It’s been over a week since I got my brand spanking new iPhone 4 from the chaps at MTN. All I can say is wow. There is a remarkable difference between the iPhone 3GS & 4, in all sorts of categories.
For me the kicker has to be the screen. I have never seen such a crisp & crystal clear screen on ANY device before. I honestly can’t spot any pixels, except in some of the apps I already have on the phone. That seems to be an issue is that the legacy apps need to be updated to take advantage of the screen, otherwise they just look crap. But that said, every time someone asks me about what stands out the most about the phone, I point out the screen and whip open the Epic Citadel app, which shows how awesome & clear it is.
But it’s not only the screen that has caught me. The battery life on the iPhone is remarkably improved, and get loads more use out of the phone. With the 3GS, I charged it every night, (after using it a fair bit during the day) and now I can get almost 2 days out of it.
The camera on the phone is also another plus. That and the HD video recording. Check out this video I took of my boy playing air drums. Awesome quaility. There is also a huge difference in speed on the phone. Apps load a lot faster as well, as well as app switiching.
The one gripe I do have with the phone, seems to be the shape. I think cause I am accustomed to the “rounder” 3G & 3Gs shape, this feels a bit awkward to hold. But I’m sure I can get my head around that :)
Overall, so far, the phone has been brilliant. I even landed up getting my wife one, so I could chat to the kids using FaceTime, when I am not around. Brilliant.
Did you pick up an iPhone 4 ? What do you think ? Leave a comment below and lemme know ;)
17 replies on “My quick iPhone 4 review”
I’m waiting patiently for Vodacom Direct to get stock so they can deliver mine.
I would say the kicker for me would be the camera / HD video. I really enjoy taking pics with my current 3GS, so can’t wait for the iPhone 4!
So this is the type of review that one can expect if they buy you with an iPhone? I’m disappointed, this is not #iYoba.
I wonder what kind of review the Opel guys will get from you without giving you a car.
It’s a sad state of affairs when the likes of Aqua and Cerebra can buy bloggers and Twitter users.
Keep to doing what you do best Mark. Explain to people how to open US iTunes accounts and don’t pretend to be a car reviewer or PR whore.
I’ve had ever version since release and this is clearly the bet so far. Battery life stands out the most, with at least double the time I got from my 3GS. FaceTime was a little bit of a letdown, as it takes quite a while to connect and get going and it only works on wifi, it’s extremely limited and quite gimmicky IMO. I’ve experienced no dropped calls or deathgrip problems as has been the talk.
App opening and functioning is in turbo mode with the 4. Even SMS seem to send faster. Also quite unexpectedly, EDGE speeds, when I lose 3G, seem to be way quicker than previous models. Edge seems to actually work now.
All in all I’d say this phone is going to be even harder to beat and the mythical “iPhone killer” is now even further out of reach.
Must agree with you on all aspects – this phone is super amazing!!!! Had mine for just over a month now – you get used to the flat back ;)
What cover have you decided on or are you using if “naked”?
I got my 4G on launch and I absolutely love it, the screen is mindbogglingly crisp and the speed is immense. I upgraded from my 3G so the camera is a big step up and I love the HD video recording. Tried FaceTime once with aate in the states and it was smooth as you’d like and worked particularly well, not something I’ll use often but a solid feature none the less. My 2 issues are these, deathgrip is rife in my phone never mind a bit of weakened signal I have dropped numerous calls. I have a bumper case but I absolutely hate the look and feel of it, I’ll have to search for a decent case. The bumper case does however do what it’s supposed to do and with it on no signal loss at all. My biggest gripe is the horrendous battery life on my particular phone, I have the 32GB iPhone 4 and in 5 hours of minimal usage my phone is at 43% battery life. I’m not sure if my unit is faulty and worth returning to MTN for a new one but I won’t make it past a day without charging
So I got one as well and while I’ll mostly agree with you, I don’t feel it was worth the money over the 3GS (my previous phone) in terms of what you gain. If you’re getting a new contract, there are a few good deals though that would make it worth it.
The screen is awesome and the battery life really is what is the most worthy improvement. The Camera is also better, but I won’t say MUCH better. It does take nice pics in the right lighting though and if you’re using a decent camera app you can get very nice pics.
