Yes, we’re a little late to the iPhone 4 party. But when the party has a line-up that extends down the street and around the block, and a pair of burly bouncers at the door who only let people in a handful at a time… well, a lot of folks are late to this party.
The iPhone 4 has been, bar none, the most sought-after gadget of 2010. So much so, that Apple stores across Canada routinely have queues forming hours before opening, with people lining up just for the chance to buy the handful of phones in stock that day.
But in the spirit of better late than never, we’re looking at the iPhone 4, available now on the Rogers, Telus and Bell networks. I secretly hoped I wouldn’t fall under its sway. Lost cause, that.
The phone itself is solid and surprisingly heavy. It feels like a slab of futuristic tech, an effect that’s heightened by the new “retina” display, akin to a miniature high-definition TV.
If you care at all about the iPhone 4 (and why else would you be reading this?), you probably know it has a handful of new features, like a limited form of multitasking, the ability to group application icons together in folders and, at long last, a camera flash.
One of the most ballyhooed new features – and the one that’s endlessly advertised in sappy TV commercials – is FaceTime, Apple’s name for video chatting between two iPhone 4s. FaceTime works only when both phones are connected to WiFi networks, and yeah, it’s kind of fun. Even if you don’t have new braces, a short haircut or a baby on the way.
FaceTime is a cool novelty, but applications like it were available on other phones long before this. And that’s the thing about iPhones … with only a handful of exceptions, it doesn’t do much that hasn’t already been done before. Its strength is in doing things in a way that’s easier and looks cooler. It’s not for nothing that Apple products have such rabid fans.
The iPhone 4 is not the be-all end-all of smartphones, of course. We recently looked at the Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant, a viable iPhone contender based on Google’s extremely customizable Android operating system. But non-iPhone phones lack a certain je ne sais quoi that makes iPhones so pleasant to use, even if they don’t allow you to poke around under the hood.
Oh, and those much-discussed iPhone 4 reception problems? By squeezing the iPhone and covering the lower left portion of the phone with my thumb (which, frankly, is an awkward way to hold it), I did see my signal strength drop from four bars to two. But it wasn’t enough to affect my call connection.
As with most updates of Apple products, the iPhone 4 has enough new stuff to make the current generation of devices look distressingly frumpy, but not so much new stuff that it’s a radical evolution. Only you know if you really want one. And judging from the line-ups, you do. Party time.
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iPhone 4
Price: Ranging from $159 (on a three-year contract, for the 16 GB model) to $749 (with no contract, for the 32 GB model) via Rogers, Telus and Bell. Also available with no contract or carrier locks directly from Apple, for $659 (16 GB) and $779 (32 GB).
Verdict: It’s exactly as sexy, easy and fun as you expect it to be. At this point, the iPhone 4 doesn’t hold many surprises, other than the fact you’ll probably still want one.
iPods revamped
If you’re not ready to take the iPhone 4 plunge, Apple has introduced a new batch of iPods that will be hitting stores the week of Sept. 6.
The tiny new iPod Shuffle brings back the buttons that disappeared from the last version, and will sell for $59 with 2 GB of song capacity. A new version of the iPod Touch, boasting the iPhone 4’s ultra-sharp display as well as a second camera for FaceTime video calls, will sell for $249 (for the 8 GB model), $319 (32 GB) and $429 (64 GB).
The grooviest new addition is the redesigned iPod Nano with its wee, square touchscreen. Music lovers will be able to use their fingertips to flip through songs, FM radio stations, photos and more. Available in six colours, it will retail for $159 for the 8 GB capacity model, and $189 for the 16 GB unit.
Tags: apple, iPhone 4, smartphone
it have too many problems but still the best phone in the world i have iphone 4 it have a small problem with overload cpu