• Review: Apple iPhone 4

    Review: Apple iPhone 4

    Chandrakant 'iCK' Isi, Jul 04, 2011 1651 hrs IST

    The best iPhone till date, but still not good enough to beat the competition.

    Spectacular screen; Elegant design; Flawless UI; Huge AppStore; Gyroscope

    Ridiculously expensive; Lack of Flash support; Absence of USB mass storage mode; No file sharing over Bluetooth; No FM radio; No widgets; No DivX \ XviD support

    Check specifications
    Write Review
    Expert Rating :
    Rating
    Latest Mobile Prices
    mail share

Expert Review

    next

Apple iPhone 4
MRP: Rs 34,500 (16 GB), Rs 40,900 (32 GB)

The latest iPhone created controversies like no other. Early adopters were troubled by signal reception issues, and to add insult to injury, Apple tried to teach them the right way of holding the phone. Nokia took a sarcastic dig at this issue, and so did Motorola, with a full page ad in the New York Times. In an open letter to users, Apple linked this problem to the wrong formula used for displaying the signal strength. The fix was rolled out, but it failed to solve the "death grip" issue. Later, Steve Jobs offered iPhone cases to solve the problem, for which ConsmerReports.org trashed the company.

Review: Apple iPhone 4



Russian President Dmitry Medvedev learning the right way of holding the iPhone 4.

Finally, I got hold of the phone for the review, and fortunately, this one wasn't prone to the death grip.

The retail pack has some good and bad things. It contains a shiny iPhone, with the same lacklustre set of earphones that came with the previous iterations. A charger, USB cable, and a few Apple stickers are also present in the box. I can imagine fanboys sticking those labels up their car's rear.

After three long years, the iPhone has finally gone through a major design overhaul. The use of metal and glass makes it look far better than its plastic ancestors. Thankfully, the rounded corners are almost gone, so the phone now looks more elegant than ever. Interestingly, the back is made of glass, which succeeds in giving it a classy feel. The device's dimensions of 115.2 mm (l) x 58.6 mm (w) x 9.3 mm (d) and a metallic frame make sure that it sits comfortably in your hand.

Review: Apple iPhone 4




This change in design is positive and laudable. However, iPhone purists will not appreciate the new look, which somewhat resembles Nokia's candybar design scheme. All in all, the phone's build quality is brilliant, and I loved the minimalistic design. The only concern I have is about he durability of the toughened glass, which I think is not as good as Gorilla Glass.

Review: Apple iPhone 4



No, the phone is not damaged near the bottom. It just looks that way due to the reflective glass.



Here is a compilation of the device's views from various angles.

Review: iPhone 4



The iPhone has never been known for top notch specs, and this one is no exception. Still, this beauty now has a reasonable amount of brain, thanks to a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU. Gaming is taken care of by the PowerVR SGX535 GPU and 512 MB RAM. It sports a 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, accelerometer, and an interesting gyro sensor. It does have TV out, but sadly no HDMI port.

Display

The Retina display lives up to the hype, and it is capable of showing 640x960 pixels. Moreover, the LED backlit screen has a pixel density of 326 ppi, which makes sure that not a single pixel is visible to the naked eye. The image quality is nothing short of spectacular, the colours look rich, and the contrast is perfect. The display is very bright, and more importantly, remains readable under direct sunlight.

Follow Techtree on Twitter

    next

Do you agree with this Review?
YesNo

Up

16

Down

7

Related Links
Now, Amazon On Your iPhone
Most Expensive Phone - Diamond Studded iPhone 3G
First On TechTree: Review: Nokia E6
Tag keywords
Reviews Mobile Phones iPhone 4 Apple ck



