Jonathan Winter's Apple iPhone Review

The Apple iPhone has just been released in America, and I am eager to see whether the device will live up to the media heightened expectations! It has to be said that Apple products do tend to be the leaders in their given markets. And it seems an age ago that Apple were seen as the alternative company that were only used by left-wing liberal men and women who simply purchased Apple computers because they did not wish to conform to society. However times have changed massively since those days, and in the last decade or so Apple have become a massively successful company, creating incredibly innovative and forward thinking products that to be honest leave their competitors eating their dust. I was sceptical I have to say when I found out that Apple were making a phone because it’s a world away from music or computing devices, so I definitely need to be persuaded about its benefits before I contemplate a purchase. The iPhone is essentially marketed as three products in one; a video iPod; a mobile phone; a revolutionary internet communication device.

But in order to analyse this phone I think it is important to realise that it is not just a phone! Despite being called the iPhone it is so much more than just a phone, it is the three aforementioned things all in one. So then, as was done during its official showcasing and launch, let’s have a look at and analyse the three different features of the iPhone. But before doing so it is important to look at the physical features of the device, as it is the linchpin to the whole benefits and workings of it. It has a touch screen which controls everything, and is motion, light and proximity sensitive which alters to suit the situation and position it is being used in/for. Such as turning the display off automatically when you raise it to your ear for a conversation, to save power and so you don’t inadvertently press anything. It only has one button, (sounds incredible doesn’t it), which is a home button taking you back to the home page. The screen, as we all know, is completely touch screen and alters depending on what feature you are using it for, no stylus; you simply use your finger to control everything! Essentially menu and control buttons appear on the screen for the relevant programme/usage you are using it for. It is the same black colour as an iPod and I have to say it looks very sleek and suave, and is a decent size.

Today is the first time that I have ever had a go with an iPhone. I was very excited to have a play around with it, simply because the hype surrounding it has been so incredible…almost megalomanic at times! And then I saw it, I held it in my hands, and to be honest it looks absolutely incredible!! I have seen so many pictures on the internet of the design etc, but nothing can ever compare to actually holding the device for the first time yourself. And boy, it did not disappoint. It is so sleek and sexy with its slim design and black finish, with a more robust plastic coated reverse, which in my opinion the iPod itself needs instead of a metal reverse which stains and smears. And you are first faced with a fantastic main menu, which you get to by pressing the only physical button on the front of the iPhone, below the screen.

I would like to ask any other readers who have used and iPod what their initial opinions are and what they first notice about it too. The first thing that struck me is not the sheer beauty of the device, not the fact that there are no buttons; it is the size of the screen itself. This brings me on to an interesting point, because it is very easy to forget what this product is. Apple call it the iPhone, but it is all too easy to forget that it is an iPod and contained inside is an 8MB internal hard drive. To access the iPod all you need to do is click on a button at the bottom of the main screen, it really is that simple. This on its own is a lot bigger than many mp3 players that are on the market. The iPod management is essentially the same as a standard iPod; however everything is controlled through the touch screen. This makes scrolling through your music an absolute pleasure and a joy, especially when using the cover flow system.

Right then, first things first; this device is essentially the latest and most efficient video iPod. It’s a simple statement but it contains everything that needs to be said. As Apple said, it enables you to “touch your music”. The screen controls everything, and you can flick through your music album art, and you can synchronise it with your iTunes. Also you can watch movies/videos/television programmes on it as it has the best screen yet which is 3.5 inches. It is so clear, and I was to be honest surprised by it! There is also a widescreen mode which it has to said is an excellent feature, especially for watching films! I have to agree with Apple, it really is the latest and best iPod! And if this was a new iPod on its own I would be severely tempted to buy it. It’s the same size as the iPod Nano which can hold 1,000 to 2,000 songs. So then again it’s still a fairly good size, and Apple will no doubt bring out larger memory versions in the future I would expect.

This brings me onto another fantastic element to the iPhone and that is what I can best describe as the motion sensor. I’ll relate this to the iPod function first off. When you are playing a song, and holding the iPhone in a portrait position the album art fills the screen, and obviously when you touch the screen the controls skip forward, pause, back, and volume etc appear. However when you flip the phone and hold it in a landscape position the cover flow system appears on screen, allowing you to simply flip through your albums by the artwork. This differentiation between portrait and landscape also applies to pictures. Once you’ve taken a picture on the excellent 2 mega pixel camera your pictures are thus stored in your pictures folder, which you can of course organise into albums etc. Once in an album you can flip through your pictures by gliding your finger across the screen and also moving the iPhone to a landscape position alters your view of the picture itself. You can also zoom in and out of it by pinching the screen. This nicely brings me onto the pinching ability of the iPhone.

Of course you can use the device for browsing the internet, and this is through the excellent OS X operating system. However when you open a website it is tiny, and if there was small writing on it you would not be able to read it. I thought “hang on a second” when I saw this for the first time! But it turned out to be one of my favourite features. You can then pinch the screen to zoom in so you can read articles or whatever might be on the website of your choice. This is without a doubt excellent as you can view the website itself either as a full page or zoomed in.

This feature is also closely linked to another fantastic ability of the iPhone. On the main page is a direct link to Google Maps, which as we all know is a brilliant piece of software, which can of course be viewed in a road map or satellite format. You can enter a destination and receive directions from your current location; continually updated traffic reports which through a colour coded method highlight busy and quiet routes.

The iPhone is undoubtedly a great product with so many features incredibly packed into one small device. And as is the Apple way, it is all so easy to use and beautifully pleasing to the eye. But despite mentioning all the abilities and revolutionising aspects of the device, it is not these that make the iPhone so appealing. Apple have managed to create an aura and persona about themselves to such an extent that I am not surprised by this phone, I almost expect them to come up with such things. But Apple should be credited for what they have achieved. They have now even dropped Computers from their name. It makes me think that Apple must have one of the largest and most productive research and development departments in the world! Apple do seem to be currently seen as the technological pinnacle, and with products like this it is easy to see why! I love the little touches of an Apple product. Such as for example the un-lock button which is not a key combo as on most phones or a click button as on an iPod, you simply need to run your finger ( you guessed it) across the screen as a sliding button moves across the screen. It’s those little touches and stylish suave sophistication that Apple can seemingly effortlessly create a wonderful, groundbreaking and revolutionary device, which makes it so appealing.

There are that many other fantastic features of the iPhone that it would almost be impossible to scribe them all here without this review turning into a lengthier version of War and Peace. However the main positive points about Apple’s latest product revolve around what the iPhone enables you to do; how it allows you to do it; and the smooth debonair apparel and effortlessness that it manages to do this with.