iPhone 4 One Month Later

 

I've been running with an iPhone 4 on the Verizon network for one month now and that means that it's time for my first month update.  

To be honest here I have to say that I've enjoyed the iPhone 4 much more than I thought I would, and that's saying a lot seeing as how I switched carriers to get this device.  And before someone says, "Typical Apple Fan Boy!" let me say that I've used every single smartphone platform except for the newer Windows Phone 7 and Symbian OS so I have a valid perspective to compare from.  This includes (in order) Windows Mobile 6.1, BlackBerry, WebOS, and Android (1.5-2.2).  Prior to the iPhone I had used another iOS powered device, the original iPad.  This means that I've "been there and done that" before.

Now, let's move on to the iPhone 4 on Verizon.

Hardware

Simply put, the iPhone 4 is one beautiful piece of engineering.  I have never lusted for a piece of technology based on appearance like I have the iPhone 4.  The way I see it, if I am going to be handling and looking at a device on a daily basis I want it to be a pleasant experience and the iPhone 4 does not disappoint in this respect.  Two pieces of strong glass sandwiching a grey steel band just seems to say, "Go ahead, touch me."  The "heft" of the iPhone is belied by its small size and this is not a bad thing.  Coming from phones constructed from various plastics it's nice to hold a device that feels substantial.  If there is any one complaint to be found here it's how slick the phone feels in my hand at times.

The rear facing camera is one of the best I've ever used on a mobile device and the video capabilities rival that of my dedicated digital camera, which itself shoots excellent HD video.  The availability of various camera and video apps just makes using the camera onboard that much more fun and useful.

Battery Life

Normally I would include battery life under the hardware heading but in this instance I feel like it needs its very own section.  I've only had one other smartphone that could last an entire day with anything more than a bare charge left when time to turn in at night and that was the old Motorola Q9c that came with an extended battery (1800mh).  Even with an extended battery the Evo would often be near death by the time I got home at night after a day of only moderate usage with very sporadic 4G radio usage.  That is not the case with the iPhone 4!

A good demonstration of this was last week when I stood in line for the iPad 2.  From 9am when I left the house I was using my iPhone almost constantly to check various web forums, sites, and make phone calls.  Once I was in line for the new iPad at 12:15pm I was constantly checking sites, taking and uploading pictures, checking and sending email, and keeping up with every single social networking site along with updating this site.  By the time I got home over nine hours after I left, and with near constant usage, I still had a 23% charge.  I've NEVER had a smartphone last like that!  Even the old Q9c would give up the ghost after about six or seven hours of heavy usage like that day.  The only thing I used the Evo for was streaming live video and that was only because I hadn't set up the iPhone for that yet (since done!).

On a typical work day I'll have the iPhone off the charger for around ten to twelve hours.  During the day my usage will typically include ebook reading, web surfing, social networking app usage, news app usage, picture taking, occasional video shooting, and listening to music during the morning and evening commute.  I don't make actual phone calls every day but when I do they are typically short calls no longer than 15 minutes at a time.  By the time I get home I still have a charge of around 60-70%.  That's scary in a good sort of way.

iOS

There's really not a lot I can say about using an iOS powered device that has not been said before.  Just about everyone has seen an iPod Touch, iPad, or iPhone either in person or on the TV and internet.  Television commercials abound that demonstrate the OS so I want get into specifics.  Instead I'll list a few cons that I have.

The notification system in iOS just plain sucks.  There is no polite way to put this.  Out of all the device platforms I've used WebOS still has the best notification system followed closely by Android.  I don't really like notification lights that blink when the main display screen is asleep (they actually annoy me) but I do like being able to power up the lock screen to see how many email, text message, and missed phone calls I might have.  With iOS the last text message will be on the lock screen but to see how many missed calls and emails I have I have to unlock the screen.  Apple recently purchased a company that specializes in this as well as hiring a few well known developers so I hope that iOS 5 will bring some improvement.

I also miss information and control widgets.  I got very spoiled by those using Android for over a year.  Maybe we'll see something like that in iOS 5?

One Month Conclusions

There are many things pundits like to point out about the iPhone 4 on the Verizon network such as the inability to speak on the phone as well as access data services at the same time.  Coming from another CDMA network that is really not that important to me.  And I would  be lying if I didn't point out that I do miss having 4G network coverage but the trade off in battery life more than makes up for the slower speeds and a lot of the places I go offer free Wi-Fi so I can always hop on those networks if I really need to.

With those last two caveats I have to confess to really enjoy using the iPhone 4 and have no problem recommending it to others.