As usual, Apple sent early review units of its new hardware, this time the iPhone 4, to select journalists. Their reviews are now in, and boy are they positive. If you had any doubt about whether you should get an iPhone 4, these reviews will likely convince you to do so.
- Joshua Topolsky of Engadget has an incredibly well-written review, full of details, facts, pictures and videos. And he loves the iPhone 4, concluding: “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. Yes, there are still pain points that we want to see
Apple fix, and yes, there are some amazing alternatives to the iPhone 4
out there. But when it comes to the total package — fit and finish in
both software and hardware, performance, app selection, and all of the
little details that make a device like this what it is — we think it’s
the cream of the current crop.” If you only read one review, read this one. - Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal writes that the iPhone 4 is a “big, well-designed update that, in my view, keeps it in the lead in the
smartphone wars.” He criticizes the AT&T network, but otherwise concludes that “Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive
new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class.” - David Pogue of the New York Times writes that the iPhone 4 is “amazing” and that it “feels solid and Lexus-like.”
- Ed Baig of USA Today writes that the iPhone 4 “demonstrates once again why Apple’s handset is the one to beat.”
- Xeni Jardin of Boing Boing especially loves the new camera, and has posted some great pictures taken with the iPhone 4.
- Boy Genius Report — who I suspect did not get an official review unit from Apple but instead got their hands on one yesterday from one of the few people to get an early iPhone pre-order delivery — reports that the screen is “stunning,” that you feel like you are “holding a luxury item,” and that the speed is fast and the camera is great.
One thing I find interesting about many of these reviews is that they conclude that the new design of the iPhone 4 is so amazing that it makes it hard to go back to an iPhone 3G or 3GS. As Xeni Jardin writes: “It feels really nice to hold. Once my hand got used to it, the 3GS body
felt more like a toy, and I didn’t much feel like holding it anymore.”
When are you getting your iPhone 4? I felt so badly reading about your experience with preordering with AT&T. I was lucky enough to finally get a preorder in with AT&T on the afternoon of the 15th, but it was extremely frustrating…
[Jeff responds: I don’t know. I’m seeing reports that AT&T won’t start selling to those of us who didn’t get a pre-order last week until June 29. It is unclear whether that also means no new pre-orders until June 29. At this point, my hope is just to get an iPhone 4 before the iPhone 5 is announced. 🙂 Fortunately, iOS 4 does a good job of making my “old” iPhone 3GS feel like a shiny new toy!]