iPhone 4 Has Arrived With a Bang But Not Without Limitations

Apple has revised the aesthetics of the phone, redesigned its firmware and added new functions and the result is a, faster and better equipped four joined iPhone that is technically becoming a ‘pain in the bum' for its competitors while maintaining an edge in terms of simplicity and fun to use.

A little less wide and thinner than the 3G iPhone (9.4 mm against 12.3) but an equivalent weight, the newcomer is distinguished by its straight profile which contrasts with the rounded case for its predecessor. The metal edges are antennas; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the left, GSM and 3G on the right. The round knobs have replaced long volume control buttons. On the surface, it has plates of tempered glass which is more durable and less susceptible to scratching than plastic.

The iPhone 4 is also sturdier which we found after an accidental fall. Solid machine! One may prefer the arched back of the old model, which makes the device more comfortable in hand.

The new iPhone has the same processor as the iPad. This results in a performance gain sensitive enough. Its battery has also evolved to offer one to two hours of talk more (7 hours of talk on 3G, 10 hours of video playback). To be more specific to games and other applications, the iPhone has four gyroscopes. It better controls additional background noise to eliminate ambient disturbance during the conversation.

The iPhone 4 is more reactive and system noise management proves quite effective. The new format requires a SIM card in a new order with its operator, in this case micro SIM card.

The screen size is the same (3.5 inches). But the display quality is incomparable. Brighter, more contrast, the iPhone 4 screen is also more specific and has stretched its resolution 960 × 480 × 640 pixels against 320 for the iPhone 3G. That means more points per square inch, and therefore the ability to read small print where you cannot see that blurry shapes you saw on the old model. As a result, the iPhone 4 can display four videos in HD 720p

There is finally a screen capable of competing with those of the competition. The visibility is better, even in daylight, but we would have liked a surface less sensitive to glare though.

No more half measures: the iPhone is equipped with four 5-megapixel sensor and a larger objective, which lets more light. In addition, a flash and 5X digital zoom. As before, just point the finger on the screen to automatically adjust the focus and exposure of the subject. The videotape also gains in quality: the images are captured in HD (720p) and you can use the flash during a shoot.

The photos are of excellent quality, the flash can be disabled. Amusing detail: the icons rotate when we switch the iPhone. The digital zoom cannot be used in video. In the photo, it is best not to abuse it because it adds grain to the image.

Video telephony is the most spectacular feature of this new model: call a contact, then tap the camera icon and you will see his face on screen while he will see yours on the iPhone, thanks to the VGA camera crane. You can even choose the camera back to show the environment or objects. And the result is amazing!

Once the conversation starts, the communication passes through the Wi-Fi, which allows free discussion from a DSL box or a public kiosk. This feature is only available on the iPhone 4 (unable to communicate in video conferencing with another iPhone). Apple hopes to convince other manufacturers to adopt its standard. It relies solely on Wi-Fi, which limits its use.

The iPhone 4 comes with four new versions of iOS that brings several new features. The multitasking helps you switch from one application to another without leaving the first and return by selecting its icon after pressing twice on the home button. Applications can be grouped into folders by dragging its icon from another. We may also collect several email accounts in one mailbox. The screen can be customized to enable and start the iBooks application to download and read eBooks.

Though it has a clean finish, the multitasking and unified messaging claimed by most techies do not necessarily convince the user base and there are many basic things like Flash integration, faster 3G, Bluetooth3.0 HS and HDMI it still lacks.