Apple iPhone 4 review

But it’s the camera that really impresses. Upped from three megapixels to five this time around, and including touchscreen focus too, it produces crisp, colourful and remarkably detailed shots. It still won’t replace a proper compact camera, but as smartphone cameras go, this is one of the best out there. Plus, it’s accompanied by a small, single LED flash.

There’s even an HD video camera mode that records footage in 720p resolution – an impressive feat in its own right in a smartphone this slim. Alas, quality is not as good as with stills. Shakes of the hand introduce an annoying blurring and wobbling to footage, which also tends to look washed out.

It’s no substitute for a Flip mino HD or Creative Vado HD, but download the iMovie app for £2.99 and it really comes into its own, allowing you to trim and splice clips and photos together to create surprisingly good-looking results.

Problems and conclusion
There aren’t many areas in which we could criticise the iPhone 4. As usual, Apple has got the design spot on, and we think that most people will find the new handset even more lustworthy than before. But it’s worth pointing out a couple of minor issues.

First, after prolonged use, we found the top right rear of the phone got uncomfortably warm – not great news for those who use their iPhones to play games. Second, we also noticed that at mid brightness, the top right corner of the screen on our review model looked a little duller than the rest of it. Other iPhone 4s we’ve seen haven’t exhibited the problem, though, so we’re hoping it’s a one-off.

And, finally, an iPhone 4 review wouldn’t be complete without addressing the well-publicised signal drop problem. As many users worldwide have reported, gripping the phone in a certain way causes the strength of signal to fall markedly. We have managed to replicate the problem, but to do so we had to grip it so hard, and in such an awkward manner, that it wasn’t a problem for us.

Either way, we wouldn’t say that any of these issues were big enough to get in the way of a recommendation. The Apple iPhone 4 offers the best combination of design, performance and software on the smartphone market right now, and it backs this up with the best selection of apps on any smartphone platform too. It has better battery life than its main rival too. The only big fly in the ointment is the price; but for those who can afford it and want the very best, it’s worth it.
Price when reviewed: £186 (£219 inc VAT)