iOS Devices

Walt Mossberg reviews the iPhone 4. He had some calling issues in New York City (shocker) but otherwise seems smitten.

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USA today says of the iPhone 4:

THE BOTTOM LINE: 3 1/2 (out of four) stars. As with previous iPhones, the latest model breaks new ground. FaceTime video calling on the iPhone 4 is one of those cool “seeing is believing” features, and it arrives on top of several across-the-board enhancements. And iOS 4 is a mostly terrific software upgrade.Cutting through the hype, Apple has given longtime diehards, and first-time iPhone owners, plenty to cheer about.

Pro. FaceTime video calling. Handsome thin design. Better battery life. High-definition video recording. Supersharp display. Multitasking, folders and other enhancements through iOS 4. Generally good voice quality.

Con. Battery can’t be removed. Memory can’t be expanded. No support for Adobe Flash video sites. For FaceTime to work, both parties need to be using the new iPhone and have Wi-Fi access. Occasional dropped calls.

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/30317506001?isVid=1

Up first: Engadget, who conclude:

We’re not going to beat around the bush — in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package. Yes, there are still pain points that we want to see Apple fix, and yes, there are some amazing alternatives to the iPhone 4 out there. But when it comes to the total package — fit and finish in both software and hardware, performance, app selection, and all of the little details that make a device like this what it is — we think it’s the cream of the current crop. We won’t argue that a lot of this is a matter of taste — some people will just prefer the way Android or Symbian works to the iPhone, and others will be on the lookout for a hardware keyboard or a particular asset that the iPhone 4 lacks — but in terms of the total picture, it’s tough to deny that Apple has moved one step past the competition with this phone. Of course, in the hyper-accelerated smartphone market where the Next Big Thing seems to always be just around the corner, it’s anyone’s guess how long they keep that edge.

http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/9c9c1a2e

We’re not expecting an official Gizmodo version, are you?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNGj9oNWrlw&w=700&h=525]

Uh oh FedEx.  Looks like those early deliveries weren’t planned after all.  According to an Apple Rep, who was called by an ‘early receiver’, the iPhone delivery was a mistake.  Some people are able to activate their iPhone 4s, others may not be able to.  Could AT&T/Apple have shut down the activations servers until tomorrow?  

Why not get a jump on all of the excitement and give your activation servers some load testing? 

Sadly, ours is still in Alaska.  More unboxings below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06gQgVAibkA&w=700&h=400]

You might want to take a look at this video (Flash challenged here).  Seems some relatively common tasks slow down dramatically.  Would speed hits plus relatively few enhancements in iOS 4 for 3G owners cause any of you to hang back on 3.1.3?…if you haven’t updated  already? via DF

Update: We’re hearing in the comments that people are seeing same speed on their 4.0 builds as the faster build in the video.  Weird.

http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377

Looks like someone forgot to tell Walmart about the white iPhone manufacturing delays.  The discount chain says they’ll be in stock on the 24th according to BGR. We’ll believe when we see.

We, along with Techcrunch, have been getting reports that iPhone 4s are already out on the FedEx trucks being delivered as we speak.  Some users even claim to already be unboxing theirs.  Walmart got theirs today, so why shouldn’t everyone else?

Anyone else out there have some good news to share?

Update: here’s one lucky fellow….btw, we hate you.  Another delivery below:

iPad sales seem to be accelerating after the international releases which include nine more countries next month.  From two million in under 60 days, Apple just sold another million in three weeks according to todays press release (below).  

Steve Jobs commented on the magic,

Just like the years of on-off whisperings which came before the launch of the iPad, Wall Street chatterers are focused once again on Apple’s fairly imminent move to offer the iPhone via Verizon in the US — will Sprint come too?

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Confusion really is a terrible thing. Trying to make decisions is hard when you can

Apple kept background wallpapers off of the iPhone 3G because it just didn’t work well enough.

No, this isn

One of the bigger new additions iOS 4 is iAds, and as of today, they are now in place on some apps.   A big concern is how much information can Apple and its partners collect about us and are we comfortable with that?.  Rather than offer an opinion, we’re just going to link to Apple’s newly updated privacy statement and show you where you can opt-out.

Some of the new bits:

Location-Based Services

To provide location-based services on Apple products, Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device. This location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services. For example, we may share geographic location with application providers when you opt in to their location services.

Some location-based services offered by Apple, such as the MobileMe