Apple iPhone 4 32GB Smartphone Reviews and Deals

Apple iPhone 4 32GB review

Good

Gorgeous hardware design; Retina display is incredible; FaceTime is fun

Bad

Ongoing antenna issues are a concern

Overview

Launched in June 2010, the iPhone 4 is Apple's fourth version of its phenomenally successful smartphone. Many of the new features introduced with this model come courtesy of an operating system update called iOS, but this is also available as a free download to iPhone 3GS and 3G owners. Even so, the iPhone 4 introduces many new hardware features of its own, too.

The iPhone 4's thin, flat shape is redolent of the original 2007 model, but Apple has done away with aluminium and plastic for the case. Instead, the internal components are sandwiched between two sheets of glass that are precision mounted to a shiny stainless steel rim. The result is very sleek and rather understated, but the iPhone 4 still exudes a luxurious, premium quality that no other smartphone can match.

Some concerns have been raised about the durability of the glass used front and back, despite it being both toughened and scratch resistant. Like any smartphone though, a drop onto a hard surface will inevitably mean some damage - it's just that the iPhone 4 is more likely to shatter rather than crack.

Almost every aspect of the iPhone 4's specification has been improved over the 3GS's to some degree. There's twice the amount of RAM, a faster processor, a higher resolution camera with LED flash, front-mounted camera for video calling, HD video recording and a three-axis gyroscopic sensor for extremely accurate motion detection.

The headline new feature, however, is the screen - it's still a capacitive multi-touch display with a 3.5” diagonal, but it now has a whopping 960 x 640 resolution. Apple calls it the ‘Retina display' and makes the individual pixels too small to see at a normal viewing distance. In practical use, it means that the iPhone 4 displays such a razor sharp image that it's often indistinguishable from a printed page and previous iPhone screens look primitive in comparison.

Work

The iPhone has long been criticised for its lack of multi-tasking and the inability to run more than one third-party app at once was seen be some as a major failing. Apple has addressed this in iOS 4 with the addition of multi-tasking, but this doesn't work in quite the same way as multi-tasking on a PC.

In order to minimise the impact of running several apps at once on speed and battery life, iOS 4 doesn't allow apps free rein when they're not running in the foreground. Instead, apps can only continue performing a handful of tasks when they're dismissed with a press of the Home button, such as playing music, maintaining a VoIP connection, uploading data and location tracking.

This sounds a little limiting, but it's a neat solution that meets the needs of most iPhone users and it means, for example, that you can carry on listening to Spotify while web surfing, or continue a Skype call while you check your email. Apps do need to be specifically written (or rewritten) to support multi-tasking, but many have already been tweaked accordingly.

iOS 4 operating system also brings a number of new features for serious iPhone users. A unified inbox, threaded messaging and support for multiple Microsoft Exchange accounts are three welcome additions, but there's still no support for folding polling with IMAP or Exchange email servers. So, you still can't get any notification of new mail that a mail server rule has filtered out of the top-level Inbox.

Security features have been beefed up too, and iOS 4 now supports alphanumeric unlock passwords, VPN connections and strong data encryption. IT managers struggling to handle multiple iPhones within an organisation will also be pleased to see support for BlackBerry-like enterprise management tools, including remote security and policy profile management, plus wireless app management that bypasses iTunes.

Play

The iPhone 4 handles media with same aplomb as earlier models, but a bigger battery means that you should get around 10 hours of video and 40 hours of audio playback. The camera has also been upgraded from three to five megapixels and while this is still outclassed by cameras on other smartphones, the iPhone 4 still takes excellent photos.

As ever, image quality is more to do with the quality of the lens and image sensor than raw resolution, and these are two areas that Apple has paid very close attention to. In fact image quality is probably good enough for most people to use the iPhone as a compact digital camera replacement, although the lack of optical zoom and comparatively weak LED flash are still two weak spots.

