After close to a month of waiting, my new iPhone 4 arrived last Friday courtesy of TNT.

I was kind of glad that it turned up on Friday as it gave me something to do on Friday night.  So with the phone at home I backed up my iPhone 3G and then proceeded to wipe it and then gave it to Jade once it had been restored to factory settings (one happy Barbie Doll).  Everything worked with no issues once she plugged in her SIM and she was away loading it up with what I call “Doof Doof Barbie” music

The new phone on the other hand was a different story; the iPhone4 uses a micro-sim, not a full size one, so I would have to wait till tomorrow morning to head to a Vodafone store and get a new SIM accordingly.

The next day I was feeling a bit disappointed that the phone wasn’t already up and running but looking forward to what should be a simple process at Vodafone as the transferred my number to a new SIM.

After arriving at Cairns Central (the closest Vodafone store), we stood in line for about 5 minutes and then the guy behind the counter mentioned that there were a steady stream of people coming in looking for micro-sim’s, and not just for iPhones.  After about another 10 minutes, the new micro-sim was installed and the phone working.

By this time, Matt was getting hungry so we went and had a sandwich in the food court and I started playing around with the phone.

Retina Display:
Asides from the slightly thinner (20%) form factor of the phone, this is probably one of the biggest things about it.  The display is at a higher resolution and it shows hen you place it alongside a 3G or 3GS.  Every thing is so much crisper and easier to read.  Reading text on a phone was never this easy and it’s definitely a major improvement and something that is best seen with a 3GS or iPod Touch beside the iPhone 4 to appreciate.

iPhone4 screen shot

Face Time:
Although I do not know anyone else with an iPhone 4 yet, this has a lot of appeal, although this is restricted to Wi-Fi connections, mobile video conferencing is here and this is something that I’m keen to try out if I can find someone with an iPhone 4 to test it with

Folders:
This was one of the main items in the release of the iOS 4; folders allow you to group your apps together so that you do not have some 5+ pages of apps (and that is conservative with some people).  This was a God send to me as I think I had 5 or 6 pages before it was released.  Folders are supported on the iPhone 3G and 3GS as well.

A4 Processor:
Another move forward with this model of the iPhone is the new Apple A4 processor.  The processor is nice an fast with a noticeable improvement in speed over the iPhone 3G processor whereas the hanging that I experienced with the 3G is no longer an issue. The phone is fast and very responsive to say the least.

16Gb base size for iPhone 4:
This is something that I am glad that Apple realised, the 3G at 8Gb while large quickly approaches capacity once you load your music, apps and photos onto it. Even with all my “stuff” on it, I’ve still got 10Gb free for using the HD video camera module.

HD Video Camera:
This is one of the Major reasons that I purchased the phone, the ability to record HD video is a big one for me.  Several times while out fishing, I’ve wanted to record the scenery and the new iPhone provides this facility for me.  I’ve done some testing but will give it a good run in the boat over the coming days which I am really looking forward to.  Also looking forward to looking at a bracket for the 4WD as well so as we can record some of our trip segments.

Choice of provider:
Buying direct from Apple also afforded me the ability to change providers as and when I choose to do so.  Although it greatly increased my outlay, I am no longer locked into any one provider and I can take the phone to any that I wish or choose to do.  Up here in Far North Queensland, Telstra is pretty much the only provider once you get past Port Douglas, and even then on Vodafone you will lose reception a couple of times on the Bruce Highway.  As Matt and I intend doing some trips to Bathurst Bay, Lakefield National Park and the tip of Cape York in 2015, being able to communicate in an emergency or if you break down is essential.  Coupled with our UHF radio and Telstra we should be as prepared in that regard as we can possibly be.

Overall I’m happy with it and I have not been able to replicate the reception issues that have apparently plagued the iPhone 4 since it’s release despite how much I try.  Still, I’m not complaining at the free case that is on offer as a result either way.