Apple has yet to release the iPhone 4 in the Philippines via its exclusive carrier Globe Telecom. Even before then, a lot has been said about this 4th generation iPhone — from the supposed antenna issues, the Retina Display, to Face Time and the modified form of multi-tasking feature. So check out our review of the Apple iPhone 4 after the jump.
The new design of the iPhone 4 represents the biggest departure from the original one when it first came out 4 years ago. The body is composed of two sandwiched pieces of high-grade glass and lined with two strips of aluminum that doubles as an external antenna — a design that became subject to one of the biggest controversy Apple has faced in years.
The size is still the same at 3.5 inches across but it’s thinner and a bit heavier on the hands. The back panel is now flat and made of a sheet of glass with 5MP camera and LED flash embedded on the upper section. A second front-facing camera is situated at the front for making video calls Apple refers to as Face Time.
The iPhone 4 is a smudge-magnet — not only in the front panel but the back panel as well. The glass plates in front and in the back attracts fingerprints like there’s no tomorrow.
The volume controls are on the left side along with the toggle that activates instant mute of the volume while the power button is on top just across the 3.5mm audio jack.
The iPhone 4 also features a new screen technology called Retina Display. Indeed, the display looks very impressive and the pixel density is so packed the images are very crisp and clear that rivals even the Super AMOLED screens used in other smartphones (like the Samsung Galaxy S and the Samsung Wave).
I’ve compared the display of the iPhone 4, HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S — the Desire is bright and crisp, the Galaxy S is brighter and deeper contrast but the iPhone 4 definitely has better resolution and a more refined display. The 960×640 pixel resolution is among the biggest we’ve seen on a smartphone by far.
The choice of Retina Display over Super AMOLED could be a move by Apple to avoid production delays of the latter and eases up Apple’s dependence on Samsung which its biggest suppliers of displays (and also a competitor in the smartphone wars with the Galaxy S touted as its strongest rival).
Apple also introduced the new iPhone OS with the iPhone 4. Called the iOS 4, the new operating system finally includes multi-tasking, an important feature Apple shunned for years due to concerns on performance and battery life of the device.
With the Apple A4 chip running on the iPhone 4 (similar one used in the iPad), the device performs very well without any significant lags when navigating and switching between apps. The system feels very snappy and apps launch pretty quickly. It’s very noticeable especially when processing large files of photos or videos (and that built-in video editor works like a charm but you have to buy iMovie separately from the iTunes App Store).
Multi-tasking is also something very new to the iPhone 4, a platform feature introduced with iOS4. While others would argue it’s not really multi-tasking in its truest sense, it works as it’s meant to be. I’ve also noticed significant improvements on the speed and performance of the browser.
The camera on the iPhone 4 is among the best ones I’ve seen and used on a smartphone. It rivals that of the Galaxy S in terms of image quality.
The camera takes good to great photos that are properly focused, adequately exposed and saturated. The lens can focus on any subject by just tapping on the screen. It’s got a fast focusing speed and shutter speed to avoid blurry images even on low light conditions.
See the entire gallery of photos taken with the iPhone 4 here.
What makes it slightly better than the Samsung Galaxy S is the accompanying LED flash that allows for additional light source when needed. While the main camera is rated at 5MP, the secondary camera is only VGA which is used for Face Time.
Video recording on the iPhone 4 is another plus point for the phone. At 720p, videos are vivid and clear with no noticeable drop frames even on longer clips. Here’s a short video clip taken using the iPhone 4.
The lens also actively re-focus as the subjects on the frame changes. You can actually manually refocus the video by just tapping on the subject on the screen. The exposure also dynamically changes depending on the focused subject so you will notice some over-exposure when moving from light frames to darker frames.
Here’s an example of an active and manual refocusing of subject while recording the video.
In some respects though, I believe the Galaxy S takes a bit better video than the iPhone 4. On another note, I wasn’t able to do test out Face Time on the device.
One of the more controversial issues surrounding the iPhone 4 is the antenna reception. I’ve previously tested several smartphones (see here) regarding the drop signal strengths and they all behaved the same although at a slightly varying degree. While there’s a noticeable decrease in signal strength as indicated in the signal bar on the iPhone 4, I have not experienced a single dropped call.
The battery life is a little tricky to measure, which is true in all smarpthones in the market today. While the device can do over 2 days on a single full charge, you can also easily drain it in under a day if you’re a heavy user.
There are so many other features the new iPhone 4 had that’s well worth mentioning but the ones I’ve highlighted above are what makes this device really kick ass. It’s got a solid build and design construction, a very tight operating system, hundreds of thousands of apps (most of them free) and UI that’s simple yet elegant.
