An in depth look at Apple’s new iPhone

by Dave Pellegrin

What makes mobile devices so appealing to the masses? Is it the ability to call, poke, chat, tweet, be in touch 24-7, or surf the web till your hearts content? Maybe. Or maybe it’s because you can do pretty much everything you need, or want, to do with a device smaller than a laptop but large enough to watch an episode of “Stargate SG-1″ comfortably on Hulu Plus.

About a month or so ago I decided to switch to an Android platform device called the Nexus One. At first it was amazing. It had true multitasking, customizable look and feel, fast processor and one heck of an awesome OS. Unfortunately, my Nexus One experience was bitter sweet. Shortly after getting the device I noticed dropped calls, drops in WiFi after the phone’s screen would shut off, and over all build quality issues. Long story short and 3 Nexus One returns later I said enough is enough. This all happened around the time of the iPhone 4 release which, at the time, I could care less about. I’ve had every iPhone since 2007 and to me the iOS 4 isn’t all that much different. I’m getting ahead of myself…

Build quality and overall feel

One of my biggest concerns with any mobile device is how well it’s built. You want something you just spent $$$ on to last and withstand the abuse of everyday life. The iPhone 4 does this extremely well. There isn’t really anything that feels quite like the 2.31″ x 4.5″ metal frame that makes up the iPhone 4. The phone feels extremely dense and well put together right down to the volume up and down buttons (yes, there are now two of them). The flatness and lack of curves really sets this device apart from anything else Apple has built over the years in their California compound of tech magic. The panels that make up the front and rear of the phone are made of reinforced, finger print resistant glass, which feels sturdier than the previous models. All in all, the phone is top notch on the build quality scale just don’t drop it!

Pros: Probably the best build quality you’ll find in a mobile device. Feels great in your hands.
Cons: It’s glass so if you drop it chances are you’re going to cry – a lot.

Call Quality & Data

Smart phones these days have one big flaw, call quality. No iPhone or Android I’ve used thus far has come close to the call quality of my old Nokia 3595. In their defense, smart phones do a whole heck of a lot more than my old Nokia. Fair enough. The iPhone 4 call quality is no better or worse than it’s predecessors. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. On a scale from 1 to 4, I’d rank the iPhone a 3 on call quality. There are some “modulation” or “digitization” of the voice but I’m pretty comfortable with that these days. People on the other end have stated the same results. The iPhone 4 call quality is “Good” but not great. One of the things I love about the iPhone is how loud the speaker is during speakerphone calls. Calls come through loud and very clear on the speakerphone. The device can be placed on its back with no volume lose since the speaker is on the bottom of the phone and not the back. And of course visual voicemail is still awesome. This was one of the biggest features I missed when I switched to an Android phone. We should start seeing visual voicemail support on the Android platform once there are more of them on AT&T’s network.

The antenna issue floating around the media doesn’t seem to affect me so much. I haven’t dropped a call once these past few weeks. If anything, I’d say the antenna issue doesn’t so much effect voice calls so much as it does data usage on 3G. I did a quick SpeedTest.net test to see how slow my data really was in my area. I first tested the phone flat on it’s back, no case. I got a whopping 181 kbps! Yeah, that’s with 5 bars. Pathetic. Next, I tested the phone with the dreaded “death grip” (aka covering the lower left hand gap with my palm). The results were very surprising, I got 1909 kbps. I did this a few more times and came up with varying results. My dinning room table isn’t exactly the most scientific area to test cell signal strength but you get the idea from a real life test. So who’s to blame for all these issues? Well, I’m blaming 99% of it on AT&T. Maybe I’m being a little harsh and biased being an AT&T customer since before they were Cingular Wireless. And in that time, it’s been my experience that their network has gone from “OK” to “Why am I still paying for this?” especially in regards to data. AT&T fix your network, we pay you plenty!

Pros: Loud Speaker phone. Visual Voicemail is still king. Easy to use call system.
Cons: AT&T’s Network is still crap.

iOS 4 and Software

When I first saw the curtain lifted off of iOS 4 I was not impressed. I felt the new features were too little too late as they were readily available on other phone platforms for at least 10 months to a year prior. The Android OS has had true multitasking since version 1.6 which was released. Not to mention Widgets, the ability to set a default web browser/text messaging app/home screen, and massive amounts of customization. Oh and it’s an open SDK which means anyone can develop for it with any compiler they want. This is in contrast to Apple locking the iOS platform down even further by disallowing 3^rd party compilers. Obviously, I have a problem with authority.

It’s not ALL bad, though.

