Should you buy the iPhone 4? Our comprehensive guide

The wait is finally over. Apple’s new iPhone 4 will hit Australian shelves tomorrow, following weeks of speculation and controversy, and all the major telcos are preparing themselves for what is likely to be another huge date in the smartphone calendar.

But the question remains – should you upgrade?

With prices now revealed by Optus, Telstra and VHA, and the faulty antenna issue now mostly taken care of, users now have to ask themselves whether it’s worth the cost to grab Apple’s newest innovation and join the few million other iPhone 4 owners.

There’s certainly a lot to like, including significant hardware upgrades which put the iPhone 4 at the top of its class. But after all the hype is gone, there are still come concerns to keep in mind when shopping around.

To help you decide, here are some of the iPhone 4’s biggest pros and cons.

Pros:

Speed. The iPhone 4 is powered by Apple’s own A4 chip, and it’s certainly making a noticeable difference. While iPhone 3GS users have reported some issues when using the iOS4.0 software, iPhone 4 users haven’t had a problem at all.

Apps respond immediately, switching between programs using the new multitasking feature is smooth and the battery life has been upgraded as well. With each iPhone generation the device has become more powerful and responsive, and the iPhone 4 is no exception.

Screen. The “retina display”, as Apple likes to call it, is said to contain more pixels than the human eye can actually comprehend. While the veracity of this claim has been disputed by some experts, the actual quality of the iPhone 4 display isn’t in question at all. Images are sharp and crisp, and you’ll need to squint to see individual pixels. Great for hi-def apps and photos.

HD Camera. Some analysts say the personal video recorder and snapshot digital camera industry is being taken over by smartphones, and the iPhone 4 is proving them right. The ability to shoot video and stills in HD is definitely a plus for users taking pictures on the run, and the $5 iMovie app provides some pretty comprehensive editing options as well.
If you’re buying an iPhone 4, you might as well sell your video recorder and entry-level digital camera – you won’t need them.

Front Camera. Fans have been lobbying for video chat for a long time, and their cries have been answered. The iPhone 4 FaceTime feature allows users to call other iPhone 4 users over Wi-Fi connections. While it’ll be some time before the feature is allowed on 3G connections, it’s a pretty nifty feature that could prove to be extremely useful.

Design. The iPhone 4 is thinner than the previous iPhone versions, but users in the United States say the new glass front and backplates, along with the solid edges, actually make the device feel sturdier than its older cousins.

Prices. Telcos are definitely catching up to the smartphone age. All the plans from Telstra, Optus and VHA’s Vodafone and Three brands provide more data for less money, and these companies are starting to realise just how much bandwidth people are actually using.

Just this morning, Telstra even announced it will more than double the amount of data on its iPhone plans. The $49 cap will increase to 500MB, the $79 and $99 Next G caps will get 1GB each, while the $129 Consumer Next G cap, and the $150 ultimate II Plan, will both receive a massive 6GB of data.

We aren’t seeing unlimited plans yet, but some analysts believe the iPhone 4 plans represent a fundamental shift in telcos’ approach to smartphone contacts.

Cons:

Antenna. Apple may have tried to dodge the faulty antenna issue with promises of a free case for every iPhone 4 customer, but that doesn’t change the fact the fault still exists. The guarantee lasts until 30 September, indicating a manufacturing fix might be on the cards, but the bottom line is that if you buy an iPhone, you’re buying a gadget with a significant reception issue.

Glass. The glass plates make the iPhone 4 look nice and shiny, but analysts in the US say this glass can scratch if pressed with enough force. Apple says the surface is actually 30 times harder than plastic, but various forum users in the US have reported broken screens already.

FaceTime. Video chat is nice and futuristic, but FaceTime only works on WiFi and with other iPhone 4 users. That means you’re probably not going to get much use out of it unless you’re constantly on wireless networks and have friends or colleagues with iPhone 4 units as well.

Storage. The largest iPhone model still only holds 32GB, even though the biggest iPod Touch has a 64GB model. You mightn’t think you’ll use all of that space, but it fills up fast. Various rumours suggest next year might see a 64GB released, so it might be worth waiting to see what’ll pop up next year.

Missing features. It’s been three years since the first iPhone, and it still lacks a lot of what other manufacturers consider standard. Customised ringtones, no improvements to the lock screen, no flexible attachment support in email and no new default ringtones.

These are small gripes, and certainly not deal breakers, but it’s extremely odd Apple continues to ignore these features when the rest of the industry has used them on nearly every unit for the past few years.

Conclusion:

There’s certainly a lot to like about the iPhone 4, even with its flaws. The speed and high-definition screen are certainly enough to bring many sceptics on board and the HD camera will make some handheld point-and-shoots obsolete.

But who should upgrade?

If you’re an iPhone 3G user ending your original two-year contract, now is the time to buy. The 3G simply can’t keep up with the speed of the iPhone 4, and you’re missing out on a lot of apps and features in the iOS4.0 software – like multitasking.

If you don’t own an iPhone, and are waiting for the “perfect” time to buy, then stop waiting. You’re never going to catch up with each new smartphone being pushed out, and you might as well jump on the latest version while you can.

However, if you own an iPhone 3GS, the unit which released in June last year, there’s really little reason to upgrade. The 3GS can perform all of the iOS4.0 features, and unless you’re dying for an HD camera and FaceTime then you’re probably not in dire need of an upgrade.

Those 3GS users are likely halfway through their 24-month contracts, and only have another year to wait before Apple is likely to unveil the 5th generation iPhone. It’s certainly not worth buying out of a two-year contract when you can get an even more powerful gadget as soon as it’s released in mid-2011.