iPhone 4 review: Faster, sleaker iPhone is latest masterpiece from Apple
Price depends on contract, from £499 unlocked
The fourth generation of Apple's iPhone instantly feels more solid and well built than anything else on the market, with its toughened glass case only broken up by a metal frame that acts as the phone's antenna.
However, the real advance is the high resolution screen - switch the phone on and it's almost disconcerting at first, with text looking as though its printed on screen rather than the normal, slightly blocky displays we are used to. When viewing web pages, even small text is sharp and readable, and electronic books from Apple's iBooks software look superb, making this the first phone you really could imagine reading a novel on.
The iPhone is also far faster than previous version, with a new version of Apple's iOS software allowing you to easily switch between apps, and neatly organise them into folders.
The two biggest flaws of the previous iPhone, battery life and the camera, have also been addressed. Battery life has got a 40% boost, and it makes a massive difference - heavy users can now get through a day without having to rely on backup batteries, while normal users will be able to go a couple of days between charges.
The new five megapixel camera and flash produce great images, and for the average user the iPhone 4 can finally replace your digital camera.
Video is also hugely impressive, and the HD video can even be edited on the handset with surprisingly good results. Both also look great when played back on the iPhone 4's new screen.
FaceTime, which allows you to make video calls to other users is also a new addition, and works surprisingly well, although both parties need an iPhone 4 and a wifi connection (Although Apple has pledged to make FaceTime an open standard so all devices and computers can use it). Standard call quality has also been improved thanks to a second microphone that cancels out background noise, and reception is a lot better than previous iPhones thanks to the handset's new design.
The iPhone was already a great mobile phone, but this new version really is the best mobile on the market, and by a quite considerable margin.