Apple iPhone 4 specs:
Apple 1GHz A4 chip
3.5-inch display @ 960×640 pixels
16GB & 32GB
3G/HSDPA 7.2Mbps
WiFi 802.11n
GPS w/ aGPS
Gyroscope
5MP camera with LED flash
2nd front-facing camera
2 mics w/ noise-canceling
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR
iOS 4
The iPhone 4 official release is still at least a month away and Globe has not indicated the exact date. However, dozens of iPhone 4′s are being sold in the grey market everyday, some even reaching street prices of up to Php92,000. And yes, people still buy them at those prices. It has since gone down to about Php41k to Php78k, depending on the source and if it’s factory unlock or not.
The iPhone 4 is a great smartphone but we can’t really peg a verdict unless we know how much Globe will be selling it in the Philippines. I have a hunch it will be in the same range when the iPhone 3GS came out and if that’s the case, it’s going to be well worth the upgrade.
Twitter: justinecapili
says:
magkaiba yung klase ng screen ng iPhone 4 at iPod touch 4. Although parehong RETINA DISPLAY. Ibang-iba. I have not tested either both. nakita ko lang sa isang site. :
Do I need TO pay for at&t? h
How much WIll u sell it and where? are they selling any at sm clark?
Globe Telecom have already started pre-ordering of the Iphone4 a couple of weeks back. The process was a lot faster when you have initially registered in their website.
These are the prices:
16GB
From Php 37,499
FREE at Plan 3799
32GB
From Php 43,699
FREE at Plan 5000
I was never a fan of apple phones so I couldnt really comment on it. But the new upgrade seems to be a worldwide thing so I might actually get one. I owned a couple of smartphones in the past and most of them are either Nokia or HP. Nokia smartphones are easier for me to use and the apps at the Ovi store may not be a lot… but there were enough for me and my needs.
Recently, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S because I have been going nuts over the Android technology. So far, the performance is exactly what I expected from an Android. It syncs fast, it multi-task, it shares online in a tap of a finger, and its light built makes it easier to carry around. Athough, one downfall include the short battery life… In approx 30mins of extensive use the batt will decrease approx 1/8 after a full charge. So in approx 2hr use the battery might not last until the evening. in short, I dont recommned this as your primary phone unless you ahve a power outlet nearby or if you actually have a car charger with you everytime.
For those of you concerned with the fact thats its a little harder to type on a touchscreen… Samsung Galaxy S helps their users with the Swype technology where you wouldnt need to lift a finger to pick the next letter… just swipe your fingers across the screen pad. Another plus is you could pick different types of keypad that you are more comfortable with. You couldd choose the qwerty board… the 3×4 keypad (the ones candy bar phones have).. or handwriting.
The apps at the market are great and most are very useful compared to what you find at the Ovi store. Unfortunately, this could also be very overwhelming to some and sometimes people tend to download almost anyting with 4stars rating. This would eventually make any android phone slow and take up so much battery life… the various apps installed could crash too… since not all apps found in the market are always compatible with all versions of the android.
been a nokia fanboy for years esp. e series and communicator.i have used and played with iphone 3g and 3gs and currently own an ipad 64gig..i am currently using android 2.1 samsung galaxy s..guess what? they are all great..each having their own strengths and weakness.why not use an iphone? i do not think its the price for me,,if i really like something then i will get it…akin lang naman ayoko ko kasi minsan umasta yung iba na naka iphone na porke naka iphone sila feeling super ganda o yaman o angat sila sa iba..parang ilitista..
@gerjoy,,,ok naman battery ng galaxy s..install ka lang task killer,minsan kasi dami palang bukas na apps na hindi natin alam..at kadalasan improve battery niya after 6 to 8 cycles ng drain at charge..
Nobody here is trolling. For P25,000 you really do get a worthless paperweight. iPhone is plagued with reception problems (death grip) and I find it funny that people still pay a hefty price for something that’s bound to be outdated by the manufacturer in the next 6 months, then have to jailbreak it for it to be usable. Tsk tsk.
http://grabyourfreegadgets.webs.com
ang daming mga tao dito na sinasabi na hindi maganda ang iphone 4 and masyadong expensive. If you cannot afford it just Shut up because there are people who likes it and willing to shell out their hard earned money if i know wala lang kayong pambili kaya you just convince yourself na pangit yung ip4 hahaha just my two cents.
I had been using an iphone for the longest time then I replaced it with the Galaxy S and talagang maganda ang screen at ang daming features na wala sa iphone kaya lang Apple always manage to create cool looking devices kaya malamang mapabili din ako nito.
