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The iPhone 4 |OT|

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bluebird said:
I didn't really want to ask this question in the antenna thread (there seems to be a lot of hate in there), and I don't want to derail this thread by asking here. I live in Australia and the iPhone 4 shoudl be coming out at the end of July, and I really want to get one, but the antenna issues and magnifications do raise some flags. A lot of you guys posting here have the iPhone 4 so I wanted to know:

1. Is the problem as severe as everybody is saying it is?
2. Can it be fixed using an Apple bumper or another case?

I don't want to derail the thread into an argument, so just some impressions from those of you that have the phone would be great :]
Click to expand...
1. No. Is the problem there? Yes. Is it game-breaking and makes me want to return the phone? No. It's an annoyance, one that should be fixed, but not one that makes the phone unusable.

2. Yes.
 
Okay, first time iPhone user. Just one quick question.

I'm using Twitter's main application from the App Store for my Twitter account...why am I not getting any notifications on my homescreen of my timeline updating? I don't mean push notifications, I mean a red number above the app. Same goes with Facebook. And no, it's not because I'm that unpopular :'(

I thought these apps auto-fetched and auto-updated.
 
Have a minor very faint hairline scratch on the front of my iPhone 4. Not even sure how it got there, but 4 days in it's a little disappointing. Especially considering I really only have one or two on my 3GS and that was 5 months hard use without any protection what-so-ever.

The scratch is barely noticeable, but my fear is that I get more severe one's. To screen protect or not too...hmmm...

Anyone have any experience with any of the protectors out there? And do the screen protectors themselves scratch? If they themselves do, I won't bother with one. As it's not the glass itself scratching I'm worried about, rather the visibility of scratches during use (on or off any screen protector).
 
nib95 said:
Have a minor very faint hairline scratch on the front of my iPhone 4. Not even sure how it got there, but 4 days in it's a little disappointing. Especially considering I really only have one or two on my 3GS and that was 5 months hard use without any protection what-so-ever.

The scratch is barely noticeable, but my fear is that I get more severe one's. To screen protect or not too...hmmm...

Anyone have any experience with any of the protectors out there? And do the screen protectors themselves scratch? If they themselves do, I won't bother with one. As it's not the glass itself scratching I'm worried about, rather the visibility of scratches during use (on or off any screen protector).
Click to expand...
Their is a hairline scratch on the back of mine. Only noticeable in strong light but it made me so paranoid :(
 
K2Valor said:
Their is a hairline scratch on the back of mine. Only noticeable in strong light but it made me so paranoid :(
Click to expand...

Same. I'm considering swapping mine for a new one and then buying an InvisibleSHIELD screen protector for it. But in the past, with every phone I've ever ordered I've always had a no protection policy. Never needed any really plus I hated the weird textured look they added...

But the iPhone 4 being as heavy and slick as it is has me worrying. If it's screen were as scratch resistant as say, the HTC HD2's, I wouldn't bother, but clearly it's not as durable.
 
Considering I've been putting iPhones in my pockets naked for 3 years without issue, it's disappointing to hear that the glass they are now using isn't as strong.

It's like I'm getting more and more disappointed by the day.
 
DeathbyVolcano said:
Okay, first time iPhone user. Just one quick question.

I'm using Twitter's main application from the App Store for my Twitter account...why am I not getting any notifications on my homescreen of my timeline updating? I don't mean push notifications, I mean a red number above the app. Same goes with Facebook. And no, it's not because I'm that unpopular :'(

I thought these apps auto-fetched and auto-updated.
Click to expand...

AFAIK the red number (called a badge/badging) is part of push notifications, and Twitter/Tweetie doesn't support those. You can get it with a free third party app called "Boxcar" although the red number wouldn't appear on Twitter but rather on the Boxcar icon.

Not sure about FB, don't really use that. I believe those types of apps (both Twitter & FB) can't currently run in the background on iOS4 so it will only update the badge when you launch FB.
 
Dreams-Visions said:
Considering I've been putting iPhones in my pockets naked for 3 years without issue, it's disappointing to hear that the glass they are now using isn't as strong.

It's like I'm getting more and more disappointed by the day.
Click to expand...

Or maybe people are just less careful than you? Some friends freaked out back when I told them my 3GS was gonna stay caseless and they swore it would be a wreck in weeks. It was fine and when I saw them again I realized why they think that way. They treat it like crap, throw it in pockets with stuff, etc.
 
SnakeXs said:
Or maybe people are just less careful than you? Some friends freaked out back when I told them my 3GS was gonna stay caseless and they swore it would be a wreck in weeks. It was fine and when I saw them again I realized why they think that way. They treat it like crap, throw it in pockets with stuff, etc.
Click to expand...

