No More iPhone 4 Envy, But May Suffer From Withdrawal

I have had a chance to play with the new iPhone 4 for a week now. And while all the thousands of posts and news articles singing its praises and condemning it for the antenna problems were all compressed into a matter of a week or so, it does feel like it’s been out for a long time already.

While I’m ready to move on to other Apple products, I can’t help but feel sad that I’m going to have to give it up today. See, I was testing out the iPhone for a week until I give it to my aunt. It’s actually a gift from my cousin. I suppose in the end, he felt the gift basket of wine and treats from Costco wasn’t enough to compensate his parents for standing in line for 9 hours to get his reserved iPhone for him (my cousin had to go out of the country).

I don’t want to go into a full on review here. I just want to note a couple of things.


First, the iOS 4. It wasn’t until yesterday I really saw how powerful the multi-tasking feature is on the iPhone and how much I’m going to miss it. The switching between apps was seamless. I was most worried about the battery life. With my G1 now, I can switch between batteries when the need comes. And those needs come quite often with the Android. Believe me.

However, the iPhone 4’s bigger battery, power management, and overall design handled it all in strike. I mean I really tested the heck out of the multitasking feature. Some apps didn’t support it yet but that’s fine. It’s life. Still, the iPhone 4 held its ground as far as battery life use goes.

The screen. Oh wow. I am so picking up an iPod Touch if it has the Retina Display. My eyes start to hurt because I was staring so close to see if I can see the individual pixels. If only some of the print media were as crisp.

Holding the iPhone 4. If feels like you’re holding something that is well designed. None of that plasticky feel you from other manufacturers or the 3GS. It feels more like the original iPhone but without the curves.

Using a glass back is an interesting choice. I have a theory why Apple went this route and might do the same with the iPod Touch and eventually, the iPad as well.

While I’ve got a couple of iPhone 4s on order, I don’t know if I’m ready to accept them yet. I really detest ATT’s system of doing things and managing customer service. I no longer suffer from iPhone 4 envy but I’m likely to suffer from iPhone 4 withdrawal this weekend. Well, at least, I’ve got an iPad to keep me company.

So for mobile warriors out there sitting on the fence (where I kinda was before spend time with the iPhone 4) about the iPhone 4, you really need to go into the stores and check it out. Oh, and the FaceTime feature will blow you away (Fring doesn’t even come close…even when it manages to work).