iPhone 4: I’m keeping it!

So, I’ve had the new iPhone for a few weeks now. It replaced my BlackBerry, which I’d grown to both love and hate.

After a thorough trial, and all of the updates Apple made from the original “iPhone OS” (which I didn’t like) and the present “iOS 4.0.1“… I’ve deemed the platform “bearable for those with high technical demands”. For example: the “unified inbox” brings us one step closer to enterprise level email. Also, iPhone OS 3’s introduction of “Microsoft Exchange support” allows instant-push GMail in a native, “MobileMe”-like manner for users… for users without the need for MobileMe.

The biggest thing about the iPhone is that there’s very little to hate about it. It’s so well-designed, beautiful, brilliant, and fashionably advanced that even the smallest things I don’t like about it……. don’t really matter as much. The inferiority of the BlackBerry platform really drove me crazy over the smallest issues. Apple seems to get it right the first time… just while releasing new features more slowly. They listen to their users and focus on perfection. Slowly.

And, let’s not forget that it’s also a fantastic iPod. Hopefully we’ll be able to stream our music from the “iTunes cloud” within the next 12-months.

My one wish: a today screen, or something. I don’t have any reception issues because I have a case, but instead what bugs me is the lack of information displayed while the phone is in its “locked” state. I realize this has its security benefits, but I would like to see calendar items or at least owner information in the event my phone is lost and the discoverer wants to return it.

In the meantime, I’ve designed a custom “wallpaper” for my phone, which is shown above, since iOS 4 allows a separate wallpaper for locked and unlocked states. It has my personal information and an alternate number to call… in case my phone is misplaced. I hope that Apple will eventually come up with a more elegant solution!

Favorite features of iPhone 4:

• Voice commands (“Play album: OK Computer”, “Call [someone’s name]” … no setup required); works great with a headset or earphones that have a mic/button!
• iPod built-in
• Great battery life!
• The form-factor of the phone is fantastic and has a very industrial look/feel
• 720p video-recording + excellent still camera
• FaceTime doesn’t use any cellphone minutes
• Full Safari web-browser!
• Skype is awesome on this phone, especially the new version they launched last night. (Just needs video calling now.)
• The games are fantastic. I have SimCity and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars… whoa!

Overall, great phone. I hope everyone upgrades!

iPhone 4 “bumper” cases suck; buy this instead!

So, as you know, I’m experimenting with an iPhone 4 opposed to my BlackBerry right now. I think I’m going to keep it. One of the things I dreaded was buying one of the overpriced “iPhone cases” that every third-party is making huge money from. Prices average $20-30…. for plastic, perhaps with a bit of “soft-touch coating”.

I purchased a green “bumper” case from the Apple Store (for a whopping $29), and was pretty disappointed. The case was discolored by my jeans within days, and had stretched out to not fit the phone anymore from removing and reinstalling it a few times. See… to plug into my car (or a Zipcar)… the case must be removed. It reintroduces the problem with the original iPhone: recessed headphone jack. That’s right, Apple’s bumper case only supports Apple-sanctioned dock and headphone connectors. Forget most third-parties unless it’s “Made for iPhone” … which my car isn’t.

So, after my “Incipio Feather Case” arrived, I returned the bumper to the Apple Store for a full refund. Nice. The Feather case is beautiful, and fits the phone very well. No bulk, not as much drop protection, but offers great scratch protection. Also, the texture of it is fantastic. Not a huge fan of the Incipio logo, but the case is black and it doesn’t show much. I will say: I’ve heard online that the “lightly” colored cases (pink/baby blue/etc.) will discolor in a way similar to Apple’s bumper case. I recommend purchasing a darker color. Amazon has many colors for sale.

Also recommended: Cheap iPhone car chargers… like $5 on Amazon. BlackBerry stuff is even cheaper… like $4 for an OEM wall charger, vs. $30 at the AT&T Store.