The only things my iPhone goes in my pocket with are my business cards and maybe tissue. Admittedly I wear rings, but hardly apply any pressure to the phone. Not nearly enough to scratch it anyway. One of the two scratches on my 3GS was when someone throw my phone from across the room at me and when I caught it I felt my ring scrape across. Even then in resulted in only a hairline scratch. The fact that I already have one on my iPhone 4, but not even knowing how, is slightly worrying.
 
DeathbyVolcano said:
Okay, first time iPhone user. Just one quick question.

I'm using Twitter's main application from the App Store for my Twitter account...why am I not getting any notifications on my homescreen of my timeline updating? I don't mean push notifications, I mean a red number above the app. Same goes with Facebook. And no, it's not because I'm that unpopular :'(

I thought these apps auto-fetched and auto-updated.
Click to expand...

Twitter doesn't have push notifications. As for Facebook, that does, but you have to specify what actions give you the push notifications (go to Settings and scroll down to Facebook then go to Push Notifications; for example, I have it set that I only get notifications for wall posts, comments, and friend requests).
 
SnakeXs said:
Or maybe people are just less careful than you? Some friends freaked out back when I told them my 3GS was gonna stay caseless and they swore it would be a wreck in weeks. It was fine and when I saw them again I realized why they think that way. They treat it like crap, throw it in pockets with stuff, etc.
Click to expand...
I'd say I was only somewhat careful. iPhone would go into pockets with change, keys and other random stuff. Back has plenty of small scratches. Glass is flawless, however.
 
nib95 said:
Have a minor very faint hairline scratch on the front of my iPhone 4. Not even sure how it got there, but 4 days in it's a little disappointing. Especially considering I really only have one or two on my 3GS and that was 5 months hard use without any protection what-so-ever.

The scratch is barely noticeable, but my fear is that I get more severe one's. To screen protect or not too...hmmm...

Anyone have any experience with any of the protectors out there? And do the screen protectors themselves scratch? If they themselves do, I won't bother with one. As it's not the glass itself scratching I'm worried about, rather the visibility of scratches during use (on or off any screen protector).
Click to expand...

I had a screen protector, and yes they do get scratches on them, but the thing is, you can replace one for cheap. I think 14 bucks gets you a pair. You can't replace a scratch to the actual screen.
 
BboyDubC said:
I had a screen protector, and yes they do get scratches on them, but the thing is, you can replace one for cheap. I think 14 bucks gets you a pair. You can't replace a scratch to the actual screen.
Click to expand...
You can.

I've replaced a 3G screen glass by ordering a new one for cheap on ebay. For about that price, really, and it even came with tools.

I think it's best not to have any worries and then replace the glass for cheap 2 years down the line.

But that was with the 3G/3GS though (and maybe the original one but I wouldn't know). Replacing the iPhone 4 glass is no longer trivial (or possible?) if I understand it right.
 
BboyDubC said:
I had a screen protector, and yes they do get scratches on them, but the thing is, you can replace one for cheap. I think 14 bucks gets you a pair. You can't replace a scratch to the actual screen.
Click to expand...
To be fair, you can replace the scratched glass, and if you know where to look, you can get it for a good price. I just ordered a 3G display assembly (glass + touchscreen, no LCD) for about $8.50 here in Asia. Hopefully it isn't crappy, but I don't know how they can mess up a simple piece of glass + touchscreen membrane. If it is, I might have to shell out for the guy selling it for $11.

The glass on my 3G has a lot of scratches but they aren't that visible when the screen is on, I'm just replacing it to increase the resale value of the thing. Also will be replacing the backing which is scuffed up.

jts said:
But that was with the 3G/3GS though (and maybe the original one but I wouldn't know). Replacing the iPhone 4 glass is no longer trivial (or possible?) if I understand it right.
Click to expand...
Yeah, taking a quick glance at ifixit just now, it seems like you'll have to replace the entire front assembly, which includes the LCD (I think the glass is melded to the LCD or something), so you'll have to get a new LCD, which would probably be a bit more expensive since it is higher res and all (though iSuppli says the LCD costs ~$30).
 
Chiming in on the condition of the iPhone: I'm slightly disappointed with the strength. I've have the phone in a case since day one but I have three marks

One is a White/creamy Mark under the glass near the camera and then another near the camera. Then a thumb tack size indentation on the back which I have no idea how it got there
 
I have a couple of questions about Facetime:

- Can you start a videocall with someone without firts calling them in the usual way?

- How much bandwidth would you need to run a proper videocall?


Don't know if answered somewhere else, but I appreciate your answers. :)
 
FerranMG said:
I have a couple of questions about Facetime:

- Can you start a videocall with someone without firts calling them in the usual way?

- How much bandwidth would you need to run a proper videocall?


