At the start of summer, geeks stock up on sunscreen and mentally prepare for the annual reboot of a phone they either love, or love to hate -- Apple's iPhone. Wisely, Apple hasn't sought to reinvent the wheel with the iPhone 4, but its sleek new look, handful of exciting new hardware features, and refreshed software has still managed to make us fall in love once more.
But the iPhone 4 will leave a substantial dent in your wallet. If you buy it directly from Apple, SIM-free and unlocked for use on any network, the iPhone 4 will cost £499 for the 16GB version and £599 for the 32GB version. It's also available from free on a £45-a-month contract. You can find the best deal for you by checking cnet.co.uk price-comparison article.
Glass and steel
The previous iPhone reboot, the iPhone 3GS, kept the same appearance as its predecessor, the iPhone 3G. This time, it's a whole new ball game, with the curved back of previous iPhones replaced by a flat, glass rear.
Apple says that glass is more resistant to scratches than plastic, but we've smashed enough screens to think that this change could be a boon to case manufacturers. For the first time, Apple is even flogging a case when you buy the phone from the online Apple store -- it's a 'bumper' that surrounds the edges of the phones with rubber.
Despite its flat front and back, and a case that's only 9mm thick, the iPhone 4 feels surprisingly solid and sturdy. But it doesn't feel as thin as it really is -- considering that it's the thinnest smart phone out there, it feels much like the 3GS, which is about 3mm thicker at its widest point, but rounded so it's thinner at the very edges. That's not to say that the iPhone 4 feels chunky -- it just doesn't feel as wafer-thin as we expected.
Appearance is always a matter of taste. Some may adore the iPhone 4's more industrial appearance, but others will prefer the rounded curves of the older models. We fall into the latter camp. Maybe that's just because we miss spinning the 3GS on its back when we're bored.