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iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get?
Hoo boy. This is a tough one, isn't it? In our years at Engadget, we've rarely seen such deafening debate and adulation for a pair of devices. In one corner we have the iPhone 4, coming off a few relatively easy rounds atop the smartphone mind share heap. However, the Droid and its ilk have weakened Apple's spot, and here comes the HTC EVO 4G in for the kill, sporting a larger screen, 4G data, and all manner of HTC sexy. If the devices themselves weren't enough, the debate has turned into something larger and metaphorical, with Apple representing tight restrictions and a singular top down vision, while Google's Android stands for something perhaps a bit more haphazard but democratizing. The gloves come off after the break.
Apple releases iPhone user guide for iOS 4
Apple has released the iPhone user guide for iOS 4 software. It's a 17MB, 244 page PDF designed to walk you through everything from syncing to using the default apps. The 28 chapters cover the Phone, Mail, Safari, iPod, Messages (SMS/MMS), Calendar, Photos, Camera, YouTube, Stocks, Maps, Weather, Voice Memos, Notes, Clock, Calculator, Settings, the iTunes Store, Compass, Contacts, Nike + iPod, iBooks, and Accessibility ... whew. The book includes tips specific to the iPhone 4, but it also includes tips for the 3GS and 3G. When a section of the manual is only applicable to a certain device, it is noted at the beginning of the section. As usual, the iPhone iOS 4 user guide is well-done. If you've been using an iPhone for any length of time, you've probably figured out most of this stuff already. It's a good resource for new users, though. There is a whole section of Apple manuals for various devices including the iPod and iPad. [via AppAdvice]
First impressions of iPhone 4
For those of you whose preordered iPhone 4 arrived early, just realize that the rest of us were jealous ... incredibly, incredibly jealous. It's one thing to hear it from Walt Mossberg and David Pogue, but seeing countless others rave about the iPhone at about the same time made me that much more anxious to get my hands on the iPhone 4. Was it worth it to get in line at the Apple store at 3:45am with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning? In a word, yes.
iPhone 4: Kelly's first 24 hours
I was one of those who had a new iPhone 4 magically appear yesterday, so I've had over 24 hours with mine to touch it and love it and name it George. Here are my first impressions: New screen: The slightly slimmer case is nice. I really thought I'd dislike the square edges, but they aren't bothering me at all. I promise, nobody is more surprised than I am. It's slick. I know people say that as a colorful expression, but I mean the textbook definition of slick. If I'm using my laptop and sitting on the couch, I generally connect my phone and set it on the arm of the couch. I won't be doing that anymore! All it did last night was slide off into my lap. New camera: I came from a 3G, so I just got the (official) ability to shoot video on my phone, not to mention the zoom and focus options. Getting the light will probably turn out to be awesome as well, but suddenly the sun decided to make an appearance in Oregon, so I haven't had a chance to really try it out. (Did I mention the screen? I hope so. It's a beaut!)
TUAW's Daily App: Twitterrific (and others!)
Ok, so we're kind of cheating with this one; you probably already know about Twitterrific, if you don't actually have it installed on your iPhone. But we're using our daily app spotlight today to point out that the folks at Iconfactory have released version 3.0 of the popular Twitter client. Along with making the app universal (which means it now works on both iPhone and iPad), they've updated the interface and code for iOS 4. That means that it's not only purdier, but it's faster and works with in-app switching as well. Twitterrific is a free app, with a US$4.99 in-app purchase to remove the ads and manage more Twitter accounts. That's not enough? Alright, we'll throw in a few more upgrades. Smule's popular I Am T-Pain app has also upgraded for iOS 4, making it not only ready for the Retina Display but also adding the ability to share auto-tuned videos on a few popular social networks. That one's on sale for only 99 cents right now, too. Finally, ngmoco has released Eliminate: GunRange, an iOS 4-specific app that makes use of both the gyroscope and the premium Retina Display in the new iPhone. It's just 99 cents, too. While it's just a shooting gallery, it'll be a nice demonstration of the new hardware's capabilities if you're into the firearm range thing. So, there you go -- three brand new apps to fire up on your new iPhone 4.
