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.
wait ko na lang iphone10
funny when the discussion is about smartphones,especially iphones,the thread becomes a debate that contains nothing but trolling like on youtube.lol. if you have the money to waste without looking at what you’re getting,go for it.but it doesn’t mean that if you don’t have the iphone you can’t afford it,maybe some people just thinks it very thoroughly before spending a cent and making sure they can get the value for their money(not just buying a shiny brick to brag about).peace.
Apologies for the wrong spellings. On the way to province, rocky road. My iphone 4 is here to save me from boredom 
reena
Thumbs up to Glenn.
It’s so easy to sell my iphone 4 and buy the 5th generation next year ü haha
More people bought 3gs when 4 launched since they cat afford the 4 and since 3gs and 4 has almost the same features.
The hTc i wanted is even 30% more expenaive than my iphone 4.
I sleep literally on top of my iphone everyday and its still fine. It fell but nevwr broke, intetnet in my phone is even faster than our broadband connection at home. My contactsbphotos arw updated qith facebook. The HD movie makes me feel I’m really there on the scene. Battwry life is not so bad. Charging is fast. Multitasking makes it convenient. Every tap, pinch, shake, drag and all the movement on my screen and the phone itself is as accurate as 1+1! Cant ask for more. Really.
To all haters, try to get 1 if you can afford, if not Stfu… IPhone4 is the best phone i ever had, better than worth 32k samsung galaxy s, better than htc android phone, the price do worth it.
@Gordon: bravo! well said. :)
iPhone 4: Nice to have. Nice to be seen with. Software not very nicely designed. Price is not nice for what you really get. Most people just want to own one because it’s the coolest thing to have today, reminiscent of everyone wanting to own a Sony Walkman, and then the Sony Discman and then the Apple Ipod and lately the Apple Ipad. Sometimes we are victims of these super marketeers (like Steve Jobs) who make us believe we really need the stuff they sell so that we can all fit into this overly material gizmo-tic world. P40,000? Buy a P5,000 phone and save the P35,000 for an unforseen rainy day in your life. Oh believe me, a rainy day will come. Can’t wait to see the fallen faces of the bajillion iPhone 4 owners when Jobs launches iPhone 5 in 2011.
I currently own an HTC Legend and am contemplating on selling it and getting an iPhone 4 instead. A part of me is wondering if I’m just joining the bandwagon – but honestly, I don’t think so.
I’m not satisfied with my HTC.
1) Android apps are pretty limited and the quality of the apps aren’t as good as the ones developed on the iPhone. I think it will be a while before Android apps are at par with iPhone apps. Sadly.
2) The memory for my Legend is limited since I haven’t found a site detailing how to root it properly.
3) I own a Macbook and HTC only allows synching with Windows.
4) Face Time is convenient for keeping in touch with my relatives abroad who also use the iPhone.
Also – the unit is actually cheapest with Globe. You can get a 16gb for as low as Php27,399 for the 499 plan. It isn’t as expensive as the previous iPhones. Singapore sells it for around 28-29k if you convert it. That’s not a big diff considering I’m a Globe postpaid subscriber already.
I was navigating the net looking for some cool stuff and came across your blog. I just wanted to say that I think your site has some nice stuff and that I have already saved the page so I can visit again soon! Fine job!
Its true that every phone has their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia x10 running on 1.6 OS. But upon upgrading to 2.1, drastic changes were made. And it’s a lot faster. As for the iPhone, I didnt have any problems with my 3g. The 3gs IMHO, wasnt worth the upgrade from 3g. I’ve tried the iPhone4 at globe, and it was definitely fast and the quality of the images were good. The down side is already stated above. The thing I hate most about the new iPhone is the antenna issue and the glass on both sides. The design looks good, true enough. But taking care of it can be a pain in the ass. I love doesnt REQUIRE a case. Personally, the iPhone 4 doenst deserve the hype. But does deserve some credit for its physical looks and good OS.
Fuck the iphone 4. People are just using it as a status symbol. It’s for rich dicks who don’t care what a phone can do and cannot do. Buy Samsung Galaxy S if you want a technically hybrid phone!
i got my new iphone 4 from globe and please do not jailbreak and unlocked your iphone for 1year warranty purposes.tnx
who knows someone eho can jailbreak? unlock an iphone ver. 4.1? i’ll bargain mine at 32k. Oh i so want HTC HD desire now :D It can connect contacts from facebook account automatically!
Hi I’m selling Brand New Apple Iphone4 16GB & 32GB Factory Unlocked.
Unit Can be used with any network simcard.
Sealed Unit. With one year Apple Warranty and Service Warranty.
Apple iPhone4 16Gb at Php 40,000.
Apple iPhone4 32Gb at Php 46,000.
meet up, metro manila area. Preferably at Malls and Banks.
I can cut your simcard too for free.
email me at thecutem****@****.***
or text me at 092288*****
Thanks!
is it true that u can’t open adobe e-mail attachments / files with the iPhone?
i’m planning to get a smartphone.
with blackberry, u need BIS / data plan to maximize it’s features. sayang naman i’m always sa wi-fi area.
kung iPhone, kahit 3gs ok lang. kaya lang if it can’t open adobe. that would be a problem. i received a lot of mails with attachments kasi.
any of you guys can give more info on this to help me decide.
thanks.
is it true that u can’t open adobe e-mail attachments with the iPhone?
HTC Desire HD definitely kills this piece of overpriced brick.
i know a lot of people still hate iphone and apple as a whole… but 14 million in sales in 1 quarter is a good thing for investors.
what i dont like with iphone though is that it has already become too common.
@jackie, you may want to avoid that since apple still havent officially released the white model.
the white units in the gray market right now are either rip offs, or excess production on the test units.
the test units may actually be the real thing, except that the color quality did not pass apple’s expectations, and of course, will not be supported by warranty and apps market.
@milnor_a, you already solved your batt issues? you can check apple website on battery care. i’m currently getting 48hrs per full charge on normal use.