Apple reshuffles his best-selling in rewarding him a screen high resolution skills for HD video, a new design in steel and the possibilities of the new operating system iOS4. Sufficient to counteract the rise of the Google Phones and maintain its status as the tactile reference? Response in this test of the iPhone 4.
With the arrival of top terminals of range represented by the HTC Desire, Google Nexus One or Samsung Galaxy S, the iPhone 3GS was a small blow of old.
No screen high resolution, still less of fitness HD video, in a sector of mobility where everything is very fast, Apple had to react to retain his status of touch reference.
If the media relay of the iPhone 4 seems assured, Apple was also able to listen to critics by improving the autonomy, photo/video capture and the resolution of the display.
IPhone 4 corrects some defects in its glorious ancestor iPhone 3GS and the new operating system iOS 4 is no shortage of assets. Sufficient to maintain its status as “King of the touch”?
iPhone 4: taking in hand and reception problems
To mark the difference with other generations, the iPhone 4 to barrier of stainless steel and glass oléophobique to limit the traces of finger. Glass used on the front and rear facades is of type aluminosilicate more resistant to cuts, scratch and 30 times harder than the plastic covering the back of the iPhone 3GS.
Finishes remain outstanding, but the new format more massive where rounding disappeared leads one taken in confusing hand. If, in practice, it is rapidly this form factor, we preferred the hull rounded iPhone 3GS more comfortable in the hand. Congestion of the iPhone 4 was also revised downward is 24% more, so going from 12.3 mm for the 3GS to 9.3 mm for iPhone 4. If the iPhone 4 is 2 grams heavier than its forebear (137 g) it is also less wide (58.6 mm against 62.1 for the 3GS).
IPhone 4 receives an entourage sensible design stainless steel make Board antenna for 3 G, Wi – Fi, GPS modules. In fact, as shown in this video, it is the opposite…
If one takes the iPhone 4 full hand touching the black band from the lower part is an insulator between the two antennas, GPS, Wi – Fi, Bluetooth side and GSM, 3 G on the other, we are witnessing a decrease in the network reception. This decrease can lead to complete loss of signal.
In practice, these decreases in receptions are gross when the coverage is not optimal (2 or 3 bars on the iPhone), in addition, it would seem that this problem is hardware-based (similar to a short circuit between two antennas), an update of iOS could fade this gap.
At least, it is a hope for Apple, because if these reception problems persist, you will be required to acquire a protective cover. Or even a Bumper, this case proposed by Apple, as an actual fact, only protects the metal part and Strip leaves the front facades and rear verre…
If we take care to “correctly” (dixit Apple) his iPhone 4, reception quality seemed good, even better than the iPhone 3GS for Wi – Fi and GPS.
Display high resolution
IPhone 4 takes advantage of a new screen called the Retina. It is a slab “classical” LCD with retro-lighting LED IPS technology. Competitors under Android iPhone 4, HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy S to quote them, use AMOLED slabs.
Compared to the slab LCD IPS of the iPhone 4, AMOLED screens provide a richer, more mixed, but also more saturated Colorimetry. The two technologies are in full sun and in terms of angle of vision.
The strength of this new screen is looking at the resolution. The iPhone 3GS was a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, the iPhone 4 has a display two times higher (960 x 640 pixels) with a contrast of 800: 1. This high resolution on a 3.5 inch screen gives the iPhone 4 a unparalleled view. The pixels become nearly imperceptible and the screen of the iPhone 4 delivers a comfortable experience for eBook reading and text elements. Ideal for a Web tablet.
There are also the traditional touch caress skin of the capacitive screen still as comfortable for the user.
A word about applications on iPhone 4. Designed for a 3.5-inch 320 x 480 pixels screen they operate not original high resolution of the iPhone 4. As for multitasking, updates will be needed to take full advantage of high resolution applications.
The business model of the App Store being particularly attractive, developers have any interest to propose updates to implement multitasking and high resolution in their applications (see our selection of appli) multitasking and optimized for iOS4
Configuration more robust, more intensive battery
To fight against the monsters of power represented by the HTC Desire, Nexus One, or Samsung Galaxy S (see the face to face between the three terminals), the iPhone 4 had to propose a more powerful configuration.
IPhone 3GS available RAM running at 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor supported by 256 MB of memory. On the iPhone 4 we find this Cortex A8 base which has been optimized by Apple and Samsung. There is also this processor at 1 GHz on the Galaxy from the Korean manufacturer.
Dubbed the A4, this processor sees its frequency switch to 800 MHz and has 512 MB of RAM. It is more or less the same architecture as the iPad (except the frequency and RAM memory limited to 256 MB for the Tablet). The graphic chipset is the same as on the iPhone 3GS and iPad, namely a PowerVR SGX, which should facilitate the work of game publishers.