First day thoughts on iPhone 4
The day has finally come. After 2 1/2 hours in the reserved line, I was able to walk out with the iPhone 4 up and running, albeit without contacts, music, videos or my app collection. Getting it home and synced was uneventful. iTunes detected the new phone and dutifully restored everything. A couple of reminders, however: First, some passwords won't survive the sync. I had to sign on to Pandora again, enter my email passwords once more, and tell my Navigon app that I did indeed purchase traffic and panorama view maps. Tapping their icons re-loaded them, but the panorama maps don't display properly just yet, while the regular 2D and 3D maps work just fine. Hopefully this will be part of a Navigon update that includes multitasking. Oh, and your Bluetooth devices will have to be re-paired as well. Speed increases are pretty obvious and very welcome. I could easily discern the extra speed in bringing up web pages, long playlists and even the address book.
Okay, you've got an iPhone 4 -- now what?
Whether you were lucky enough to score an early delivery, blazed through a pre-order reservation line, or camped out all night, you're going to want to take full advantage of your hard-won new iPhone 4 once you get it home. As we said in our review, the core experience of using an iPhone hasn't changed too dramatically with iOS 4 and the new hardware -- it's instead been refined and extended with some new capabilities. That means you'll need to poke around a little and download some updated apps to really see all the benefits -- there's some fun stuff to uncover. So without further ado, let's run down the list of things to try and do with your new iPhone, as well as highlight some essential apps that'll let you get the most out of your new toy. Read on!
FaceTime is a tiny bit awkward, but a whole lot of fun
I wound up taking two FaceTime calls today, but a third failed. First up was our old friend Nik Fletcher from way across the ocean in the UK. I was shocked at the excellent quality of the call and the video. It was definitely nicer than a standard webcam. To be clear, I'm not a huge fan of this concept. By that I mean that I still see social hurdles to this technology being widely adapted. If you've ever made faces while talking to someone on the phone, you'll know what I mean. Plus, having to hold the phone out in the air was a little tiring, but I'm sure the accessory market will create scads of "solutions" to this problem. Drew Olanoff and I chatted next, and I did seem to notice a slight lag in the call. I noticed my Wi-Fi dip a bit as I moved about, but honestly I don't know what caused that. Still, the conversation flowed and was mostly natural, as though we really were face-to-face. My brother and I tried to connect, but he was supposedly logged in to a secure network and couldn't engage the FaceTime button, nor could he take my request. [Commenters suggest he may not have enabled FaceTime on his phone.] As you can see from the pics, FaceTime is a clean and simple interface. There's a button to change cameras (now also in the Camera app), allowing you to give a virtual tour, or a peek at someone's crotch. (Thanks, Drew.) There's also a mute button for the speaker on your end. To begin a FaceTime call, you just click on the button that says "FaceTime" and wait for the other person to accept the request. Like Skype, you have to accept the request to video chat. Oh, and don't forget this is Wi-Fi-only for now, but we're told that will probably change someday. The future is ... soon!
iMovie for iPhone 4 is now available
iMovie for iPhone 4 arrived on the App Store tonight, just hours before the official 7:00am launch of the iPhone 4. As promised during the WWDC keynote, the iMovie app brings the ability to edit and share videos directly to the iPhone. From transitions to titles, to adding background music to your clips, iMovie promises to offer powerful editing features that you don't typically find on a mobile device. Along with the release of the app, Apple has posted a list of frequently asked questions, as well as instructions for exporting videos from iMovie. Curiously, while the instructions detail how to export your videos in full HD (at a resolution of 720p), the summary at the top of the page suggests that your video will be scaled down to 568x320 if uploaded to YouTube, MobileMe, or sent via e-mail from the phone. A third support document posted this evening further confirms this to be the case. Since I'm not one of the lucky customers who already have their iPhone 4 in hand, I can't directly test this, but it seems that Apple has spelled it out pretty clearly in their support pages. While this won't be a deal breaker for everyone, I'm sure that many HD aficionados out there will be longing for the ability to directly upload HD video to YouTube from their phones. As it stands now, you would have to sync the video to your computer, and then upload it from there for maximum quality. It is worth noting, however, that this limitation only applies to using the sharing functionality in the Camera Roll on your iPhone; any third-party apps that can upload video should be able to take advantage of the full resolution copy. So aside from the resizing, iMovie for iPhone 4 looks promising. And at US$4.99, it is an inexpensive way to extend the video capabilities of your phone, allowing you to quickly create and share movies of friends, family, or special events while on the go. If you're picking up a new iPhone tomorrow, this is definitely something to check out.