Don't know if answered somewhere else, but I appreciate your answers. :)
Click to expand...
1. Yes just select a contact and on the bottom there should be a FaceTime option right next to the text message option. Also if you have done a FaceTime call with somebody recently you can FaceTime them directly from your recents list.

2. I have no idea.
 
There was an awesome post in one of these iPhone 4 threads that had a series of really cool backgrounds. Can anyone find that post? because I've been looking and can't.
 
ijm72 said:
1. Yes just select a contact and on the bottom there should be a FaceTime option right next to the text message option. Also if you have done a FaceTime call with somebody recently you can FaceTime them directly from your recents list.

2. I have no idea.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Any idea on what happens if you are in a wifi hotspot (so you can do facetime), but the person you want to speak to is not?
Do you get an error message? Do the call go through, but you can't see each other?
 
TurtleSnatcher said:
wtf.

I have been caseless and mines still mint.. i just throw mine in my pocket :\
Click to expand...

I have a bumper on mine and mine's mint too, it goes in my pocket when it's not in my hand or sitting on my desk/endtable/nightstand.
 
ijm72 said:
1. Yes just select a contact and on the bottom there should be a FaceTime option right next to the text message option. Also if you have done a FaceTime call with somebody recently you can FaceTime them directly from your recents list.
Click to expand...
That's really cool. I was worried about that when they announced it. Will be useful in places where I have low reception but access to WiFi.


AnandTech just put out an awesome review, I'd even say it's the definitive review at this point:

Apple's iPhone 4: Thoroughly Reviewed

There's lots of good stuff there, the review is largely positive, but I want to highlight this section that is quite important to me and I haven't seen tackled like this anywhere else:

The Display in the Sun
As we mentioned earlier, the new glass is more reflective than the 3GS' screen. In direct sunlight the 4 is somewhere in between the usability of the iPhone 3GS and an AMOLED Android phone. The photos below should help convey that.

All of the screens were set to max brightness with automatic adjustments turned off. The EVO 4G came in as the worst of the bunch, while the iPhone 3GS was the most legible.

The iPhone 4 in direct sunlight
TbjnV.jpg



The iPhone 3GS in direct sunlight
jNmbL.jpg



The Google Nexus One in direct sunlight
7hi4N.jpg



The EVO 4G in direct sunlight
YxSu1.jpg
Click to expand...

It's not looking good if the iPhone 3GS is better than the iPhone 4 in this respect and I already felt compelled to use an anti-glare screen protector on my 3GS. Moreover, using the phone at full brightness setting is a battery killer. If I do get an iPhone 4 (and that's looking increasingly unlikely at this point) I'll have to cover up that beautiful screen. Oh well, at least fingerprints won't be a problem :/
 
Marty Chinn said:
Orient it according to the screen. I didn't think it was that hard to understand. Why are you running and watching videos? It's not really about accelerometer related but more related how the display is showing. You just tie it to that. If your video is constantly flipping around, are you really watching it? I'm not talking about orienting volume all the time based on every possible use case, just things like video where you are in a landscape mode.

Look, this is being attacked like its some big issue. I was just curious if anyone else felt the same way, yet the replies come off far worse. Why is it so bad to question Apple among Apple fans?
Click to expand...

I agree with Marty here, guys. Small detail that stands out for a company known to stress the small cosmetic details.
 
I love Anandtech. Thanks for the link, they are very thorough and balanced. Used to check them first back in my PC gaming days when I was looking for product reviews.

EDIT: YES MY PHONE IS PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT HALLELUJAH!!! Please get here by Friday!
 
Charred Greyface said:
It's not looking good if the iPhone 3GS is better than the iPhone 4 in this respect and I already felt compelled to use an anti-glare screen protector on my 3GS. Moreover, using the phone at full brightness setting is a battery killer. If I do get an iPhone 4 (and that's looking increasingly unlikely at this point) I'll have to cover up that beautiful screen. Oh well, at least fingerprints won't be a problem :/
Click to expand...
Might be me, but going by those pictures the iPhone 4’s screen looks far better than the 3GS.
 
JayDub said:
I agree with Marty here, guys. Small detail that stands out for a company known to stress the small cosmetic details.
Click to expand...
Keeping hardware controls consistent is stressing the details.

What should they do when the phone is in your pocket and you're listening to music?
 
it would be really cool if we could designate any one apps icon in a folder to be the primary icon.

the folder icons are oo-gly.
 
my phone gave me the "iphone needs to cool down" temp error message but the phone is actually cool to the touch. should I be worried?
 
fireside said:
Might be me, but going by those pictures the iPhone 4’s screen looks far better than the 3GS.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say better but I can't really tell a difference besides the iPhone 4 being closer up. I'd just have to assume that based on an actual side by side the 3GS was determined to be better and that a photo simply doesn't show this well. The shiny part of his head certainly seems to reflect the least on the iPhone 4.
 