@ steve:
I guess it’s all about the money if you have it feel free to spend it anyway you like. If people want to spend it on a very expensive paperweight let them be di naman galing syo or kahit kanino dito sa atin ang pera nila e.
to all people with negative comments regarding the iphone 4, na-try niyo na ba gamitin? because if hindi pa, you’re just making a fool of yourself. para kayong nagtuturo magdrive e hindi naman kayo nakakapagdrive talaga.
yes it is expensive pero imho, worth it naman kung yun talaga gusto mo. ok, madaming glitch pero naha-highlight lang since almost all smartphone companies/fanboys are trying to prove that theirs is better that the iphone. lahat naman ng phone may kanya kanyang glitch.
i recently bought mine kaya i can attest na madaming gamit yung phone and the glitches do not really cause you much trouble. and the phone is usable kahit hindi jailbroken. if you can spend 30k+ on the phone, why not a couple of hundreds of applications?
Why yes, random poster. I indeed have tried both the iPhone 3G and the 4.
The interface is great for novice users, and usability is great.
Pages load quick because there is no Adobe Flash.
Therefore, some media is not displayed on the iPhone.
The app store is the only thing I like about it, as the apps are in their hundred thousands and are properly categorized and easy to use.
I dislike the problems the iPhone 4 has.
Reception decreases due to it’s aluminum casing.
The build quality is not all great.
I have seen occurrences of the back plate getting cracked.
Overall, I hate apple and their products.
Firstly, they remove advanced options in a big to increase usability.
They come up with a new model ever 6 months.
They want you to pay more to use features which have been on phones for a long time. (iPhone 3G does not have video recording)
Lastly, all I hear in their ads are “great”, “astounding”, “amazing”, “Beautiful” and such and pay no attention to specs.
I can safely say that the HTC Desire is much better and much cheaper than the iPhone 3G/4.
[...] to 36 months to get the unit completely free (no cash out). On a related note, see the full iPhone 4 Review [...]
maski hindi pa ako nagkaroon ng iphone maliban lang sa ipod touch sa palagay ko walang tatalo sa OS nito. and hoping to have one in the future.
Guys question.. I’m having problems with the battery life of my iPhone4. You may find this exaggerating but I lose 1% in the battery status bar for every 10 minutes. I find this very odd or is this normal in iPhone? Mind you, I’m a newbie with the brand. I’m a Nokia user before and had no complain with their battery life (had e71 and e72. I searched the net for possible solutions and it turns out that to “RESTORE” the phone might help it. Is this true? Well, as I write this, I’m trying to follow that option. However, as I checked, Itunes is saying that downloading the software update needs 11 hrs of completion. WTH! Tell me iPhone4 users out there if you are experiencing the same?? I need a techie advice here. I’m loving this phone (software wise and other apps) but its battery life seems a mediocre contrary to reviews that it has a superb battery life.
http://grabyourfreegadgets.webs.com
You merely bought an iPhone to show off.
^hey sir Yuga, maybe you can answer my concern above. :)
Note: I tried to totally drain the batt, then turned off the phone while recharging it for 4 hours in my first attempt. Did the same thing on my second charging for 3 hrs that time but still the problem didn’t resolve.
The iPhone 4 doesn’t allow you to change it’s battery by yourself.
Your fault for buying such a nonsense phone.
Steve, i don’t need your nonsense opinion. Get a life! ;)
P.S: I never mentioned that I can change the battery by myself. I was just looking for possible solutions to improve its battery life.
And oh…
You’re a retard. ;)
“You’re a retard”
Says the person who buys an overrated, expensive phone then complains about it!
We can go on about this the whole day, homofag.
@milnor_a: talagang ganyan ang iphone 4 less than one day lng ang battery life.
@milnor_a: or pwede rin na mahina ang signal ng globe jan sa area nyo kaya extra effort yung phone na makakuha ng signal. ganyang din ang nangyayari sa ibang phone
@Moja. Are you an Iphone4 user too? Thanks for the feedback anyways. I appreciated it sir. I never experienced a bad battery when I had E71 then later on E72. I purchased this phone when per reviews, this has a superb battery life. I guess I was wrong.
@milnor_a: yung friend ko sa Singapore yung nagsabi sa akin na mabilis malobat yung iphone 4. Check mo na lang task manager baka may mga running apps sa background. Pero kalimitan din sa mga battery ay kailangan ng 3 to 4 times na cycle bago mo maramdaman yung performance… yung cycle na sinasbi ko ay from full charge to empty…. then charge again pero dapat off yung phone then gamitin mo ulit hanggang sa madrain ung battery then charge ulit… iwasan mo rin maovercharge ung battery