Apple iPhone 4 Black (16 GB) Smartphone

I finally came into the twenty-first century.  My work phone is a smart phone, but my personal phone was a "dumb" LG flip phone.  I had very few issues with that phone, other than a few arguments with the "voice dialing" feature.  "She" always wanted to dial someone other than who I asked for.  With my work phone, I have unlimited data, which is great for internet use.  However, I am not able to download any applications, so the whole process of using the wide range of apps is a new concept for me.  After a couple of weeks of trial and error, I think I have finally found a comfort zone with my new personal phone, the Apple iPhone 4.

There is plenty to like about the Apple iPhone 4.  With 16 GB of memory, you have plenty of storage space.  That is, until you start ripping CDs and downloading applications.  You will quickly find that the extra hundred dollars for the 32 GB model may be money well spent.  It really depends on how you intend to use this phone.  If you like carrying a virtual music library around with you, you may want to go with the 32 GB.  Or, you can wait until they come out with an iPhone with even more memory capacity.  For my purposes, the 16GB is adequate, but I could probably put the extra space in the 32 GB to use with little effort.

Speaking of iTunes.  That is the Apple "store" where you can download, store and sync applications, music and more.  I am familiar with iTunes because I have used it with my iPod Shuffle.  It is not the best interface I have ever used.  With everyone always raving about how user-friendly Apple products are, iTunes seems to send an entirely different message.  I have two phones.  One for my wife and one for myself.  I am still trying to figure out how to segregate the files we want to sync, while maintaining our own unique libraries.  It is not an easy undertaking.  I also used a free app to create music ringtones from my music library.  A great feature, but not easy to accomplish.  It took five or six steps to actually dump the ringtones into the proper location on my phone.  The website has some intuitive features, but more complicated endeavors require a great deal of trial and error or computer savvy.

The Apple iPhone 4 is equipped with wi-fi.  It has a feature that will automatically detect wi-fi when you are in range.  It is very easy to toggle this feature off if it annoys you.  However, it is a good feature to have.  Larger apps require wi-fi to download (I believe it is 20 MB or more).  The iPhone also has a great Skype-like feature called Facetalk.  This feature sends voice over the 3G and video over a wi-fi connection.  In this manner, your phone allows for video calling.  I also downloaded Skype, which has extended features.  Because the iPhone is not a Global Phone, it will not work if I travel outside North America.  However, the wi-fi feature should work fine.  This will allow the phone to work overseas, using an application like Skype.

There are plenty of other applications like Skype that go beyond simple gaming.  I have a Netflix account.  I downloaded the Netflix application and can easily stream movies over my iPhone.  There is an adapter that will allow you to connect your phone to a television, making it possible to stream videos to a television in your hotel room if you are traveling.  The case I purchased also has a built-in stand that allows the phone to sit sideways so you don't have to hold it while watching movies.  The iPhone can also be used as a radio (with stations from around the country), a remote control (it can fly the hover craft sold by Brookstone while sending video from the craft to your screen), barcode scanner and more.

Depending on how you use your iPhone, the battery life can be an issue.  I have been using it quite a bit, which may be because it is still fairly new and I am still experimenting with the many functions and applications.  I find that I am not able to make it through the entire day on one charge.  I bought a car charger to give me the extra boost to get me through the day.  I start running low after about seven hours.  Apple claims this phone will last 300 hours in standby mode.  Good luck with that.  You can increase your battery life by turning off features like the push notifications that come with most applications.  If you are not using features like wi-fi and bluetooth, you can turn them off as well.  If your apps use location services or your GPS is turned on, you can stop using these features as well.  Most of all, battery life is extended when the device is not in use.  If you use this device as a phone only, you will certainly have no problem making it through the day.  The more you tinker around with it, the quicker the battery life will drain.  Since I bought this device to use it, I do not worry about the battery life.  I use a charger to help me through the day.  And that is the simplest solution.

