we get into the headline specs, the design itself is a massive talking point on its own.