We're not going to beat around the bush -- in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package.
Ed Baig (USA Today): “Cutting through the hype, Apple has given longtime diehards, and first-time iPhone owners, plenty to cheer about.” [1]
Pogue (New York Times) doesn’t even seem to try: “Apple releases only one new model a year, so the new iPhone had better be pretty amazing to compete. — It is.” [2]
Any other reviews out yet? (Better collect them here so the front page doesn’t get clogged.)
> the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now
If they are only releasing one phone per year it certainly needs to be. I'm guessing it still will be by the time people can actually buy them but for how much longer after that?
They're still selling the iPhone 3GS too. It would be interesting to see a comparative review with the equivalent mid-range Android (and/or nokia, blackberry, bada etc.) phones now that it's been updated to iOS 4.
I think the 3G was a worthy contender when it was in this position last year. I'm not so sure how it would turn out now.
The reviews of the iPhone 4 have to leave Apple a bit concerned. The iPhone 4 is Apple's big yearly extravaganza, and they simply can't react to an endless stream of competitive phones.
In prior years the entrant has been held as head and shoulders above the competition (really what could seriously be considered competition for the 3GS? The Hero? Not really. How about the 3G? The G1? Somehow the competition hung on when their entrants really were trash comparable). This year it is dramatically more tempered and disclaimed, and the truth is that on a purely objective basis individual consumers may prefer a Evo or a Samsung Galaxy S or a Droid X or Droid 2...and that's just the start of the 4's cycle year.
It seems the competition are the ones that are getting confused.
Where do they go? Bigger screens? I am sure that appeals to some people. More megapixels in the camera? Sure, but at reduced quality, on an already bad part.
It seems the one area the competition isn't focusing on is higher quality, and better battery life (except for Blackberries, which have great battery life). This is where Apple is going.
You are right though, they iPhone 4 doesn't have a 5 inch screen, 12 megapixel camera, 2ghz processor, slide-out keyboard, which the next Android phone will no doubt have.
Personally, I would be happy if at some stage, they produced an android phone that focused more on quality and battery life. They don't need to keep getting bigger each time.
Bigger screens? I am sure that appeals to some people.
Actually SE is taking the opposite approach. They are actively pushing their X10 mini as the smallest high end smart phone on the market and using the smaller screen as a major selling point. If a huge screen appeals to you get the X10, if a really small phone appeals to you get the X10 mini.
I would be happy if at some stage, they produced an android phone that focused more on quality and battery life.
The HTC Legend is probably the phone you are talking about. High quality metal case, focus on design over specs and the best battery life of the current generation of Android phones. Hopefully HTC will continue this two pronged approach with the Desire++ being for people who need top specs at any cost and the Legend++ for people who care more about design and battery life, but still want a top quality smart phone.
That's the thing about the Android platform. No matter what your priorities, someone will probably make a phone to fulfil them.
You do know that there's lots of different Android phones in all shapes and sizes? It's kind of the whole point of the platform.
Some are big, some small, some have keyboards, some don't, some are high-spec'ed, some basic, some expensive, some cheap.
You may have been mislead by reading gadget blogs that only focus on the male, techy, expensive, American end of the Android spectrum which might be a bit samey, but there's a whole ecosystem building out there.
They go every direction. I think you're just amazingly confused about this.
>More megapixels in the camera? Sure, but at reduced quality, on an already bad part.
Yes, of course. Until the iPhone does it any competitors must be somehow worse, right?
Remember back in those olden days when the 3GS had almost comically bad resolution? Remember how that was no big deal? Funny how big of a deal resolution is when the iPhone gets it.
>You are right though, they iPhone 4 doesn't have a 5 inch screen, 12 megapixel camera, 2ghz processor, slide-out keyboard, which the next Android phone will no doubt have.
Yes, and of course those are all negatives for the Android device, right. Amazing how that spin can occur no matter how deficient the iPhone might be in a certain area.
In terms of hype level if you use search volume as a proxy, this is the largest launch ever. I agree at some point, Apple will die down, but not today.
We're not going to beat around the bush -- in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/22/iphone-4-review/