June 26, 2010 at 16:12Apple iPhone 4 Test
Love or hate? Some may swear on their iPhone that it is the only real phone, others curse it with all their hearts. The end of sentimentality - we will tell you how good “apple” fruits are.
A lot of glass, a lot of metal and a lot of fresh features - the new Apple iPhone makes you want to take possession of it. During the tests, we also found some shortcomings, such as non-expandable memory and obvious problems with signal reception.
In addition to external tuning, Apple also pumped “hardware”. A new HD display has appeared, an improved camera with flash and new features such as video telephony. IPhone 4 runs on the new iOS 4 operating system, first introduced on the iPad. She added multitasking to the phone. In terms of performance, the smartphone does not lag behind competitors, here the newcomer is executed at a very good level.
Already curious? Then read under the cat how the iPhone 4 showed itself in the heavy test of the CHIP magazine, what its strengths and weaknesses are.
The mobile phone comes in very small packaging. The box contains a USB cable, headphones and a power cable, a small metal pin to open the SIM card slot and operating instructions. IPhone 4 lies in the hand is very convenient and compact. Although it is slightly thinner than its predecessor, we have the impression of a much smaller device. New materials look very good, glass panels surrounded by a metal frame give the phone an elegant look. With dimensions of 115 × 57x10 mm and a weight of 142 grams, the phone is not only compact, but also quite heavy.
The on / off switch and volume buttons are made of metal, there is a second microphone next to the headphone jack and a front camera. The side slot for Micro-SIM, normal SIM-cards are no longer suitable, as we have already seen in the iPad.
Apple's processing failed: nothing shakes or seems redundant. Only one drawback is visible: the glass is very easily soiled. With every press, ugly fingerprints inevitably remain on the phone. After a short time of use, the phone becomes dirty, only one thing helps here - constant cleaning.
The Apple-introduced display, under the marketing name “Retina-Display,” is a 3.5-inch screen with an impressive resolution of 960 × 640 pixels. A display with IPS technology should allow a wider viewing angle and have a higher contrast. We are immediately struck by the eye: in the iPhone 4, individual pixels are almost invisible to the naked eye. Contrast and black level the new display displays better than many other phones, but Apple could work on brightness: the maximum brightness level is slightly darker than on the iPhone 3G.
iPhone 3G and iPhone 4
Many users report yellow spots on their new phones. We did not find them on our test instances. Stains form from glue that has not completely hardened, as soon as the glue hardens, they should disappear.
The phone has an active backlit TFT display. Therefore, it consumes more energy than, say, an AMOLED display with luminous cells. Compared to Samsung Wave, the first phone with a Super-AMOLED screen, the iPhone leaves a slightly worse impression, but outperforms Samsung in resolution (Wave: 800 × 480 pixels).
The camera takes photos with a resolution of 5 megapixels, supports touch focus and LED backlight. You can be proud of test photos. However, the old iPhone issue remains here. In low light conditions, image quality suffers significantly. And this is despite the fact that Apple claims that the camera will show maximum performance even in low light conditions.
The new iPhone captures video in HD 720p at up to 30 frames per second. In addition, the phone has a front VGA camera that can shoot both photos and videos with a maximum resolution of 480 × 640 pixels. As in photo mode, here you can switch between the rear and front cameras, use touch focus and turn on the backlight. We liked the video quality: the clips are very clear and have clear sound. Test video
Both cameras support the new FaceTime video call function, but there are two limitations: while the iPhone 4 does not support video telephony with phones of other manufacturers and communication is not via a cellular network, but via WiFi. The advantage is saving money, but both you and your interlocutor should have WiFi connected.
In practice, FaceTime works well, contacting is easy, image and sound quality are fine. During a conversation, you can switch between the front and rear cameras.
Next to the headphone jack is a second microphone, it serves to reduce noise. In our test, the sound during calls was normal, but not better than in other phones. Quite the opposite: when calling to a landline phone, the voice of the caller from the iPhone 4 sounds muffled and not very natural. When calling mobile phones, the sound is already better. The speakerphone is of rather modest quality. Voices can be heard very muffled, metallic and at low volume.
Signal reception problems lie in metal frames-antennas. With minor changes in the position of the phone, the reception of the signal changed greatly. So far, we have not tested a single phone where the signal reception quality would change so much. Apple pushes this problem to users: the user is to blame for the problem, he does not hold the phone correctly.
In terms of data transfer speed, with the new WiFi-n standard, Apple is becoming even a notch better in using the Internet. A powerful processor makes the phone’s life possible even outside the network.
