MacDailyNews Take: Duh. Blame AT&T. We agree, but it’s quite good anyway and we’d rather carry one device, thanks. A vastly over-hyped issue that does not matter to 99% of users, despite what some fake iPhone-makers, analysts, pundits, and developers think. Let’s wait to see about that last one before we start etching it in stone.
Cheng continues, “Here are the upsides: the 326ppi display is one of those things that turns you into a dirty Apple lover and makes your friends begin to plot your death. The camera is top-notch. Battery life is improved over the most recent iPhone models. Even the data speeds are faster than previous iPhones with 3G thanks to the addition of HSUPA. The ability to take HD video at all is a nice benefit, and FaceTime calls are at least fun (if not an old concept and possibly useless). The hardware is fast—even when compared to the already-speedy iPhone 3GS.”
“During our time testing the device, numerous peers of ours who had no intention of getting an iPhone 4 began reconsidering it after seeing the screen—this was definitely the main reason why people started changing their minds,” Cheng reports. “At the same time, the signal/antenna issue appears to be a serious concern; we hesitate to straight-up recommend the iPhone for this reason, though in the real world, it may not affect you as much. If you’re considering upgrading from an original iPhone or iPhone 3G, the speed and camera benefits (on top of the display) certainly make it an incredibly attractive upgrade, though 3GS users may find themselves skipping a generation if they can wait that long.”
Full review, comprehensive as ever, here.
MacDailyNews Take: iPhone 3GS users who don’t want to update should never use an iPhone 4. Avoid it like the plague. Once you see the iPhone 4’s screen and feel the finish, you will not love your 3GS the same way ever again. So, obviously, we do not agree with Cheng’s overly negative conclusion. The best smartphone on the market today is Apple’s iPhone 4. Period. Trust us dirty Apple lovers. Anybody who tells you different is overly consumed with “walled gardens” (believe it or not, normal people can find plenty of apps for their iPhones among the quarter million apps in the App Store) and other vastly over-emphasized “concerns.” Besides being stuck on AT&T-only in the U.S., the worst thing about iPhone 4 is that it makes us wish our iPads had Retina Displays.
“The HD video is generally not as good as what you can get from an HD Flip camera.”
Along the same line of thought, the apps, accelerometer, gyro, GPS, cell phone, and web browsing performance on the HD Flip camera is not as good as on an iPhone 4. In fact, the HD Flip is only a camera. Similarly, a Garmin is only a GPS device, a dumb cell phone is only a phone, etc.
I’ve dropped my iPhone 4 twice since getting it on Friday and can’t see a mark on it. It’s pretty tough.
The only reason I use iPhones is to access the ATT network. All the problems I have with calls are due to Apple. ATT has been excellent. Apple degrades the experience by such things as using the case for an antenna instead of investing in a real antenna. Also, the cheap glass is subject to cracks and smudges. ATT should get out of this exclusive arrangement with Apple. Why they chain themselves to a purveyor of closed defective products is very strange indeed. And MDN should get on the case – help us to free our ATT service from Apple.
Kent, your rant makes zero sense, try using logic, it CAN be your friend.
You must be a new professional iHater, your “work” still needs some polish.
@chew
I realize my rant made no sense. That is why I posted it on MDN, which is the home of senseless rants about ATT.
@chew
Have you never heard of irony?
@Kent
I enjoyed the rant. LOL
@suck
Kent was employing sarcasm, not irony.
Hate to say it, but I disagree with MDN on the reception issue. Yeah, AT&T;’s network sucks to begin with, but you can’t blame AT&T;for the issue with the antenna and loss of signal. That’s ALL Apple. As for the upgrade point, I feel SO MUCH BETTER now that I am not using my 3G anymore. If I could go back to v3.1 or even the old OS v2, I would. With every upgrade of the OS the 3G became slower and more prone to problems and crashes. Last week I wanted to throw it into the wall more times than I could count. Unfortunately I was on vacation in Chicago and had to wait until I got home on Saturday to open my new iPhone 4. I’m planning on trying the Ghost Armour on it to take care of the antenna issue, tho I doubt it will help as the coating allows the touchscreen to still work. I’m not letting them put the coating on the front tho, I want nothing between me and that beautiful screen.
I took my iPhone 4 up Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. I actually had a pretty good signal throughout my hike.
Here’s my take on the iPhone 4. There’s a link in the column to my MobileMe gallery with pics and video from my hike, taken by my iPhone 4.