Evernote launches in Japan, updated for iOS 4.0
Mac & iPhone-friendly memory service Evernote has announced this morning that it's launching in Japan -- a new subsidiary called Evernote Japan will be headquartered in Tokyo. While a Japanese version of Evernote launched a while ago, it's become the company's second largest market, taking up fifteen percent of the daily traffic on the service. What this means for non-Japanese users is that the main app will now also support Japanese character recognition -- while handwritten characters still probably won't work with the service, we're told, printed Japanese characters can be read by the app from photographs and scans. Additionally, the iOS 4.0 version of Evernote already came out on the App Store, featuring multitasking support, as well as improved synchronization. Both the iPad and iPhone versions of Evernote are free, of course, and you can sign up for the service on their website. Sounds like things are growing in leaps and bounds for the folks over at Evernote.
Folders in iOS 4 bring harmony to my app organization
Not long ago I talked about Starting from zero on the iPhone home screen, where I took everything off the first page of my iPhone screen (except for the camera). With the release of iOS 4, I've been able to do something I like even better: one page for everything... well, almost everything. Let me first explain what isn't on the home screen, and why. There are some apps that I can't delete but never use; I put them into a folder called "Never" on the second page. There is also a folder called "Seldom" for apps that I want to have on the iPhone but almost never use. Examples: apps that are there only to deliver push notifications such as myPhoneDesktop, or some type of functionality like TextExpander touch (I don't use TE directly, but I use some apps which have integrated TextExpander's SDK). All of that is tucked neatly away where I don't ever really have to see it except for when I install a new application. Read on for more...
iPhone sync problems after iTunes update traced to leftover plugin
In case you are on the road to an iOS 4 update (and be careful), you might want to double check your work. Remember, first you have to update iTunes to 9.2, which will then allow you to download the iOS 4 update. After I updated iTunes, I went in to make some changes to what I had synced and take off some podcasts that I don't listen to and video I don't really watch. After making changes and clicking apply, I got this error: "iPhone cannot be synced. A duplicate filename was specified." A bit of searching found other people having this issue, and the clear explanation at Apple Toolbox saved the day. As it turns out, the culprit is iToner from Ambrosia Software. I used it once a long time ago, and then I deleted the application without using my handy dandy AppZapper. As a result, it left behind a little file in my iTunes Plug-ins folder that I didn't realize was there. I removed the file, and as if by magic, everything started working again. However, if FedEx isn't lying and my iPhone actually does show up tomorrow, it was a bit silly of me to jump through all of these hoops to run iOS 4 on my 3G ... for one day.
Twitter for iPhone now ready for iOS 4 multitasking
The official Twitter app is keeping up with the times by rolling out iOS 4 support in its latest build. With the program now able to run in the background, you'll finally be able to send tweets while switching in and out of other applications. It also means you won't have to relaunch the app every time you want to check up on the latest happenings, it'll just keep your place like a good and loyal piece of software. Retina Display-friendly graphics are also part of the new package, along with "more secure" tweeting, if you ever felt insecure about the integrity of you shorthand missives. All it's missing now are the millions of "sent from my iPhone 4" messages, a gap we're sure you'll be filling pronto.
PwnageTool 4.0 hacktivation is go for iOS 4
You waited patiently for the Dev-Team to pull together all the developer betas and now it's time for your reward: PwnageTool 4.0 has been released. The latest hack from team jailbreak works with previously jailbroken iPhone 3GS devices with the old bootrom, all iPhone 3G models, and yes, the second generation iPod touch too. It doesn't work with the original iPhone and other iPod touch models and, as always, there are plenty of caveats and bold print warnings to heed. But if you manage to weave your way into a jailbroken device (as we did with our iOS 4 iPhone 3G using redsn0w) then the latest copy of ultrasn0w will now unlock all basebands released since 04.26.08, including the updated version found in iOS 4. So get cracking kids, and remember, buckle up, back up, and be safe. Update: 4.01 has already been released to fix an iBook issue.
Reminder: Save your mobile authenticator serial number before you upgrade your iPhone
If you're using a mobile authenticator on any kind of phone or mobile device, it's important to remember that it's fairly easy to ensure that you can use it again quickly after the phone gets any sort of update or patch. All you need to do is write down the serial number of the authenticator application you have on your phone. This way, if you need to deauthorize for any reason (or an update causes any issues) you can do so quickly and easily at battle.net without having to wait for a phone service call or what have you. This is particularly important for those folks getting the latest iPhone OS, iOS 4. If the upgrade goes haywire for any reason, you'll likely lose all your data off the phone; including the authenticator serial number. This means if you're going to upgrade your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad to iOS 4, you must write down your authenticator serial number to be safe.