From 32 GB you can use only 29 GB for your own data. As before, the possibility of expanding the memory is not provided. In terms of data transfer speed, also already familiar indicators: HSPA with a maximum speed of 7.2 Mb / s. The phone has new WiFi: iPhone 4 offers 802.11n in the 2.4 GHz band. This seriously increases the possible speed of the WiFi network. So far, only a few phones such as Samsung Wave and Galaxy S support the n-standard.
Applications and the camera open quickly, the speed of the web browser is also at the level. iPhone 4 is based on Apple’s new A4 chip. It should provide the phone not only with speed, but also with endurance. So Apple promises 4 hours of negotiations or 40 hours of continuous listening to music. During testing, we were skeptical about promises about the battery: after half an hour of tests and games, the indicator showed 22% less charge. But the battery test showed very good endurance. About six and a half hours, the device worked at full GSM power. Although, you need to consider that in this test the display, which is a potential energy eater, is not active.
Full lamers and experienced users immediately cope with the management. Regardless of what you want to do: listen to music, watch videos, climb on the App Store or change basic settings: iPhone has no complicated settings or obscure options. IPhone 4 runs on iOS 4 (A8293). The new operating system was already tested by us in another test.
Along with the already well-known features, iPhone 4 supports, for example, the iBook for reading electronic books, like on the iPad, now you can read books.
Elegant design, modern camera, cool HD display and excellent performance: iPhone 4 did not disappoint the expectations of users and testers. Apple made a lot of the right changes. One thing we can say without a doubt: the iPhone 4 is the best of the iPhone's. Reward: ninth in the ranking of mobile phones .
We did not like the quality of the speakerphone, the very poor reception of the network and the phone’s brandiness. Apple again did not add the possibility of expanding memory using MicroSD cards, this would make sense if it was possible to record video in HD quality.
With the high price of the Apple iPhone 4, you will be robbed. Are you still looking for a smartphone with an HD touchscreen, good camera and lots of features? Then look at the leaders in our ranking of phones .
The Samsung S8500 Wave has a Super-AMOLED display that even surpassed the iPhone screen. With WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and record battery endurance. However, the new Bada operating system does not yet provide such a large selection of applications as the Apple App Store. For a fair price just below 305 euros, you get a super-smartphone. Who wants to have a lot of applications and is ready to invest another 100 euros, we recommend the Android leader HTC Desire with the same good stuffing and AMOLED display.
Original: Chip.de
This was my first experience translating articles.
A lot of glass, a lot of metal and a lot of fresh features - the new Apple iPhone makes you want to take possession of it. During the tests, we also found some shortcomings, such as non-expandable memory and obvious problems with signal reception.
In addition to external tuning, Apple also pumped “hardware”. A new HD display has appeared, an improved camera with flash and new features such as video telephony. IPhone 4 runs on the new iOS 4 operating system, first introduced on the iPad. She added multitasking to the phone. In terms of performance, the smartphone does not lag behind competitors, here the newcomer is executed at a very good level.
Already curious? Then read under the cat how the iPhone 4 showed itself in the heavy test of the CHIP magazine, what its strengths and weaknesses are.
Most striking: Design and display
The mobile phone comes in very small packaging. The box contains a USB cable, headphones and a power cable, a small metal pin to open the SIM card slot and operating instructions. IPhone 4 lies in the hand is very convenient and compact. Although it is slightly thinner than its predecessor, we have the impression of a much smaller device. New materials look very good, glass panels surrounded by a metal frame give the phone an elegant look. With dimensions of 115 × 57x10 mm and a weight of 142 grams, the phone is not only compact, but also quite heavy.
The on / off switch and volume buttons are made of metal, there is a second microphone next to the headphone jack and a front camera. The side slot for Micro-SIM, normal SIM-cards are no longer suitable, as we have already seen in the iPad.
Apple's processing failed: nothing shakes or seems redundant. Only one drawback is visible: the glass is very easily soiled. With every press, ugly fingerprints inevitably remain on the phone. After a short time of use, the phone becomes dirty, only one thing helps here - constant cleaning.
New standards for TFT displays
The Apple-introduced display, under the marketing name “Retina-Display,” is a 3.5-inch screen with an impressive resolution of 960 × 640 pixels. A display with IPS technology should allow a wider viewing angle and have a higher contrast. We are immediately struck by the eye: in the iPhone 4, individual pixels are almost invisible to the naked eye. Contrast and black level the new display displays better than many other phones, but Apple could work on brightness: the maximum brightness level is slightly darker than on the iPhone 3G.
iPhone 3G and iPhone 4
Many users report yellow spots on their new phones. We did not find them on our test instances. Stains form from glue that has not completely hardened, as soon as the glue hardens, they should disappear.
