Firstain

Okay. Now that all the buzz and excitement surrounding the Apple iPhone 4 has eased a bit, let’s go review the latest iPhone and see how it compares to its predecessors and other rivals out there. Lets find out is it really worth your money and attention. Let’s get cracking!

Hardware Review

Apple claims to have made major upgrades to the new iPhone. CEO Steve Jobs calls it “beyond a doubt the most precise thing, and one of the most beautiful we’ve ever made”. But how big an upgrade have they actually done? Not big enough, compared to last year’s iPhone 3GS. Here’s proof.

From the above comparison we can easily make out that higher screen resolution, 5MP camera and 720p video recording are the only ‘major’ changes that discriminate the 4th gen iPhone from the 3GS. And while these upgrades to the new iPhone are appreciated, they are hardly ‘major’ ones and not tempting enough for existing 3GS users to switch to iPhone 4.

Battery Review

There is an improvement in battery life as well. But with just a ‘few’ hours more of talking and music, i myself would not find it reason enough for anyone to switch to iPhone 4.

Service Provider

While the iPhone has grown in recent times, the service provider is still the same. And while 92% iPhone users are happy with their iPhone, there are hardly a few who appreciate their service provider as well.

AT&T being the only cellular service provider for iPhone in the US, there is no escaping from them with many users (current and potential) unhappy with the exclusive contract. In fact, AT&T ranks among the lowest in customer satisfaction ratings, with 50% of their users claiming that they would like to switch service providers.

Hence, while you may enjoy upgrading from iPhone 3GS to iPhone 4, you’re still stuck with AT&T. Bad.

FaceTime

There’s no  doubt that FaceTime is the iPhone 4′s most exciting new feature, with Apple claiming this as video calling finally becoming a reality. But this is certainly not the “perfectly seamless” method of video calling. For instance, the feature only works from one iPhone 4 user to another. If the person you’re calling has anything other than an iPhone 4, then forget it.

Another thing is that it works only with WiFi and not with 3G. If you want to have video chat using WiFi access, there are numerous ways that are more convenient and affordable to do so, like through Skype.

Summer Special

If you’ve noticed carefully, Apple always releases a new and “better” iPhone during summer time. And if recent events are anything to go by, then we are set for iPhone 4G (or whatever the next one would be called) the coming June/July (June/July 2011). Here’s proof:

• The original iPhone was released on June 29, 2007.
• The 3G was released on July 11, 2008.
• The 3GS was released on June 19, 2009.
• The iPhone 4 will be released on June 24, 2010.
• The iPhone 4G/HD/4A (or whatever) to be release June 2011?

With growth in technology almost consistent, an upgraded version of any gadget is sure to happen. And keeping up with the latest technology each and every time means you either have to be a child of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, or you’ve gotta be foolish.

Another alternative is to be smart and wait for next year and save your money for the next iPhone, which i hope is actually “better” and not just a ‘slight’ upgrade.

So what have YOU decided?

(Special thanks to OS Weekly Blogs)

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3. Official: White iPhone 4 coming July end
4. Apple confirms 6,00,000 iPhone 4 pre-orders on Day One; Has some bad news as well
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