One of the nicest features of the iPhone is the screen.  Compared to my Storm 2, which is tactile, the sensitivity of the iPhone 4 screen is a tremendous improvement.  I have played a few gaming applications and really like the way I am able to interact with the games using the iPhone screen.  The only drawback I can see is that the glass face is fragile.  You need a good case to protect this screen from damage.  If you drop it, you might find yourself in the market for a new phone.  The screen is 3.5 inches with a resolution of 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi.  This resolution is adequate for extremely sharp graphics.  It is also recommended that you purchase screen protectors to further protect the glass surface of the screen.  The touch aspect of the phone works brilliantly even with the protectors in place.

The iPhone 4 is also very responsive and is capable of playing some surprisingly complex games.  While I am not much of a gamer, I have played a couple of intricate games (Army of Darkness and NBA Jam) on the phone.  The defined visual aspects and quick processing speed were surprisingly efficient.  I have not clocked the speed of my phone, but have found the speeds, from a users perspective, to be excellent.  Noticeably faster than the Storm 2 for internet.

The camera is another aspect of the Apple iPhone 4 that appeals to me.  The phone can record video at 720p at 30 frames per second.  The still camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels.  The LED Flash works exceptionally well, too.  What I like most is the extra camera.  The phone has a traditional camera and flash on the back of the phone.  It also has a front-facing camera to allow Facetalk and Skype to work.  The camera also allows you to disable geotagging when you take pictures.  This is a helpful features if you are concerned about metatags on your photographs.

The Apple iPhone 4 also has better voice command technology than my LG phone had.  I use my bluetooth frequently and find it convenient to press the bluetooth to voice dial my phone.  As I mentioned earlier, the automated voice in the voice command center always wanted to argue with me.  She never called the person I wanted to call and it got very frustrating.  I found myself talking to her like I was speaking to a four-year-old, enunciating each syllable.  With the iPhone 4, she recognizes my commands on the first try.  Nice.

One of the biggest concerns with a cell phone is reception.  My LG phone had decent reception, but there are a couple of dead spots in my area.  The iPhone 4 does not seem to be any more sensitive than my old phone when it comes to reception in shoddy areas.  I still drop calls.  However, the sound quality does seem improved a bit when the call is intact.

If I had to find a fault with the iPhone (other than battery life), it would be the chargers.  I understand that Apple has kept their chargers universal within their own line of products.  However, every other device I own (bluetooth, blackberry, old cell phones) were all micro USB.  I have tons of those chargers.  However, with the iPhone, you have to have plenty of chargers to keep it going throughout the day.  The phone comes with a wall charger that doubles as a USB cable (the USB plugs into the back of the actual wall plug).  While this is a nice feature, my plug is in a location where it is inconvenient to plug and unplug the USB in order to Sync my device.  So, you need a wall charger, a car charger and a USB cable at the very least.  If you want to use your phone as a mobile iPod, you also need a cable to connect it to your car.  Buying this many chargers for two iPhones got expensive quick.  I also like to keep an extra charger in my travel bag in case I forget one...I will buy that one later.

What comes with your iPhone purchase?  The iPhone comes with a couple of accessories.  There is a small package of screen protectors (which should be replaces at six month intervals), a wall charger/USB cable combination, ear buds and an instruction booklet.  I purchased my phone at Verizon and was able to pick up an additional accessory package for fifty dollars.  This package included a car charger, more screen protectors and a durable protector/case.  Because my contract was due for renewal, the phone was only 199 dollars.  Once I started adding extras, I added another fifty percent to the price...times two phones.  My total bill, out the door, was over five hundred dollars.  A bit of sticker shock, but worth it in the end.  I think I love the iPhone 4.


So there you have it.  I love my iPhone.  What more can I say on the issue.  The iTunes interface could be more user friendly, the battery life is mediocre and the power source is not compatible with my existing micro USB plugs.  However, I love the interface with the touch screen, the phone is fairly intuitive to use, the applications include hundreds of free options that cover a wide range of topics.  From banking to entertainment, there is an application for everything.  It is almost addictive.  I could easily use the 32 GB phone but it is probably not actually worth the extra hundred buck for my own use.  So, I am satisfied with my iPod/movie projector/movie camera/camera/game system.  And did I mention it makes phone calls, too?  Four stars.

This review is part of the Celebrate America write off.