iPhone 4 - Unboxing And Review

If you're an fan of Apple's iPhone, today is the day you've been waiting for since... well, last year when the iPhone 3GS came out. But the iPhone 4 marks some significant differences from the (now outmoded, and basically obsolete) 3GS and previous models.

Fortunately, we here at The Little Details have gotten our hands on the latest wonder from Cupertino and done an exhaustive breakdown of this (and trust us when we say we've given our word choice here painstakingly careful thought) life-transforming miracle of technology.

Full review -- with photos AND UNBOXING! -- after the cut.

Packaging

Apple has taken a new turn in their packaging, discarding their minimalist Bauhaus-style design and updating it with a more casual, Jimmy Buffet-inspired motif. Although we were fans of the previous aesthetic, we were immediately taken with how friendly and relaxing the new package seemed.

Plus, there's a clear effort here to make this MORE than just a box. It's sturdy and flexible enough to find a number of other uses in your household; for instance, as a display case for your back issues of MAKE magazine, or -- with a little bit of organic cotton batting -- as an "accident"-proof bed for your French bulldog.

But enough of that, you didn't buy it for the box. You bought it for what's inside.

And what's inside is, simply, magical.

The Phone

We have to admit that the first time we laid eyes on the iPhone 4, it was truly a moment of surprise and amazement. What Apple has done here marks an unprecedented paradigm-shift in the way that consumers will think about their phones, or, indeed, their daily lives.

Up Close And Personal

First of all, Steve Jobs has clearly decided to buck the trend of lighter-smaller-thinner. This thing has BULK. Our in-house measurements tipped the scale at over 450 grams. (That's almost a pound.) Sure, you may say that's only 320 grams more than the 3GS, but the difference is noticeable:

A previous generation iPhone side-by-side with the iPhone 4.

That being said, after almost two weeks of use, we have to admit the phone has a comfortable heft that, honestly, has to be experienced to be appreciated. There's simply no other way to put this (or maybe it's a failing on our part as writers) but it just feels good in your hand. The rounded bezel molds itself into your palm and the clean metal edges tastefully echo the industrial, post-war economy of design found in 50s America.

Trust us, this is one phone you're NOT going to lose in your messenger bag.

But what really sets the new iPhone apart from the others is the screen.

It's All About The Pixels

The wizards of Cupertino may have quadrupled the weight over previous models but clearly they've sunk a significant portion of that extra capacity into graphics processing and display. Text renders crisply with a rich, bright saturation of colors. Even with the test unit held inches from our face, we could not detect a single pixel.

A standard web-page rendered on the new iPhone 4.

Apple calls this new display "Retina View." We call it "positively extraordinary." To the naked eye, it almost looks like the words and images you're seeing are printed on the surface of the phone.

And say what you want about the LCD/AMOLED/Super AMOLED debate, this thing absolutely holds up in direct sunlight:


Outdoors with the iPhone 4.

Trust us when we tell you that this device sets the visual standard for all phones, e-readers, or portable electronic device going forward. (We did notice a slight tangerine/yellowish tinge at times, but we can only assume that is some sort of personal medical problem and not a flaw on Apple's part.)

The Specs

Yeah, yeah, the hardcore techies out there are going to want to know about the specs but let us assure you that 1) they are impeccable [HELLO!! IT'S APPLE!] and 2) they don't matter [SEE PREVIOUS COMMENT!].

That being said, some careful sleuthing on our part revealed that the iPhone 4 is not only packing 4 servings of 110 calories each (that's over 1.8 kilojoules of power) but also 24% of your recommended daily allowance of dietary fiber.

The battery life is especially impressive. Even after a full twenty-six hours of continuous use, we simply could NOT get the thing to shut down. The colors were still crisp, and the display was just as responsive as when we unboxed it.

Granted, after 26 hours of use, it did get a little warm in our hand... but we don't see that as a competitive disadvantage. Frankly, if it's not an Apple product, you won't WANT to hold it in your hand and stare at it for twenty-six hours.

Of course, if you are a petty-minded nitpicker, there are some extremely minor quibbles that might gnaw away at a tiny, easily-squelched corner of your mind.

(We only mention them here as a matter of appearing objective and unbiased. Don't worry, we'll dismiss them in short order.)

Dropped Calls/No Service Available

In the interests of pseudo-journalism, we should disclose that we weren't actually able to complete a call on the new iPhone 4.

Frankly, this is not unexpected -- it's widely known that AT&T sucks. And, after selling 600,000 (SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND) units on pre-order, their system capacity is severely overtaxed.

We expect the Big Blue Deathstar will keep adding additional towers to meet the unprecedented demand this wildly popular phone is guaranteed to drive. And, if you still can't get service in your area, we suggest you consider spending a scant $150 on a 3G Microcell signal booster.

So, while there's perhaps a point to be made in that the iPhone 4 doesn't actually, y'know, let you make calls, we would counter that 1) It's AT&T's fault and 2) No one uses their iPhone to make calls anyhow.

One other minor issue that's probably not worth mentioning: scratches.

Careful, Careful

According to Apple's marketing materials, the face of the iPhone 4 is made out of a "custom glass" comparable in strength to sapphire crystal but 30 times harder than plastic. In our tests, that wasn't exactly the case. After substantial use, we did notice some minor distortions and irregularities. Again, this was trivial and you can completely avoid this problem by purchasing a $30 protective case.

You've spent $300 on the phone, you can't pony up $30 for a case?

We would like to take this opportunity to mention that the iPhone 4 obliterated the competition in our grueling "drop test," besting every single unit out there in surviving falls from 2, 4, and 8 feet.

In Conclusion

With Google's recent attempts to crack the market with Android, Steve Jobs clearly had to hit one out of the park with the iPhone 4. We are happy to say that he not only did that, but more. This is not just the best smartphone on the market, it's the best invention of the last 150 years. (Move over, threshing machine! You have been OWNED!) We cannot stress how cool this phone is, nor how very, very, very grateful we are that we were one of the chosen few who received a preview unit. Seriously, thank you. THANK YOU, STEVE. We appreciate the fact that we did not have to spend $5000 just to post photos of a bricked lump of metal that doesn't even make calls.

Bottom line: The iPhone 4. From Apple. Do we need to say more? If you do not own one -- or, upon reading this review, immediately order one -- we can say with confidence that you are uninformed and boring. We ask that you immediately click away from our blog, you are embarrassing us.

Also: Nice shoes. Jesus.

-Tom, who asked you to CLICK AWAY. NOW. CLICK, CLICK!