ADV: The Apple iPhone 4 Review

You know you’re doing something right when people start bashing you mercilessly even before you’re officially released onto the market.

Way before Maxis brought the iPhone 4 onto the market, fanboys from the Blackberry and Android camps are drawing swords against iPhone supporters.

Blackberry fans say the iPhone is meant for kids and Blackberry is for business users. Android supporters claim their handsets can do much more at a much cheaper price.

But at the end of the day, only Maxis can still draw soooo much crowd that they had to hire a Grand freaking Ballroom at Gardens and put 60 registration desks in there just to handle the launch day sales.

Just like Shakira’s hips, these photos don’t lie.

People were queuing up even at 11pm on a Thursday night just to get the Apple iPhone 4. And I was one of them.

So I am a proud owner of an Apple iPhone 4.

Am I aware that the iPhone 4 can only do video calls on Wi-Fi? Yes. It frustrates me too when I want to show it off to my friends and I can’t.

Do I know that iPhone 4 is facing "Antenna-gate" controversy? Of course. Like Steve Jobs say, it happens to every smartphone out there.

Ultimately, all these pale in comparison with one plain and simple fact:

The Apple iPhone 4 just works.

Everything works right out the box, without needing to download this, install that and read up "How-To" guides online. If it can’t do a certain thing, then there will be an App for it. If there is no App for it, then you know it cannot be done.

Simple as that.

The first thing that struck me was how crisp and sharp the display is. Apple crammed so much pixels into such a small space to create what they call the Retina Display. Reading stuff off the screen is almost the same as reading text off magazines or newspapers. After looking at the iPhone 4, it is difficult to go back to regular LCD screen again.

The crispness extends beyond just the screen.

Everything about the iPhone 4 – the speakers, the buttons, the camera – is newer, sharper, crisper, harder.

Check out this photo I took using my iPhone 4.

I placed a layer of protective sticker over the back of the phone, but there’s no need for it. The phone is harder and more scratch-resistant than the previous iPhones, as well as other major smartphones out there on the market.

The iPhone 4’s FaceTime, or video-calling, is the best implementation I’ve seen on a phone EVER.

Video-calling is nothing new. It’s a 5-year-old technology that never really took off because the video and call signal on previous generations of phone is so bad.

But FaceTime on the iPhone 4 is smooth and clear it’s almost like talking on Skype. The difference is that I don’t have to lug around my laptop while doing so.

And I’m loving it. I toyed with the idea of going for an Android phone.

Although web-browsing and GPS is a lot faster, it just isn’t user-friendly enough to make me wanna buy it.

Sure, it is cheap.  But buying an Android for a phone is like buying a Linux for a PC. It can do a lot of stuff but the steep learning curve just isn’t worth it.

Compared to the Android, the iPhone 4 is just heaps easier to use.

I’m not say that it’s the be all end all.

The Apple iPhone 4 may not be the perfect phone out there, but no one can deny that it’s damn well near the top.

Steve Jobs didn’t just go about making a phone. It’s the experience altogether.

For someone like me who use my phone not just for calling, but for e-mailing, web-browsing on 3G, reading, travelling, gaming, running, taking photos, watching videos, listening to music and heaps of other stuff – it’s just a brilliant device.

I actually missed doing those stuff when I switched over to Blackberry, and now I’m discovering the joy all over again
.

The Apple iPhone 4 16GB costs RM1,690 on a 12-month contract with Maxis.

I say it’s worth getting it. The antenna issue is overrated. I have used the iPhone 4 for 2 weeks now and never have I experienced dropped calls just because of the way I hold it.

Maybe I have super hands those Americans don’t have.

But if you are still super worried, you can always hold your iPhone 4 this way.

 

 

 

Confirm won’t get signal drop.

48 Replies to “ADV: The Apple iPhone 4 Review”

  1. Still it remains a flawed device despite the merits it carries. Yes, I agree that the the frequency does not drop to “zero” (not for now), however I have tested it a few times with different method of holding the device, yet it continues to prove me right that the frequency drops from 4/5 bar to 1 bar. Frequency stability if you agree with me are fundamentals to any phone out in the market. It troubles me to think that Apple as an established smart phone maker can overlook this important element and allow the iphone4 to go live, let alone continuously denying its own flaws.
    Again, i would agree with the rest that it is a great device but my only caution to everyone is not to be so easily convinced. And another factor is, have you ever questioned why maxis/digi is offering the iphone4 way cheaper than its predecessors? Go figure!

  2. People talk tech as if they know about it. Go ask any tech-savvy people out there and i can assure you that almost all of them discourage you from getting iPhone4.
    The only reason why so many people think iPhones are all great and powerful is nothing more than the almighty Apple’s marketing ploy

  3. Btw, no offense, but iPhone4 had been released in many countries prior to M’sia and had been bashed from the very first day.
    My friend even called it a “dainty glass princess” phone cause basically it is !!

  4. Not sure how true is this, there are 2 more problems from iphone4 which is the screen turns brownish at the edge of the screen and the charger cable burning issue.

  5. The last photo, for sure no drop call but will drop iPhone lor. Nice review, although I’m still on the fence whether to get 1 or not since I have a trusted BB.