Charred Greyface said:
It's not looking good if the iPhone 3GS is better than the iPhone 4 in this respect and I already felt compelled to use an anti-glare screen protector on my 3GS. Moreover, using the phone at full brightness setting is a battery killer. If I do get an iPhone 4 (and that's looking increasingly unlikely at this point) I'll have to cover up that beautiful screen. Oh well, at least fingerprints won't be a problem :/
Click to expand...
direct sunlight use sucks on ALL of these phones, and pretty much and LCD device and definitely any OLED device. Arguing about which one looks better in the sunlight is like arguing about which ugly girl your going to dance with.

I don't know... this thread is just kind of obnoxious. It's like 30% people talking about iphone 4, and 70% split between you posting every negative piece of info from every article you can find on the interwebs and marty nit picking every feature of the phone and supposing how apple could have done it differently. at least marty has his iphone.. you seem to be using this thread simply to convince yourself not to get one and being as vocal about it as possible.

at this point get one or don't, but seriously, stop bludgeoning the horse carcass already. Buy it and if you don't like it return it and move on. If you're not going to buy one, then stop trolling the thread. but just dropping by every 10-15 posts to link to every controversial article (or snippet) you can find on the net is getting kind of old.

as for what you posted, like I said.. yes, direct sunlight sucks on my wife's 4. And it sucks on my 3GS also. and it sucks on her laptop, and on my PSP and DS. Welcome to the wonderful world of backlit digital displays.
 
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
Keeping hardware controls consistent is stressing the details.

What should they do when the phone is in your pocket and you're listening to music?
Click to expand...

Hardware? I must've misread. :lol

On my phone (3G, slow and dying), on the YouTube app, when I put the phone in landscape and change the volume with the volume rocker, the volume icon that pops up on screen is still oriented in portrait mode.

...its 5am, you ass. Dont call me out. :lol
 
Well I had my first two dropped calls yesterday. I bought a thin case as well so it wasn't due to the death grip malfunction. I've also been having moments where the display shows one bar, but I download at >1000 kbps clip. Weird stuff.
 
Got a scratch on mine too, on the back towards the bottom right hand side. No idea how it got there, as I keep my phone in my pocket (only thing in my pocket is my phone) and I'll place it on my desk, on top of a pad of sticky notes, so it's not actually touching my desk directly. I put it on top of my DSi last night but that's about it when it comes to hard surfaces. I'm not using a case at all and I don't have a bumper.

To be fair I only found the scratch because I was reading the posts from earlier and I decided to quickly check my phone. You can only really see it in direct light, so it's hidden pretty well. Still kind of a bummer though, as I was hoping the glass would fare better than the plastic of the 3G. I do have some screen protectors in the mail so I'll probably use that on the back of the phone for a little while once they arrive.
 
Wellington said:
I love Anandtech. Thanks for the link, they are very thorough and balanced. Used to check them first back in my PC gaming days when I was looking for product reviews.

EDIT: YES MY PHONE IS PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT HALLELUJAH!!! Please get here by Friday!
Click to expand...

Are you a premier order?

edit: Fuck you for getting my hopes up. :(
 
Dreams-Visions said:
Considering I've been putting iPhones in my pockets naked for 3 years without issue, it's disappointing to hear that the glass they are now using isn't as strong.

It's like I'm getting more and more disappointed by the day.
Click to expand...
Then don't buy the phone. Unless you drop the thing on an edge it should be fine naked. But most of gaf have the butter fingers so get the otter box. The only way the iPhone won't get scratched is if they used AlON transparent armor or sapphire crystals with a diamond coating on the entire phone. Or build the phone out of what ever crocs are made off. If you drop something it will get damaged, if you rub something harder ten the glass and metal it will scratch.
 
Dreams-Visions said:
Considering I've been putting iPhones in my pockets naked for 3 years without issue, it's disappointing to hear that the glass they are now using isn't as strong.

It's like I'm getting more and more disappointed by the day.
Click to expand...
Man how did I miss this genius post?
 
White bumper on the way... looks like Apple really went cheap on the delivery method, 6 business days (like 10 normal days) for the scheduled delivery date, I didn't even know FedEx can ship stuff that slow!
 
For those looking for a phone, my buddy walked into an att this morning around 9ish, said they had 5 phones from people who did not pick up their preorder. 3 32gb and 2 16gb.
 
I finally got to play with one of these last night.

My retinas...beautiful screen.

If the new screen, bigger battery and A4 make it into the iPod Touch 4th gen, I will be one happy camper.
 
taylor910 said:
For those looking for a phone, my buddy walked into an att this morning around 9ish, said they had 5 phones from people who did not pick up their preorder. 3 32gb and 2 16gb.
Click to expand...

I wonder if I can cancel my pre-order and just go to my local at&t corporate store and pick one up.
 
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