My iPhone 4
Posted on: 6 September 2010
Two posts within a week with an Apple tag - I'm at risk of being dubbed a fanboy - although it seems I may have already adopted that status. Don't get me wrong though, I love reading comments, whatever the content! I intend to keep this iPhone 4 review succinctly short, as it is late, and because I really can't bare to read (let alone write) reviews that go on and on and on and on and on and on. I digress...
There's really only a few points I want to make. Firstly - voice recognition. I must be really behind the times on this because I didn't quite realise the technology they've put into phones these days. Holding down the menu button on the iPhone launches Voice Control - a funky little feature that responds to a host of different voice commands and does a reasonably good job of deciphering your words and translating them into actions. As a childhood admirer of Star Trek, I've always been fascinated with voice recognition technology. And although we've not created a system nearly as complex as the voice-activated central computer featured in Star Trek, we're certainly getting there.
One thing I loved about setting up my iPhone was the seamless integration between it and my Mac. Obviously these devices are designed to play well together, but what I love is how much data can be shared between these devices. Previously, my Samsung phone and Macbook we treated very separately, and never really had much to do with each other. But now, I know my contacts, diary, music, videos, photos and documents are all now the same on both, and always up to date. This is something a lot of PC users with iPhones aren't able to fully take advantage of. I feel like I've got a miniture (and albeit considerably stripped down) version of my main computer with my at all times, which is very reassuring. There's definitely something to say about using technology that was made to go together.
Despite the mass of flaming Apple received upon the release of the iPhone 4, I haven't had any connectivity issues with regards to the functionality of the side-mounted antenna. One ongoing issue I have with the phone, however, is the motion proximity sensor on the top of the phone. This is what the phone uses to determine whether the screen should be on or off. Logically, when the phone is by your ear, the screen should be off. Only by taking the phone a suitable distance away from your head should the screen come to life. Unfortunately the motion sensor can get a little confused on the iPhone 4, causing the screen to - often randomly - activate, giving your cheek full access to the mute, hold and Facetime buttons (amongst others), and most irritatingly, the big red Hang Up button. A quick Google search shows I'm not the only person experiencing these issues; but luckily Apple has announced it plans to eradicate these problems in the 4.1 software update, to be releases soon apparently. Frustratingly, this hasn't been an issue on any of the previous iPhone models.
Overall I've been very happy with my iPhone purchase, and cannot foresee going back to - what I now refer to as - a 'normal phone'. Having something in my pocket that can call, text, email, browse the web and so much more besides, and yet come in a thinner package than my previous 'normal phone' never ceases to amaze me.
if I was at risk of being a fanboy prior to writing this, I can't imagine this has helped me an awful lot. But, quite frankly, Apple make some very nice products. And really, that's all that matters.