  6. Haha…could finally see some ppl that agrees with the fact that it still remains a flawed device…my friend in UK even swapped his iphone4 with his friend (using 3GS) as he had finally given up on expecting the frequency issue to be resolved with the OS upgrade…pitty his friend though for willing to accept the change…hehe..

  7. Personally I am waiting for iPhone 5.0. Its no Doubt that iPhone 4.0 is not perfect but the selling figures talk for itself.
    Its US Share sky rocket from USD175 to USD300.00 after iPhone 4.0 and iPad launched, where as BlackBerry is Banned in Many Countries and Andriod Phones are gaining some smartphone market share.
    For a Consumer, the plan that comes with the phone is what really matters as we want affordable & quality phone plans. Digi & Maxis is offer ‘ok’ iPhone Plans if compared with Singapore’s Super Cheap Plans.
    But then again, other phones plans are not being offer as cheap as iPhone right?
    iPhone Lovers will Love iPhone, Haters will hate it. Just enjoy what we want 🙂

  8. Nice review. I really agree what you said about android – it’s a very good competition against the iPhone OS, but it’s just too much to learn, etc.
    Agreed that iPhone is over marketed and not the perfect phone, but hey.. it works and i’m hooked to the app store with it’s millions of apps!
    If you want the perfect phone then a smart phone is not for you – sometime i also wish to go back to black & white screen nokias that can you can treat like a brick! hehe..
    i have a 3gs and a bb bold 2 – the bold doesn’t cause problems, but it’s just dull and laggy… the 3gs runs out of memory once in a while, and doesn’t let me answer my calls, but it keeps me entertained when im bored =P
    so i got myself an iPad instead of iPhone 4 =P

  9. Hey Kenny,
    Seems like you’re turning into an apple fanboy.
    Nothing wrong with that i suppose.
    However.
    I disagree that android in phones is comparable to linux in PC.
    android’s learning curve isn’t steep. in fact it’s quite normal.
    Just that when placed next to iphone, it appears to be much more complicated.
    More like, android is windows. and apple is windows: kids edition.

  10. Another fella will say…”I’ll wait for iPhone 6.0 once the 5.0 comes out…no point waiting for a “better” ver to come out when talk bout technology..

  11. I just got my iPhone4 from digi yesterday and it’s just awesome. No antenna problem at all and some apple stores in Kuching do offer to jailbreak it with a charge of rm60.

  12. Please define, “The best phone” or “Near the top”.
    Honestly, a Phone is only good to what it can suit the user.
    I really don’t understand fanboys. iPhone or Android.
    For me, the iPhone is very responsive the last time I toyed with it. Nice interface but other then that, it does everything I don’t need and nothing I need.

  13. to adrian k : u sure no antenna problem? have you check it thouroughly? 10 out of 10 of my friends using it do not agree with your comments. i think you are over hype up until it blinds u…no offend

  14. This is the best damn cell phone, ever… I have owned many a cell phone but this is the best by far. but we all knew that. Now lets be negative for a miniute. One, its on the att network. That sucks! att service is the worst but it really makes up for its reception by working very hard at keeping in touch with the towers. 2 You have to pay for a GPS service… really? you cant give me a decent turn by turn gps program? I have to pay 25-50 dollars to get this? ook. 3 that antenna problem that it has. If you touch the bottom left side of the phone it goes dead. Ok this phone is like the best but if you touch the edge of the phone all hell breaks loose… couldnt you have done something about that people? really. but to end with a realistic review of the phone… the battery is awesome, it is very very fast and the sound quality is much improved over previous iphones. Very happy with my choice!

  15. This is the best damn cell phone, ever… I have owned many a cell phone but this is the best by far. but we all knew that. Now lets be negative for a miniute. One, its on the att network. That sucks! att service is the worst but it really makes up for its reception by working very hard at keeping in touch with the towers. 2 You have to pay for a GPS service… really? you cant give me a decent turn by turn gps program? I have to pay 25-50 dollars to get this? ook. 3 that antenna problem that it has. If you touch the bottom left side of the phone it goes dead. Ok this phone is like the best but if you touch the edge of the phone all hell breaks loose… couldnt you have done something about that people? really. but to end with a realistic review of the phone… the battery is awesome, it is very very fast and the sound quality is much improved over previous iphones. Very happy with my choice!

  16. I find the cartoon on Android very offensive and it TOTALLY does not reflect the real situation with Android phones. I’ve been using an Android LG phone for 3 months and there’s NEVER been a time that the apps i downloaded didn’t work…WHAT’S BEST is I bought the phone for less than RM1,000 hahahaha !

  17. Im an android user. Will be changing to iphone 5 next yr. Apple’s service is better and online support is stronger.

  18. Tech savvy eh? You must be one of those guys who thinks installing ROMs on your phone makes your dick that little bit bigger.

  19. Apple haf to be joking with this new Apple iphone 4, I’ve had mine for only 17 days and nights today and the number of issues I am getting is just endless!!! For some reason I continue to really like apple though !.

  20. What do you call a phone that cannot transfer files to other phones via bluetooth? iPhone
    What do you call a phone that cannot make video calls via 3G? iPhone
    What do you call a phone that cannot use USB mass storage mode? iPhone
    What should you call iPhone? I don’t know … maybe : Dumb phone or crIppled-Phone?

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