The Experts Chime In On The iPhone 4

Of course, it will be up to each of us to determine if the iPhone 4 is all that we had expected it to be.  However, the experts are starting to comment themselves and here is a roundup.

The New York Times' David Pogue concludes that:

Now, the iPhone is no longer the undisputed king of app phones. In particular, the technically inclined may find greater flexibility and choice among its Android rivals, like the HTC Incredible and Evo. They’re more complicated, and their app store not as good, but they’re loaded with droolworthy features like turn-by-turn GPS instructions, speech recognition that saves you typing, removable batteries and a choice of cell networks. If what you care about, however, is size and shape, beauty and battery life, polish and pleasure, then the iPhone 4 is calling your name. But you probably didn’t need a review to tell you that.

Walter S. Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal likes the new display and improved camera, but isn't too crazy about the iPhone 4's multitasking compatibilities.  In addition, Mossberg is still concerned about AT&T, broadly declaring that Apple needs a second U.S. carrier:

After years of complaints, Apple finally has brought multitasking to the iPhone. But it has done so in a limited way that won't please everyone. On the iPhone 4, multitasking doesn't mean every app can work fully in the background. To prevent a disastrous drain on battery life, Apple has allowed only certain apps to fully multitask. These include streaming audio services like Pandora, which keep playing music from the Web while you do other things, and voice-prompted navigation apps, which keep working while you're on a call. Others that fully work in the background include Internet calling apps, and those that perform long downloads. The most important downside of the iPhone 4 is that, in the U.S., it's shackled to AT&T, which not only still operates a network that has trouble connecting and maintaining calls in many cities, but now has abandoned unlimited, flat-rate data plans. Apple needs a second network.

The USA Today is digging the new FaceTime feature, HD video and improved battery life.  Still, it complains about Apple's continued decision to not allow users to add to memory or to replace the iPhone 4's battery ourselves:

Buyers won't be disappointed. The killer feature is what Apple calls FaceTime video chat. The promise that you and the person you're talking to on a phone can gaze into each other's eyes dates back to when LBJ occupied the White House. No one has really nailed video calling through the years, at least not the way Apple has nailed it here, with certain limitations. FaceTime is as simple as making a regular call. To help to accomplish this neat stunt, iPhone 4 adds a front-facing camera that complements the more traditional, and improved, camera on the back.

We'll be sure to post other expert snippets as they come in, and of course, are looking for your opinions as well.  Feel free to send us your comments.

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