In all cases, this new configuration offers an experience user without slowdowns even when several apps run in the background.
With a battery of 1420 mAh against 1219 for iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 is more enduring and now exceeds the day of intensive use. The more autonomous configuration participates in this greater autonomy.
Video HD, limited Facetime
This iPhone 4 was long called HD due to the integration of a 5-megapixel sensor can capture videos in 720 p at 30 fps. Abandoning the sterile debate on the number of pixels, the iPhone 4 enjoys a backlit sensor (BSI). Apple indicates that the sensor is larger than the competition but does not specify its actual size.
With this AFN back-lit, the iPhone 4 more light, capture one more undeniable indoors or in an environment where the brightness is reduced. This autofocus sensor also benefits from a flash/torch LEDs.
The quality of the photos is impressive for a mobile, capturing more light, pictures in interiors remain correct without flash, the latter tending to cramer clichés.
It is outside that iPhone 4 expresses the best colors are correctly rendered and little noisy clichés. IPhone 4 capture beautiful photos, step of doubts the top.
Appropriate to compare his skills with his challengers, the Samsung Galaxy S and the Nokia N8…
The videos are also its for their qualities of restitution but stabilization was too perfectible. Result, it avoids that hardly perceptible tremors to the image.
The iMovie application is rather welcome and to practice editing on his iPhone with the implementation of titles, music, pictures or scenes. The mounting is carried out in HD and it is also possible to send its creation on YoutTube by choosing the resolution.
A second front sensor (0.3 mega pixels, 640 x 480 pixels) allows to enjoy the way Apple videoconferencing. Baptized Facetime, this visio is exploitable for the moment in Wi – Fi (free of charge in this case) and iPhone 4 iPhone 4. It wasn’t until mid-July to be usable in 3 G Facetime.
Very limited function thus, but strategic element for Apple which should push for the adoption of iPhone 4 for all the family…
Return quality and ergonomics are the appointment, videoconferencing is not new, but as usual, Apple has been able to bring its added value.
Better equipped and attraction of iOS4
They forget perhaps, but the iPhone 4 is given a second microphone. Located above the terminal, this micro attenuates ambient noise. Like the Nexus One, this discrete functionality yet has the merit of being very efficient.
Another new hardware, a gyroscope is assist the accelerometer for recognizing 3 additional axes (pitch, roll and yaw). The management of the movements is improved, more games for example. As for multitasking and the high resolution, applications must be updated to take advantage of the gyroscope. This is will be escaped person, like on the iPad, the iPhone 4 operates the micro SIM cards. These are more compact occupying logically less space in the terminal and offering the advantage of containing more info (contacts, personal info, for example) than the previous generation of SIM card.
IPhone 4 is animated by iOS4 to take advantage of multitasking. Please note that all applications are not multi-tasking origin and that they require an update on the part of developers to become. In practice, a double pressure on the Home key to launch the multitasking bar.
If iOS4 automatically handles the apps in the background by allocating memory to these, it is still possible to close remaining supported above. If it is well designed, this multitasking is sometimes confusant and is regularly closes the application to return to the home page without wanting to.
Note that this bar of multitasking aggregates also non-compatible applications, thus adding a little more confusion…
iOS4 also offers access to the box mail unified, change wallpaper, to the iPod via the multitasking bar control, and many new features. To illustrate iOS4, direction our focus/image gallery dedicated to the new OS from Apple.
Apple has given its smartphone star of a new more solid design delivering a real impression of solidity. If the takeover is confusing in the beginning, it is especially reception network losses concern, so they appear to be original material.
We appreciate the gain level of autonomy and the configuration is well controlled to manage multitasking. The new equipment, micro-second and gyroscope, bring both their added value.
This is obviously the screen was more convinced with its unmatched resolution and its accuracy in view. Outside photos are bluffantes, both as the HD720p. only the stabilization for videos video is perfectible, but rendering is still impressive for a mobile. This iPhone 4 was not far from achieving the no fault by filling gaps in its older iPhone 3GS. Still these reception problems that take a unacceptable extent, this could become a real disincentive to buying.
More : Design, performance, and increased autonomy, screen high resolution capture HD video, photo quality, adding a second microphone to reduce background noise, gyroscope for management more precise movements, Facetime, multitasking OS, unified mail box.
Less : Loss of the system requiring the purchase of adapted Holster, Facetime limited iPhone iPhone 4 and for the time being in Wi – Fi, taken in hand confusing, perfectible stabilization for HD video
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