You didn’t think we were going to standby while everyone else had all the fun did you? The iPhone 4 Fairy arrived a few days early to BGR headquarters, so we thought we should let you know what our first impressions are after fondling the phone for the first time. Buckle up and hit the jump to see what all the fuss is about.
- The first thing you notice when you remove Quattro from its box is how thin it is. The size and weight just feel right. The screen may not be the ideal size for everyone (with the Galaxy S at 4″ and the DROID X/EVO at 4.3″) but for the average consumer we think 3.5″ is probably the right number. It feels great. You don’t hold the iPhone and think gee I wish this screen was bigger or man, how am I going to fix this into my pocket.
- Speaking of the screen… it’s stunning. We know, we know, it may or may not be a true Retina display, but forget all that. The display is crisp, bright, and from what we’ve seen so far, plain awesome. The increased pixel density really makes images pop and text sharp. As billed, it is probably the most desirable hardware feature on the phone.
- The industrial design is really solid, you feel like you are holding a luxury item. There are no loose fitting parts on the phone; the volume, sleep/wake, and home keys provide a distinctive click when pressed, and the mute toggle switch is firm without being stiff. It’s what you’ve come to expect from Apple as far as industrial design goes.
- The headphone jack is just that, there isn’t much else to say about it. It is flush mounted on the iPhone 4 as it was on the 3G and 3GS and does what it is supposed to do.
- Speed. Oh it’s fast. We didn’t really have too many speed qualms with our 3GS, but after seeing the iPhone 4 perform there is no turning back. Apps open instantly with little lag. Fast switching between applications has a smoother, quicker animation, and flicking between home screens seems even smoother.
- Cameras… The 5 megapixel rear facing camera really does prove that megapixels aren’t everything. All of the photos we took with the main camera came out very well, with good color balance and sharpess. The sole LED flash did a decent job, but it’s clear Apple kept the number of diodes to one for aesthetic reasons. Videos taken on the 4 were really nice. On many devices that shoot in 720p you’ll get a lot of lag and a huge loss of quality unless you’re standing perfectly still, but that isn’t the case with this phone. The front facing 1.3 megapixel VGA camera is suprisingly good, especially when you consider that it has to show up on a display with such a high resolution.
So, what are you waiting for? Hit the gallery for our high resolution photos, sample photos (we just went to Whole Foods), and some screenshots from the iPhone 4!
