With Apple finally launching its much anticipated iPhone 4 device today, V3.co.uk has managed to get its hands on one to see what all the fuss is about.

Pulling the iPhone 4 out of the box, the first thing that struck us was how different it looked from its predecessors. It was much boxier and felt like it had lost a bit of the sex appeal that the original iPhone had with its curvy back.

Secondly, despite Apple claiming that it is the thinnest iPhone yet, the device looked bulky. The difference in thickness is pretty much negligible when you contrast the 3GS and iPhone 4 side by side.

The smartphone does feel sturdy and is certainly well crafted, with stainless steel edges and scratch resistant glass on the front and back. However, it remains a fragile device and a protective cover is likely to be an essential purchase.

Starting up was a bit of a problem. Putting our micro-SIM in was a little bit fiddly. We had to upgrade to the latest version of iTunes before we could do anything, and then were prompted to download the latest version of Mac OS. This severely delayed the setup time and was quite frustrating.

However, any users who have the latest version of iTunes will be able to get going with the device in literally two seconds.

Disappointingly there were no pre-loaded apps when we started up the phone other than the traditional YouTube and iTunes ones. Facebook, Twitter and other popular applications needed to be downloaded individually. With phones such as the HTC Wildfire able to sync social accounts from first-use, Apple seems to be missing a trick here.

Feature wise, the Retina display is bright and the quality is crystal clear, justifying Apple's hype. Watching videos is very enjoyable and the resolution more than makes up for the small screen (when you are able to watch it).

The camera has been boosted to 5-megapixels and now includes an LED flash. However, when we tested it out in the office, the picture quality was inconsistent. Pictures were particularly grainy when we zoomed in on objects.

Interestingly, the quality of pictures taken with the front-facing camera was better.

Internet browsing was quick, but there doesn't seem to be any major overhaul of the Safari browser. The device was running on Vodafone's network and it ran quickly and consistently when using 3G.

Multitasking was very useful and is enabled by double tapping the home-button to cycle between apps.

V3.co.uk will post a full review of the iPhone 4 shortly.

Author: Khidr Suleman

24 Jun 2010