Apple iPhone 4 complete test and review

The new Apple gadget dissected piece by piece

Apple reworks its bestseller in rewarding him a high resolution screen, ability for HD video, a new steel design and the possibilities of the new operating system iOS4. Sufficient to counter the growing power of Google Phones and maintain its reference Touch? Response in this test of the iPhone 4.

With the advent of high-range handsets represented by HTC Desire, Google Nexus One or Samsung S Galaxy, the iPhone 3G took a little bit of old.

No high resolution screen, much less aptitude for HD video, in an area of mobility where everything goes very quickly, Apple would respond to maintain its status as a benchmark for touch.

If the media relay the iPhone 4 seems assured, Apple has also listen to criticism by improving the self, catching photo / video and display resolution.
4 The iPhone corrects some shortcomings of his glorious ancestor iPhone 3G and the new operating system iOS 4 is not without strengths. Sufficient to maintain its status as “king of touch”?

iPhone 4: handling and reception problems

To mark the difference with other generations, the iPhone is adorned with four stainless steel and glass treated oleophobicity to minimize fingerprints. The glass used on the front and rear type aluminosilicate more resistant to cuts, scratches and 30 times harder than the plastic that covered the back of the iPhone 3G.

The finishes are still outstanding, but the new format where the more massive rounded disappeared causes a grip confusing. While in practice, it is quickly this form factor, we prefer the rounded hull of theiPhone 3G more comfortable in the hand. The bulk of the iPhone 4 has also been revised downwards by being 24% thinner, it increases from 12.3 mm to 9.3 mm in 3G for the iPhone 4. If the iPhone 4 is 2 grams heavier than his grandfather (137g) it is also less wide (58.6 mm against 62.1 for the 3GS).

The iPhone receives around four stainless steel design makes sense to an antenna modules for 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS. In fact, as our video shows, quite the contrary …

Taking the iPhone 4 handfuls touching the black of the lower part which is an insulator between the two antennas, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GSM on one side, the other 3G, there is a decline in network coverage. This decline can lead to a complete loss of signal.

In practice, these declines in gross receipts when the coverage is not optimal (two or three bars on the iPhone), in addition, it would appear that this problem is original material (similar to a short circuit between the two antennas), an update of iOS could blur this gap.

At least that was hoped for Apple, because if the reception problems persist, you will be required to acquire a protective cover. Or a Bumper, this case proposed by Apple, as if on cue, only protects the metal and leaves bare the front and rear glass …
If one cares to take “properly” (dixit Apple) iPhone’s 4, the reception quality has seemed to us good or better than the iPhone 3G including Wi-Fi and GPS.

Screen Resolution

The iPhone 4 enjoys a new screen called Retina. It is a slab “classic” LCD backlight LED lighting operator IPS technology. Competitors Android the iPhone 4 Desire HTC, Samsung S Galaxy to name a few, use of AMOLED panels.

Compared to the IPS LCD panel of the iPhone 4 AMOLED displays offer colorimetry richer, more varied, but also more saturated. Both technologies are worth in the sun and in terms of viewing angle.

The strength of this new screen is to be sought in the resolution. The iPhone 3G went on a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, the iPhone has a display 4 twice (960 x 640 pixels) with a contrast of 800: 1. This brought on a high resolution 3.5 inch screen gives the iPhone 4 display unmatched. The pixels become almost imperceptible and the screen of the iPhone 4 delivers a comfortable experience for reading eBooks and text elements. Ideal for a web tablet.

There is also the traditional skin-touch screen capacitive always comfortable for the user.

A word about applications on iPhone 4. Designed for a 3.5 inch screen 320 x 480 pixels do not exploit them, the original high resolution of the iPhone 4. As for multitasking, updates will be needed to fully enjoy the high resolution applications.
The business model of the App Store being particularly attractive, developers have an incentive to propose updates to implement multitasking and high-resolution applications (see our selection of application optimized for multitasking and iOS4)

Setting more muscular, more intensive battery

To fight against the monsters of power represented by HTC Desire, Nexus One or Samsung S Galaxy (see the confrontation between the three terminals), the iPhone 4 had to offer a more efficient configuration.

TheiPhone 3G had an ARM Cortex A8 processor clocked at 600 MHz and backed by 256 MB of RAM. On the iPhone 4 we find this basis Cortex A8 has been optimized by Apple and Samsung. We also found that processor running at 1 GHz on the Galaxy S Korean manufacturer.

