iPhone 4: First Impressions

It's here: we've been playing with an iPhone 4 since lunchtime.  Apple wants us to believe that this new handset represents a huge leap forward compared to previous generations of the iPhone, but is it really all that different?  Before we bring you our full review, here are our first impressions.

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Let's start with a video:


Now for a side-by-side comparison:


Design and Hardware
The general look has changed a lot from one generation to the next.  Although at 9.4 mm, the iPhone 4 is thinner than the iPhone 3G S (12.2 mm), it's not any lighter.



The older generation's curves have made way for a flat panel and straight lines.  The change from the iPhone 3G S to the iPhone 4 is so pronounced that we've seen some 3G S owners who actually prefer the older design—but perhaps the new look will take some getting used to?



Next to the iPhone 4, though, the 3G S suddenly looks much older, and Apple has once again proved that less is more by making an attractive product without adding any extra frills.  The iPhone 4 is a very classy mobile, and it swaps glossy plastic for toughened glass.  The antenna which runs round the outside of the phone is sandwiched between two pieces of glass, which are said to be much less fragile and immune to scratches.  We'll see how well they last.


There are two cameras on the new version: one at the front for making WiFi video calls using Apple's FaceTime system, with another 5 Megapixel camera at the back for both photos and video which is now bolstered by the presence of a flash.  It's in our photo lab as we speak, and the first results will be available soon.

Screen

This is one of the big developments that a lot of people have been waiting to try on the new iPhone: it's the same physical size as on its predecessor, but the quality of the display really has leapt forward.  Known by Apple as the 'Retina Display', the new screen trumps the 3G S' resolution of 480 x 320 pixels by offering 960 x 460 pixels and the improvement is very noticeable. 

Starting with the menu, the edge of all of the icons is much smoother—even if you didn't think they had rough edges before, the difference really is striking—while text on websites is much more legible without zooming in. 

The 3G S already had a very detailed display, but it's even better here.  Less noticeable are the promised improvements in colour reproduction, contrast and brightness, but the viewing angles are better and it's easier to use the screen in bright sunlight.  In those conditions, though, you still get plenty of reflections on the glossy screen.  The iPhone 4 can display HD video at 720p.



The iPhone 4's display is at least as good as the 480 x 800 Super AMOLED screen found on the Samsung Wave, and even better when it comes to displaying web pages.  There's no need to zoom in a few levels before menus and small text become legible.




We're sure that the App Store, whose members already number 225 000, will soon fill up with new apps—games especially—that can make the most of all that extra resolution.


Multitasking

Apple has finally given way to the protests of its users and added multitasking to the new iPhone.





iPhone users have always been able listen to music and write an e-mail at the same time, but you had to leave one app and visit the next every time you wanted to do something different.  From now on though, a quick double-press on the home button brings up a small dock containing all of the apps that are currently running.  With its new processor, the iPhone 4 is even faster at this than the 3G S.  It's too early for us to give a considered verdict, but so far, our iPhone 4 doesn't seem to be struggling even with a lot of apps running in the background.

FaceTime

The other big new feature is the arrival of video calls—but it's video calling as made by Apple, of course.  The manufacturer is hoping its new system will become an industry standard, but will its competitors get on board?



Apple's version of video calling means you need to be connected to a WiFi network, and both of you need an iPhone 4.  You can either launch a FaceTime call directly or start with a normal phone call and then decide to switch to video.  As soon as you transfer to video, then your call is routed via WiFi rather than the regular phone network.  We found the quality of both audio and video to be excellent.

The whole experience is excellent in fact, because, as you'd expect from Apple, everything is ridiculously simple.  We've only tried it a few times, so we're not sure whether the iPhone 4 will breath new life into video calling, but we've got a few ideas ...

Coming Next: the camera test results in our photography Face-Off, so you can really see the iPhone 4 in action!


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