First iPhone 4 units being delivered
Aw, suki suki now! Looks like we've got our first iPhone 4 delivery here in the US, a full 24 hours before the first batch is supposed to land. The best news isn't that throngs of pre-orderers are seeing their units "out for delivery" today, but that this Mac Rumors user was able to activate his unit already in seamless fashion. 'Course, we highly doubt it'll be so easy for everyone else crashing the servers tomorrow and Thursday, but there it is. So, anyone else seeing their iPhone 4 marked as "out for delivery?" Or better still, "in hand?" Give us a shout in comments below. [Thanks, Anonymous] Update: We've moved the FedEx image past the break, as one lucky Mac Rumors member already has his in hand. And so it begins. [Thanks, Adam] Update 2: A reader has sent us over the above picture of his own brand new iPhone 4, which has only just arrived. [Thanks, Mark!]
International keyboard changes in iOS 4
This week we're exploring iOS 4 for hidden gems. We received two tips this morning about international keyboards that were both useful and fun. The first makes switching between keyboards much easier. To enable international keyboards, select Keyboards from the general settings. Tap International Keyboards and then Add New Keyboard. Once you've made your selection, you'll notice a globe icon next to your keyboard's spacebar. In iPhone OS 3.1.3, you could tap that icon to switch from one keyboard to the next. It was kind of a hassle for those with several keyboards enabled. The iPad introduced a popup menu to the globe icon with OS 3.2 (at right), which the iPhone inherited with iOS 4.0. Now you can simply press and hold to get a list of all enabled keyboards and make your selection. The other tip is about kaomoji, those pesky little "face letters" that the kids are so into. iOS 4 has made them even easier to use. With a Japanese keyboard enabled, hit the "123" button and you'll see an emoticons key in the corner. Tap it to bring up a list of options. There's a screenshot of this after the break. Enjoy! [Thanks, Bryan!]
Google Apps phone-lock issues with iOS 4
In a strange twist with what appears to be a security issue, users of Google Apps who set up their accounts using the Microsoft Exchange settings (aka ActiveSync) may find that their iPhones have been set to auto-lock in one minute. I confirmed this after reading a comment from TUAW reader BigB who mentioned it in another post. Apparently this is due to the security certificates that Google uses with its Exchange servers. The servers can force security options on compatible devices, which your iPhone becomes once it is running iOS 4. To be clear: if you have a regular Gmail account and set it up using Exchange, this auto-lock requirement will not be triggered. But if you use Google Apps for your personal domain, it may. Also: Google Apps users have also reported problems setting up their iOS 4 devices. Mine kept telling me that the server (m.google.com) was unable to be verified even if you followed the instructions. Since I knew my information was correct, I went ahead and saved it. Email began syncing not long afterwards, but apparently the issue is still cropping up intermittently for some users.
iOS 4 privacy policy updated: Apple can anonymously collect location data, you can take away iAds' cookies
It may not be a big deal -- Android's done it for years -- but some will no doubt be interested to learn that Apple can monitor your GPS. In the latest revision of its privacy policy, presumably updated for iOS 4, it revealed the company can anonymously track the "real-time geographic location" of devices and is free to share that data with "partners and licensees" as well. In a nutshell, that means Cupertino could potentially sell location data, but don't get in a tiff just yet -- the company says it will do so anonymously and for location-based services only. Speaking of sales and personally identifiable data, another addition to iOS 4 is the ad network iAd, which monitors your browsing habits and interests and serves up targeted advertisements respectively. According to the updated privacy policy, however, you don't need to let the OS do that. Simply navigate to http://oo.apple.com to shut down automated cookie collection, and you'll see boring, generic ads instead.
Poll: is iOS 4 causing you grief?
To say our tip box has been inundated with reports of iOS 4 issues today would be something of an understatement. So far, those on staff seem to be running cool (with the exception of some slow down on our gold build downloads), but obviously you're a larger sample size with so far widely disparate reports. So tell us, is iOS 4 causing you grief? If so, how? (Note: if you're having multiple problems, pick what you'd consider most troublesome.) %Poll-48372%