Now that I’ve had the phone for a few weeks I don’t find the OS as terrible as I imagined it would be. Yes, it’s pretty much the same OS with a prettier doc but you have to hand it to Apple, the OS is still very easy to use. I could hand the phone to my Grand Mother and I bet she’d be in my Facebook entering inappropriate status updates before you can say Tony Danza. Yeah, it’s kinda like that. The more I use the Multitasking the more I’m comfortable with it. It’s not the best solution but it works, for now. I have come across a few apps crashing, or rebooting, when I switch back to them. Mostly older apps like Katamari Demacy – I like odd things from Japan.

Another area iOS 4 shines is speed. I rarely saw any signs of stutter or lag when navigating around the springboard from app to app. So, it appears Apple did a good job with memory management.  Apple also implemented mini widgets for audio applications like Pandora and the iPod. This is a very big step in my opinion for the OS although iOS 4 is hurting for some full springboard widgets. I miss my clock and weather home screen widget from the Nexus One.

Another welcome edition to iOS, is the ability to put apps in folders. This allows for a much cleaner springboard and I’m very satisfied with how they implemented this for the most part. Dragging one app on top of another initiates the folder creation and the OS even goes as far as guessing what you’d like to name the folder. My only complaint is you’re limited to 12 apps per folder. I guess Apple never heard of the scroll bar?

My biggest complaint about iOS isn’t the multitasking. It’s the intrusive notification system Apple seems to be clinging to like an eagle with a small animal in its talon. Nothing says “WTF” like a Facebook status update popping up right when you’re about to take someone down in the first person shooter N.O.V.A. There is a glimmer of hope though. Recently, Apple has hired a key notification designer from the WebOS team before HP bought them. This is great new since the WebOS is said to have one of the better notification engines on the market. Let’s hope Apple puts him to good use over the next few months.

Pros: Ease of use. Overall OS Speed. Multitasking. Mini Widgets for audio apps. Folders!
Cons: Not much has changed. Terribly intrusive and archaic notification system, Multitasking could be better. No ability to customize User Interface other than wallpaper. No way to set a default app like web browser. No way to launch apps automatically on startup for background use. Only 12 apps per folder.

Battery Life

Like most new devices the first day of use is the worst on the battery. I got maybe 8-10 hours in before I got the dread battery pop-up warning. Yes, it interrupted a game I was playing. Love that intrusive notification system you got there, Apple.  After a full charge over night and normal everyday use ensues, I get a full day out of the battery. For me, that’s all I need and I don’t mind charging it every night. In comparison to the Nexus One I briefly own, the iPhone out performed it by many hours. To be fair, the Nexus One had a whole heck of a lot more running like gchat, google voice, and widgets.

Pros: If you’re like me, you’ll get a full days worth out of the battery.
Cons: None really. The battery performed as expected.

Camera and Video

One of the area’s iPhone 4 gets it right is the camera. The 5 mega-pixels (MP) camera does admirably when compared to the EVO’s 8MP camera. Images look crisper and more vivid. Whatever light-processing chip Apple is using in the iPhone is amazing. So much so that I don’t carry my 6 MP point and shoot around with me anymore. The iPhone literally takes better pictures. There are some areas where the iPhone takes picture quality is hindered. In areas with lots of light or darkness the iPhone had trouble getting a clean shot. There is an LED flash on the phone but it tends to wash out the image with a grayish hue. This is normal for this type of camera and I can’t think of any other smart phone that doesn’t have this issue. At the very least, the option is there to use the flash.

Another huge leap forward on the iPhone 4 is video quality. The iPhone 4 shoots 720p video at 30 frames per second (fps). This is a huge deal because it’s one less device you have to carry around with you at birthday parties or other similar events. The shots I took were crisp and perfect for any YouTube or Vemeo addict. I do wish Apple included more features with the Camera and Video App.

Pros: Best camera I’ve seen on a mobile device even compared to phones with higher MPs. 720p Video at 30 fps!
Cons: I wish there were more features especially when compared to what Androids have on their camera app.

Final thoughts

The iPhone 4 is a very capable smart phone. It’s has decent call quality, an amazing camera, it’s so easy to use, and there is no other device on the market with this level of build quality. Unfortunately, the iPhone 4 isn’t without its flaws. Most of these flaws are software oriented like irritating notification system, minimal multitasking, no springboard widgets, and no UI customizability. But some of them are just Apple flaws that will most likely never be fixed.  I’m an Apple fan. I’m typing this on my shiny metallic MacBook Pro. I’m in their corner rooting them on but there is very serious competition out there and mostly from their rival, Google. With devices like the HTC EVO, the Droid X, and the Samsung Captivate (would love to review this one) I’m left wondering how much longer Apple will be the king of the smart phone world. And that should scare the crap out of Mr. Jobs because I’m one of his fans.