Haven’t tried Facetime though, doubt that it will impress me, though. I’ve never had much use for video calling.
I agree that the display is fantastic, certainly dulled the text on my iPad. I wouldn’t say that older non retina apps look crap though, they are a bit fuzzy but I wouldn’t puke at seeing them.
Everything including multitasking is a win for me coming from a 3G, although I had to set it up as a new phone in iTunes to eventually notice the battery improvement. Previously it was quite bad. Comparing TomTom on the 3G to the 4 is like comparing a Volksie to a LEXUS LFA, ho’ dang!
@Iyobatastic — I wasnt given my iPhone, but I published my review at the same time as Marc co-incidentally, and our reviews appear nearly identical: http://www.justinstanford.com/2010/10/3-simple-reasons-to-love-the-iphone-4/
So I believe Marc’s review is genuine.
Firstly, I must state that I am plain jealous you (and the guy sitting next to me right now) have got yours already. Assholes!
I’m first in line for when the new MTN stock arrives and I’m particularly excited about the HDR camera and the HD video recording. The screen is incredible and I guess I’ll appreciate it more once I’m using it on a daily basis.
@iYobatastic – are you saying you don’t like the phone?
I’ve had the 3G, 3GS and now the 4, I am very impressed so far, I agree with you that the best feature has to be the screen.
The camera quality is also greatly improved. Had my first video chat with a friend in Sydney on Saturday, using the new Tango app on 3G and the quality was great, although I haven’t tried the FaceTime feature yet Tango did a good job, the nice thing about Tango is it doesn’t require wi-fi and you can use it on iOS and Android devices. Gameplay is also a lot smoother than on the 3GS for games like Call of Duty and Assassins Creed.
If you’re an iPhone person (and Marc decidedly is), the iPhone 4 is a stunning device. Seriously, iYoba dude, did you ever read Marc’s previous iPhone stories?! Now take those positive reviews, add a 326 dpi display, decent still & video camera(s), more RAM, more speed, more battery and a gyro and honestly tell us an iPhone lover isn’t going to love it even more? If Marc *hated* the iPhone before and suddenly gushed over it now, I’d say “bought!” because this is still unmistakably an iPhone, and all the philosophical objections people raise against it (closed, limited ports, lock-in) haven’t been addressed. But that’s clearly not the case here. So please, take a chill pill dude.
One thing Marc didn’t discuss that I (as a gamer) really love is the gyro. Games like UFO on Tape and NOVA serve as an indication of where the gyro can take gaming. Just be prepared for ridicule when you sit on your office swivel chair and start frantically turning 360 degs whilst surveying the game world.
@iYobatastic stop trolling. Your comments are made real credible by that neato pseudonym you’ve got going there. It sounds more like you have a personal beef with Marc. He’s doing good for the sa iPhone community (and that’s coming from an Android fan). You, on the other hand, need to return to your cave.
@marcforrest keep up the great work!
Got mine yesterday, posting this from it. Really is as an amazing device and can’t believe I haven’t had one for so long. Was a hassle getting one with Vodacom’s stock issues but well worth the effort.
I personally think iYobatastic is spot on here. Marc is a publicity whore! :)
You know what they say hey… jealousy makes you nasty. You can troll all you want “iYobatastic”, it’s not going to make an iPhone magically appear in your hands.
Wanna make out?
As a very wise old friend said a while back “Everyone can be bought, I will just cost you a fortune”.
@iYobatastic, thank you for your comments. But welcome to the world of journalism and smoozing. Every product person will do everything in their power to smooze you, that doesn’t mean you have to be pro-their-product.
If the product is good, rave about it. You’re an ass.
@Kirsch360 you need to close your apps in multitasking as often as possible- that solved my battery problems. double click home button to get to multitasking and then delete the apps to close them. Voila! Great battery time back:)
@Carla, thanks for that but I do close most of my background apps when not in use.
I found however that the real cause of my poor battery life was that my phone was sending data and diagnostics to Apple each and every night between 1am and 4 am.
This was anywhere between 8 and 40 MB per night. It ended up chowing battery as well as costing me R700 in Data charges in just 2 weeks.
It’s all sorted now absolutely love it