iPhone 4 review

The iPhone 4 is here – but is it worth the hefty price it’s going to cost you?

iPhone 4

We found scrolling in some apps tedious in comparison to their performance on a 3G running OS 3.1 and typing letter in Docs To Go was so behind us tapping the keys that we had to give up using it.

However, developers are beginning to roll out iPhone OS .04 updates now ao we should see some of these issues rectified soon enough.

Another aspect of the iPhone 4 (and of the new OS) is that the email has become much more business friendly, allowing you to set up more than one Exchange account, and syncing all of your calendars, email and contacts from all accounts with your phone.

This is supported with a unified email inbox that shows email threads very handy if you're having an email conversation with one person. What it doesn't show, rather curiously though, are your replies to emails.

Security features have already been enhanced with the latest version of Apple's smartphone OS. Many of these features have been improved to prevent viruses and to stop malicious images and links affecting your phone's performance while using the Safari browser.

If you use MobileMe, as on previous iPhones, you can remotely lock your device if it falls into the wrong hands or you lose it using the Find my iPhone feature. When you have found your phone again, you'll have to enter a passcode to unlock it.

Previously, there were some security issues with this feature, although they have now been rectified, and the iPhone will no longer automatically remember the pass code as it used to, making your iPhone more secure than ever.

The iPhone 4 is, without doubt, the best iPhone to date and one of the top smartphones available on the market.

The OS tweaks coupled with premium hardware make it worth upgrading to the iPhone 4 if you're an existing iPhone user, or signing up to an iPhone tariff if you're thinking of switching from an alternative smartphone platform.

The limited multitasking may put some off, although when the whole suite of applications available are updated to be compatible with iPhone OS 4.0 and multitasking, there should be little holding you back.

Verdict

If the iPhone 4's screen alone isn't enough to convince you to buy an iPhone then the improved OS coupled with a faster processor certainly will. A stunning smartphone that just needs better app support.

Connectivity: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100 Display: 640 x 960 pixels, 3.5in OS: Apple iOS4 Camera: 5-megapixel, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash GPS: A-GPS Processor: 1GHz Apple A4 processor Wi-Fi: 802.11bgn Dimensions: 58.6x9.3x115.2mm Weight: 137g Battery: Li-Po 1420mAh

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.