Discussion Board
(45) Comments
the best dating
,salt lake city, on Sep 16, 2011 05:59 PM
hope iphone 5 will have features so that i can open any web site in my mobile itself.now lets see what happens in future.
Report abuse
tech beats
,singapore, on Jul 04, 2011 08:18 PM
lg optimux 2x and galaxy s2 are tough compete to iPhone...though iPhone popularity index is too high... akshay www.tech-beats.com
Report abuse
Sreekanth
,Mysore, on Jul 06, 2011 12:52 AM
I'm planning to buy a P&S cam very soon and please let me know what cam you have used to capture the shots and sure I will not buy that cam!! I promise. A tech website, an expert review..is this the way to show the snaps? Doesn't it show how much love you have for your job. With all my might, I'm saying it is beeter not to post such pics than posting such crap. Do you agree? Seems, the UTV is not giving you all salaries for the past 5 or 6 months at least and you are taking revenge on them like this. Anyhow nicely written article. You should have added the battery consumption details too to make it complete.
Report abuse
Siddhanth
,Kolkata, on Jul 06, 2011 02:13 AM
Any camera can take good shots given proper lighting conditions, exposure, etc. The reason those photos look so bad is because they were taken by an idiot, who can't even snap screenshots properly. Not to mention doesn't care for personal hygiene (Take a look at his nails in the photos, thanks a lot for pointing that out Harbind). These pics were taken outdoors, probably in a park, cause that's probably where TT offices have now moved. And you don't label a phone's parts like you would do to a diagram of a cell? And best of all, Angry birds is probably the only game that runs on your precious Nokia phone (which is why no phone is as good as it to you), and you have never even heard of Infinity Blade. This is probably why you guys can't do computer graphics roundup. You will probably test graphics cards by playing Spider Solitare or Minesweeper.
Report abuse
Harbind
,chandigarh, on Jul 05, 2011 07:47 PM
Yikes! At least cut your nails or clean them at least before featuring them in any of the shoots henceforth. Makes me puke
Report abuse
Chandrakant Isi
,TechTree, on Jul 06, 2011 02:22 PM
*Image edited* Thank you for pointing it out.
Report abuse
Harbind
,chandigarh, on Jul 06, 2011 03:13 PM
The second pic also makes me puke, what about that one? btw, dont you have any standard size photos? why do they have different sizes?
Report abuse
Chandrakant Isi
,TechTree, on Jul 06, 2011 04:02 PM
Is puking your hobby? Seriously, why would you keep on gazing my fingernails if they made you puke?
Report abuse
Harbind
,chandigarh, on Jul 06, 2011 08:33 PM
Because it is highly unprofessional of an expert reviewer to present a product in such a way. Do you disagree with me? Learn to accept constructive criticizm or your growth will be stunted
Report abuse
dude
,kochi, on Jul 05, 2011 10:17 PM
''To test the device's gaming performance, I flung Angry Birds at it, and the experience was flawless.'' Angry Birds?!! That thing runs smooth on almost every smartphone out there except for some really low end ones. If I wanted to show off an iPhone's gaming prowess, I would have played Infinity Blade instead.
Report abuse
Bijin
,Trivandrum, on Jul 06, 2011 02:34 PM
I would have played Infinity Blade or Fifa 2011.
Report abuse
Babu
,Chennai, on Jul 05, 2011 08:54 PM
You should have written this article way back when the Apple iPhone 4 was launched not when iPhone 5 is gonna be launched in a month or so.It's so stupid you compare the iPhone spes with the newly launched dual core phones.And most of all stop comparing only with android devices.
Report abuse
Anonymous
,mumbai, on Jul 06, 2011 02:00 PM
You are right its stupid to compare iPhone and newly launched dual core phones when Apple iPhone cost 40K and these new phones cost less than 30K.
Report abuse
Danzyl
,App, on Jul 05, 2011 12:06 AM
How come u guys suddenly got an idea of reviewing iphone4 after one year of launch and when it has already been reviewed by prasad?
Report abuse
BADJAG
, TechTree, on Jul 06, 2011 01:26 PM
The iPhone 4 has just been released in India, so the review is very relevant. Secondly, Prasad has reviewied the iPad 2 and iPod Touch, NOT the iPhone 4. I suggest you take a course in reading English and elementary web browsing.
Report abuse
Binga
,Meerut, on Jul 05, 2011 01:02 AM