The phone has an active backlit TFT display. Therefore, it consumes more energy than, say, an AMOLED display with luminous cells. Compared to Samsung Wave, the first phone with a Super-AMOLED screen, the iPhone leaves a slightly worse impression, but outperforms Samsung in resolution (Wave: 800 × 480 pixels).
Multimedia and sound: full of problems
The camera takes photos with a resolution of 5 megapixels, supports touch focus and LED backlight. You can be proud of test photos. However, the old iPhone issue remains here. In low light conditions, image quality suffers significantly. And this is despite the fact that Apple claims that the camera will show maximum performance even in low light conditions.
The new iPhone captures video in HD 720p at up to 30 frames per second. In addition, the phone has a front VGA camera that can shoot both photos and videos with a maximum resolution of 480 × 640 pixels. As in photo mode, here you can switch between the rear and front cameras, use touch focus and turn on the backlight. We liked the video quality: the clips are very clear and have clear sound. Test video
Both cameras support the new FaceTime video call function, but there are two limitations: while the iPhone 4 does not support video telephony with phones of other manufacturers and communication is not via a cellular network, but via WiFi. The advantage is saving money, but both you and your interlocutor should have WiFi connected.
In practice, FaceTime works well, contacting is easy, image and sound quality are fine. During a conversation, you can switch between the front and rear cameras.
Next to the headphone jack is a second microphone, it serves to reduce noise. In our test, the sound during calls was normal, but not better than in other phones. Quite the opposite: when calling to a landline phone, the voice of the caller from the iPhone 4 sounds muffled and not very natural. When calling mobile phones, the sound is already better. The speakerphone is of rather modest quality. Voices can be heard very muffled, metallic and at low volume.
Signal reception problems lie in metal frames-antennas. With minor changes in the position of the phone, the reception of the signal changed greatly. So far, we have not tested a single phone where the signal reception quality would change so much. Apple pushes this problem to users: the user is to blame for the problem, he does not hold the phone correctly.
Intrinsic values: productivity, memory, programs.
In terms of data transfer speed, with the new WiFi-n standard, Apple is becoming even a notch better in using the Internet. A powerful processor makes the phone’s life possible even outside the network.
From 32 GB you can use only 29 GB for your own data. As before, the possibility of expanding the memory is not provided. In terms of data transfer speed, also already familiar indicators: HSPA with a maximum speed of 7.2 Mb / s. The phone has new WiFi: iPhone 4 offers 802.11n in the 2.4 GHz band. This seriously increases the possible speed of the WiFi network. So far, only a few phones such as Samsung Wave and Galaxy S support the n-standard.
Applications and the camera open quickly, the speed of the web browser is also at the level. iPhone 4 is based on Apple’s new A4 chip. It should provide the phone not only with speed, but also with endurance. So Apple promises 4 hours of negotiations or 40 hours of continuous listening to music. During testing, we were skeptical about promises about the battery: after half an hour of tests and games, the indicator showed 22% less charge. But the battery test showed very good endurance. About six and a half hours, the device worked at full GSM power. Although, you need to consider that in this test the display, which is a potential energy eater, is not active.
Management and firmware
Full lamers and experienced users immediately cope with the management. Regardless of what you want to do: listen to music, watch videos, climb on the App Store or change basic settings: iPhone has no complicated settings or obscure options. IPhone 4 runs on iOS 4 (A8293). The new operating system was already tested by us in another test.
Along with the already well-known features, iPhone 4 supports, for example, the iBook for reading electronic books, like on the iPad, now you can read books.
Result: finally in TOP 10
Elegant design, modern camera, cool HD display and excellent performance: iPhone 4 did not disappoint the expectations of users and testers. Apple made a lot of the right changes. One thing we can say without a doubt: the iPhone 4 is the best of the iPhone's. Reward: ninth in the ranking of mobile phones .
We did not like the quality of the speakerphone, the very poor reception of the network and the phone’s brandiness. Apple again did not add the possibility of expanding memory using MicroSD cards, this would make sense if it was possible to record video in HD quality.
Alternative
With the high price of the Apple iPhone 4, you will be robbed. Are you still looking for a smartphone with an HD touchscreen, good camera and lots of features? Then look at the leaders in our ranking of phones .
The Samsung S8500 Wave has a Super-AMOLED display that even surpassed the iPhone screen. With WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and record battery endurance. However, the new Bada operating system does not yet provide such a large selection of applications as the Apple App Store. For a fair price just below 305 euros, you get a super-smartphone. Who wants to have a lot of applications and is ready to invest another 100 euros, we recommend the Android leader HTC Desire with the same good stuffing and AMOLED display.
Original: Chip.de
This was my first experience translating articles.