The addition of a second front-facing camera means that the iPhone 4 can now be used for video calls, too - something that Apple has deployed with a new app called FaceTime. Calls can only be made over Wi-Fi and only to other iPhone 4s, but video can be activated during a normal voice call. Picture quality is excellent and the option to switch between front and rear cameras mid-call makes FaceTime an easy way to share everything from a holiday view to live business information with someone.

Connectivity

Apple hasn't changed the Dock connector on the iPhone 4, so there shouldn't be any issues with existing accessories. Wi-Fi has been upgraded to 802.11n though, and HSDPA 3G is now joined by HSUPA to deliver upload speeds of 5.76MBit/s under ideal conditions.

Performance

An upgrade to the same Apple A4 processor as the iPad and more RAM makes the iPhone 4 speedier than the iPhone 3GS, and apps open just that little but quicker as a result.

Unfortunately, any performance improvements delivered by the iPhone 4 are currently overshadowed by a bigger problem - the antenna. By shifting from the usual internal antenna to an external one, in the form of that stainless steel band around the case, Apple claims that the iPhone 4's network reception is better than ever. Tests certainly seem to back this up, but the problem is that many users are reporting dramatic reductions in signal strength when the antenna comes into contact with flesh.

The problem is that this happens when the iPhone 4 is held normally in the left hand and while Apple hasn't tacitly acknowledged the complaint, it has suggested - in all seriousness - that owners try holding the phone differently to resolve it.

Apple has pledged to issue a software update to fix the way in which the iPhone 4 erroneously measures network signal strength, but this won't address the core complaint about the antenna. So, at the time of writing, many existing owners are very unhappy with the way the iPhone 4 performs and this leaves a bit of a black mark against this otherwise excellent smartphone.

Verdict

If not for the antenna issues, we'd have no hesitation in recommending the iPhone 4 - the design is gorgeous, the Retina screen is outstanding and the other new features all add to the appeal. For now though, we'd advise waiting a while to see how Apple handles the mobile reception situation before buying.

Apple iPhone 4 32GB specification and features

Model

Apple iPhone 4 32GB

Manufacturer

Apple

Colours

White, black

Mobile internet

WiFi

Yes

3G

Yes

HSDPA

Yes

Size

Size

115mm x 59mm x 9mm

Screen size

3.5"

Screen Resolution

640x960

Weight

137g

Features

Talktime

14 hrs

Standby

300 hrs

Touchscreen

Yes

QWERTY keyboard

No

Camera

5 megapixel

Video

Yes

GPS

Yes

Bluetooth

Yes

Music Phone

Yes

FM Radio

No

Quad Band

Yes

Video featuring Apple iPhone 4 32GB

Apple iPhone 4 32GB smartphone reviews by real users

• 

  by AnnieJoy at 11:19 on 24 Jul 2010Report abuse

  Applie iPhone 4 32GB with latest software download.
  
  I'm so disappointed in this phone it is unbelievable. I've had the phone for two weeks and can't genuinely only positively comment on its stylish looks and access to all the iphone apps. As for the rest this is by far the worst PHONE I've ever owned.
  
  Reception POOR (forget the way 'it should be held', even when placed on a table with no touch - the reception is limited).
  
  We live in a 'high' coverage area with network (O2, Orange, Vodafone, 3) base units within a very short distance from our home - so therefore reception should be good.
  
  We did a 'home test' comparing a Nokia on O2, Nokia on Vodafone, SOny E on Orange and the lousy iPhone on O2; All the other phones had normal reception and could make a call, whilst the iphone indicated 1bar reception and could NOT make the call - even though it was placed in exactly the same place as the others with no interference. When you do manage to make a call its not long before the the phone drops the call in any event.
  The phone heats up quite quickly - I can't imagine what it would feel like if you are taking a long call (i.e. conference call).
  
  Having gone away for a long weekend to Cornwall and business trip to Edinburgh, I was disappointed that I had this very unreliable phone with me will be returned - even though I will loose money.
  
  VERY unhappy customer.
  
  Save your money at all costs and rather look at another option!!
  
  

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