Haaha, no widgets! Just shows that these peolpe can't think anything out of there android world. God knows why they review anything else. They should always stay in hell of their android. And enjoy features like complex UI, fregmentation, easy hacking of emails, unreliable apps., very poor battery life and an impressive spec. sheet to impress them. Enjoy, but never forget to take ur charger with u.
Report abuse
jindal
,meerut, on Jul 05, 2011 01:36 PM
u don't know about androids,the ugliest one looks better than you,and battery?since u are poor guy u don't know how long battery last,and since u beg for a charger it's problem for you...and yes don't try to imitate steve jobs type comment..
Report abuse
Champ
,Apple, on Jul 05, 2011 04:06 PM
Dude, ios is not for everyone. The only other thing you can do is to keep 3 batteries with ur android or carry a charger for both ur phone & mind which will be tired by ugly UI.
Report abuse
Binga
,Meerut, on Jul 05, 2011 04:12 PM
Ya, I know. It can run internet for 1 hour over 3g & that's it. Time for charging, little google fanboy
Report abuse
Susanta
,Hyderabad, on Jul 05, 2011 06:35 PM
IOS is only for noobs, who does not knows how to operate a smartphone. So they need just the basic features, but a big brand so that they can go bragging about it. IOS is fun only once it is jailbroken.
Report abuse
Patty
,Allentown, on Jul 05, 2011 06:43 AM
Why is this article 1 *YEAR* out of date???? > Ridiculously expensive Huh? It's no more expensive than countless other $150-$199 phones out there.
Report abuse
D3LeT3
,Pune, on Jul 05, 2011 09:30 AM
i agree with you on the fact that the article is way too late but the author is writing about the pricing in India.And yes it is too expensive retailing at Rs 35,000. that's around USD $720. So yes it is quite expensive when compared to cheaper options considering Android phones with 1gz processors are available for half that price.It's really a mystery as to why Apple thinks the Iphone to be priced so high in India.Cheers.
Report abuse
Neo
,new bombay, on Jul 05, 2011 02:50 PM
You have to remember that in the U.S they have a carrier system where the user enters into a contract with the service provider and gets the phone at a discounted price(lower end models may even be acquired for free).....hence the discrepancy. However it is still way too overpriced but you could say that this is a feature of any apple product.
Report abuse
alphageek
,mumbai, on Jul 05, 2011 04:48 PM
because the iphone was launched in India just a few days back..... so its really not that late And now an unlocked iphone 4 is available legally in US priced at $650
Report abuse
zomberi
,bangalore, on Jul 05, 2011 01:36 PM
What happened? Suddenly, you start bitching about Apple.
Report abuse
Siddhanth
,Kolkata, on Jul 04, 2011 08:47 PM
Good review. Just a few pointers: Did you have to take the photograph of the iPhone outdoors? The trees in the reflection look like scratches. Secondly, why are all the screenshots so blurry? Is it the fault of my browser (Chrome)? Or is it some uploading problem? And the most important thing : "iPhone purists will not appreciate the new look, which somewhat resembles Nokia's candybar design scheme"? In what angle does it represent a Nokia phone? The candybar scheme is universal, and every Rs.1500 nokia phone looked liked a box 5 years ago (Still do kinda but without the slimness), but my point is what nokia touch phone looks like the iPhone? The shape is not at all similar to N8, C7, etc. The only phones that look like the iPhone are samsung galaxy phones, and thats because they copied them. And to anyone looking to buy the iPhone, unless you want flaunt value in front of your dumb tech-impaired friends, get an Android. The HTC Sense 3.0 on the sensation is far far better looking than the iOS 5, which basically lacks any proper eye candy. Also, android is ...well...android. Designed by nerds and geeks, for use by the more than average user. If you're an average or less than average user, with cash to burn, get the iPhone. Otherwise, please go for the GS2 or the Sensation. The 500,000 apps was reached after multiple copies of the same app. Just open iTunes and type angry birds in the app store. You will come up with 10 angry birds, same icons (I'm just repeating this. It was covered in the review already).
Report abuse
samir
,mumbai, on Jul 04, 2011 10:24 PM
The screenshots are not really blurry. I'll tell you what the problem is. They appear blurry to you because your monitor too lo-res to display them properly. Don't forget, they are from a Retina display and you can see them crisp only when you view them on an iPhone 4 :P