Called A4 processor sees its frequency to 800 MHz and has 512 MB of RAM. It is more or less the same architecture as theiPad (except frequency and RAM limited to 256 MB for the tablet). The graphics chipset is the same as the 3G iPhone and iPad, namely a PowerVR SGX, which should facilitate the work of game publishers.

In all cases, this new configuration provides a user experience without slowing down even when multiple apps running in the background.
With a battery of 1420 mAh 1219 cons for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 4 is more enduring and now exceeds the day of intensive use. The configuration more self involved in this increased autonomy.

HD Video, FaceTime limited

The iPhone 4 was long known as HD because of the inclusion of a 5-megapixel sensor can capture video in 720p resolution at 30 frames per second. Abandoning the sterile debate of the number of pixels, the iPhone 4 enjoys a sensor illuminated (BSI). Apple indicates that this sensor is larger than the competition without specifying its actual size.

With this camera, backlit, iPhone 4 capture more light, more undeniable indoors or in an environment where the brightness is reduced. This sensor also has an autofocus flash / torch LEDs.

The picture quality is impressive for a mobile, by capturing more light in indoor photos without flash are still correct, it tends to burn out the image.
It is outside the iPhone 4 best expressed, the colors are properly restored and low-noise images. The iPhone 4 capture beautiful pictures, no doubt the top.
He should compare his skills with his challengers, the Samsung S Galaxy and Nokia N8…

The videos are also bluffing their restitution qualities but stabilization appears too perfect. The result is that it avoids the difficulty perceptible tremor in the image.
The iMovie application is quite welcome and can be exercised in mounting his iPhone with the implementation of titles, music, pictures or scenes. Reassemble in HD and it is also possible to send its creation on YoutTube choosing the resolution.

A second front sensor (0.3 megapixels, 640 x 480 pixels) can take advantage of videoconferencing Apple style. FaceTime Named This videoconference is usable for the time that Wi-Fi (free in this case) and 4 to iPhone iPhone 4. It was not until mid-July for FaceTime is usable on 3G.

Function very limited then, but strategic for Apple should be pushing for the adoption of iPhone 4 for the whole family …
The playback quality and ergonomics are the rendezvous, video conferencing is not new, but as usual, Apple has managed to provide value added.

Better equipped and attractiveness of iOS4

We forget, perhaps, but the iPhone 4 is blessed with a second microphone. Located above the terminal, microphone reduces background noise. Like the Nexus One, this feature has yet unobtrusive merit of being very effective.

Another new material, just a second the gyro accelerometer to recognize three additional axes (pitch, roll and yaw). The flow management is improved, more games for example. As for multitasking and high resolution applications will receive an update to take advantage of the gyroscope. It has escaped no one, as on theiPad, the iPhone uses four micro SIM cards. The latter are more compact logically occupying less space in the terminal and offer the advantage of containing more information (contacts, personal info for example) than the previous generation of SIM.

The iPhone is powered by four iOS4 to take advantage of multitasking. Note that not all applications are not genuine multitasking, they require an update from the developers for the future. In practice, a double press the home button will launch the helm of multitasking.

If iOS4 automatically manages apps in the background by allocating more RAM to the latter, it is possible to close remaining unlocked. Properly structured, this multi-tasking is sometimes confusing and it closes the application regularly to return to the home page without wanting to.

Note that this bar also aggregates of multitasking applications not compatible, thus adding a bit more confusion …
iOS4 also offers access to the unified mailbox, change wallpaper, control of iPod through the bar of multitasking and many novelties. To illustrate iOS4 towards our focus / gallery dedicated to the new OS from Apple.

Apple’s smartphone has bestowed a star more massive new design delivers a vivid impression of solidity. If the grip is puzzling at first, it was the loss of network coverage of concern, especially since they seem hardware related.
We appreciate the gain level of autonomy and the configuration is managing mastered multitasking. The new equipment, and second micro gyroscope, both bring their added value.

Obviously the screen that has the most satisfied with its unparalleled resolution and accuracy in the display. The photos are bluffing out, both as video HD720p. Only stabilization for video is improved, but still impressive record for a mobile. This iPhone 4 was not far from achieving the no-fault filling the gaps in his eldest iPhone 3G. Rest of the reception problems that take an unacceptably wide, it could become a real barrier to purchase.