10 Reasons Why I Love My iPhone 4
http://jimlynch.com/index.php/2010/06/28/10-reasons-why-i-love-my-iphone-4/
As soon as Apple releases the software update that doesn’t reflect the attenuation of the antenna what will the Fandroids and pundits talk about then?
The antenna is a non issue as you can tell by 1.7 million copies of the device sold. The only thing Apple shouldn’t have done is give the people correct information in their software. Better to leave the bars high even with a slight attentuation then reveal the truth about cellular phones and how they respond to being held. Amazing that the Nexus One had exactly the same problem but nobody gave a crap. Really, because nobody bought one? Actually, I think three or four people may have.
Apple’s own dictionary:
irony
noun
1 that note of irony in her voice: sarcasm, causticity, cynicism, mockery, satire, sardonicism. ANTONYMS sincerity.
2 the irony of the situation: paradox, incongruity, incongruousness. ANTONYMS logic.
I think definition 2 also sums up the stupidity of your post.
Sarcasm isn’t well employed if only the author understands it. Really, the author probably didn’t understand it either.
@silverhawk
Irony and sarcasm are not received well by people who aren’t very perceptive. Bear this in mind when people around you are laughing at a joke and you are left saying, “huh??”. Are you blonde?
Oh no, not another endless debate about irony vs sarcasm. This has been beat to death. Stick to the subject please.
Irony, it’s like getting rain on your wedding day.
@ MDN take. I’m a current 3GS user, tried out a 4 a couple of days ago . I thought about upgrading straight away, but decided to wait a couple of months – i’ve still got a couple of months free data use on my current one anyway. I wasn’t blown away by the speed as the 3gs is pretty quick, the difference 3g => 3gs was more needed. Although technically thinner, due to the straight edges the 4 feels thicker, more chunky in the hand. The retina display is impressive where the resolution is used, but it will take some time for Apps to be rewritten to take advantage. I certainly don’t get a “you’ll never love your 3gs again” thing. I’m happy waiting a while – especially as iOS 4 has given new functionality to the 3gs.
Meanwhile the reception issue should be sorted, or at least the hysteria will have died down and we’ll know better how much of an issue it actually is.
@Al
It’s a free ride, when you’re already there.
“”Here are the downsides to the iPhone 4: the glass on the front or back may break if you drop it, though that’s not a particularly new development in iPhone land. …,” Jacqui Cheng reports for Ars Technica. “Finally, if you hold the phone funny, you may degrade your own call signal.”
I find it silly to include the first. Every smartphone can break if you drop it. Most electronics can break if you drop it. It’s kind of like saying a downside to a particular car is that the gas can ignite if you hold and open flame in front of the gastank while holding in the valve. Duh.
On the second point quote, I do sympathize with those for whom this is a problem. From what I understand, it is a small percentage of users. Gizmodo had a truly sensational video of this guy demonstrating that this problem degrades sound quality. He had to hold it in an extremely unnatural position and use a finger from his other hand to get it to work and it only worked one of two times. So, yes, it is possible for the average user to experience this problem if they go out of their way to find it. A major flaw for those that it affects, but hopefully a software update can at least minimize that.
To the point of the article, even my Apple hating IT friend was drooling over the screen.
For comparison’s sake, I use a 3 year old Sony Ericson flip phone on AT&T;network. And on phone calls longer than 15 minutes in duration, I would estimate the dropped call rate at 30-40%. I don’t really mind, I just call back.
Clearly dropped calls are an issue with AT&T;no matter the phone. On the other hand, the number of towers sprouting up and compromising scenic vistas is troubling to me.
@King Mel
You made good points. My Panasonic GF1 takes better
pictures and movies. But I can’t carry it in my shirt
pocket and I can’t instantly send pics or clips to my
friends or relatives on e-Mail. Getting the iPhone 4
tomorrow by Fed-Ex. Goodbye my dear old
friend 3GS.
Have had iPhone 4 since day one. For the life of me anyway I try to do the “deathgrip” nothing happens. Not sure why this would happen for some phones and some people and not others.
I don’t understand why people are still taking about the way over-hyped antenna “problem”. Shouldn’t you wait till iOS 4.01 to form concrete conclusions?
And about the glass. Does any other touchscreen phone have stronger glass in it? I dropped my iPhone 3G many times and it didn’t crack or break with less strong glass in it.
Has anyone experienced this problem with their iphone 4…?
The Add To Home Screen button works. It creates an icon, but when I try to use the icon to launch a webpage, it doesn’t launch. Have tried it many times with many different pages. No luck. Is it just mine of is it a glitch?