Report abuse
D3LeT3
,Pune, on Jul 05, 2011 09:39 AM
Samir,so you're saying that if you take a picture,on the precious Iphone with 640x960 pixels and your view them on desktop at 1024x768, It should not show crisp pictures? You should get a marketing job at Apple. "After buying an Iphone all you gotta do to see your camera pics is buy a Mac".....get real.
Report abuse
D3LeT3
,Pune, on Jul 05, 2011 09:42 AM
And FYI the screenshots posted have been lifted off another website,that's the reason they are blurry.If you dont have a clue about whats going on,please stfu and stop confusing people who are actually interested in gaining some understanding.
Report abuse
samr
,mumbai, on Jul 05, 2011 12:22 PM
@D3LeT3: chill man, that was a joke, in case you didnt notice the smiley at the end of my post :P
Report abuse
Dinesh Kapadia
,Mumbai, on Jul 04, 2011 07:48 PM
Funny thing that i notice about most smartphone users (that i've met in India) is that hardly anyone has a 3G plan nor they are interested in the gazillion apps available in the market (except maybe a couple of games). I mean come on !!! what good is a smartphone without a data connection? And this is most applicable to iPhone users. All they seem to talk about is how pretty it looks, how slim it is and how good is the touch screen. For most people its just an expensive toy to flaunt in public and friends.
Report abuse
Tom
,Ahmedabad, on Jul 05, 2011 12:21 PM
true, agreed. People don't know what it means by a smartphone, but they still want it.
Report abuse
Donna
,Chicago, on Jul 05, 2011 06:45 AM
>Absence of USB mass storage mode ........................... ........................ .......... What? Any 1 of the free apps make it a USB drive. Has the author EVERY seen an iPhone?
Report abuse
Kaushik
,Bangalore, on Jul 05, 2011 12:12 PM
True, but most basic phones here work as USB drives, too, when connected to the comp. iPhone doesn't.
Report abuse
Austin 3:16
, Texas, on Jul 05, 2011 12:17 PM
And with your so-called apps installed for USB storage functionality, you can still access this functionality only through iTunes.
Report abuse
Ajit
,Mumbai, on Jul 05, 2011 07:17 AM
If You Don't Have an iPhone, Well..... You Don't Have an iPhone!! But then you do have Rs 35,000 in your bank :-)
Report abuse
Anonymous
,sd, on Jul 05, 2011 12:00 PM
hahah nice one...
Report abuse
Kaushik
,Bangalore, on Jul 05, 2011 12:12 PM
Actually a very good thought!
Report abuse
Debbie
,LA, on Jul 05, 2011 06:47 AM
> No FM radio. No? I listen to more than 2700 radio stations all over the world with my iPhone. It's called Using The Internet. Try to do that with a LOCAL built-in radio. Does techtree know this isn't 1980 any more?
Report abuse
Kaushik
,Bangalore, on Jul 05, 2011 12:10 PM
true, but that's still NO FM radio in the phone.
Report abuse
Nancy
,Pte, on Jul 05, 2011 09:38 AM
Apple is surely scared of Galaxy S2. making every possible move to stop launch of S2 in US.
Report abuse
Deva
,Mumbai, on Jul 04, 2011 09:08 PM
If You Don't Have an iPhone, Well..... You Don't Have an iPhone!! It's As Simple As That!! Once U start Using the iPhone.... You would never Ever Go Back to the ...... Ohh Whats the name of those Companies.... ??? I Forgot!! :P
Report abuse
Anon
,Mumbai, on Jul 04, 2011 05:59 PM
People should realize that comparing an iPhone 4 to the Galaxy 2 or Optimus 2X is unfair cause the thing is 1 year old. It might have launched now in India, but still compare iPhone 5 to those when it releases in september and then file a verdict out. I'd recommend jailbreaking for anyone owning an iPhone 4.... Then you can customize the sh!t out of it and not whine about the OS not being as 'open' as android.
Report abuse
zumit
,Pune, on Jul 04, 2011 06:23 PM
(Agreed its one year old) I think the comparison is about whats available to users at this point of time in the market....so you are spoilt for choice and you can take yours. About the OS, its again how open it is out of the box and not after jailbreaking. So it comes down personal choice when buying & what you want to do after you buy it :)
Report abuse
Bachchan Pandey
,Jaipur, on Jul 04, 2011 08:49 PM
People should also realize that Apple is selling this "one year old" device for Rs. 34500. Now that's something I call 'unfair'. especially when next generation phones from others are at least ~3k cheaper. Comparison is totally fair as its not about comparison between flagship phones from different stables, but rather about what you get in the same price.
Report abuse

Opinion Poll