Apple iPhone Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design

Alfredo Padilla
Published on June 29, 2007 Comment on this

Front

The iPhone's front side is dominated by a large 3.5-inch screen. Beneath the screen is a single button that is used to return to the home screen. Above the screen is a slot for the phone's speaker. The front panel of the iPhone is made of optical glass, which proves to be something of a fingerprint magnet.

Left

There is a silent/ringer switch on the iPhone's top left side. Just below it is a volume rocker switch.

Top

On the top is a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the left and the power button on the right. Between the two is the sim tray, protected by a hard plastic cover. The 3.5mm headphone socket is somewhat recessed - some headphones with large plastic plug heads might not fit into it.

Bottom

On the bottom is the dock connector that is used for data and charging. This is the same type that's on recent iPods, so at least some of the acessories designed for iPods should work with the iPhone. Flanking it are the loudspeaker (on the left) and microphone (on the right).

Right

The right side of the iPhone doesn't have any buttons or controls.

Back

The lens for the 2-megapixel camera is at the top left of the back side. The Apple logo sits in the middle of the back. The black cover at the bottom covers the battery, but it is not removable; when the battery starts to get old and loses its ability to hold a charge, you have to send it back to Apple to be exhanged.

Battery Out
Unlike most phones the iPhone doesn't allow you to easily remove and replace the battery. This means that you won't be able to carry around an additional battery, we'll see later in the review if this will be problematic.

In the Box (6.0)
As well as the iPhone itself, you get a cute pair of headphones (with a very small microphone built into the cable), a USB cable, a small iPod-style dock and the rather adorable little charger. The charger looks like a MacBook charger that's shrunk in the wash, and the USB cable plugs directly into this, so you don't need to take two cables with you on the road. There's also a short how-to document (called Finger Tips) that shows the basic operations of the phone, and a nice little cleaning cloth. The latter is pretty necessary as the screen is a fingerprint magnet.

Handling (8.0)
At 2.4 inches wide, 4.5 inches tall and 0.455 inches thick, the iPhone is deceptively large. But it's a dense little thing, weighing in at a hefty 5.12 ounces. This is on the heavy side; the LG Prada is 3.1 ounces and is much more compact at 2.12 inches wide, 3.88 inches tall, and 0.48 inches thick. Basically, if you're looking for the smallest and lightest touch screen phone out there, the iPhone isn't it; that's the LG Prada.
But despite being a little on the big side, the iPhone handles well; it fits confortably into the hand, and the volume controls fall under the index finger when you are on a call. However, we do worry that it might weigh you down in a long call.

Portability (7.5)
Although the iPhone is heavy, it's the perfect shape to fit into a shirt pocket. It might be too big to fit into a tight pair of pants, though; it's just too big to be comfortable in your most stylish jeans. The smaller LG Prada might be a better pick if you're looking for a phone that you can take partying in a small handbag.

Aesthetics (9.5)
It's not a phrase we use very often, but the iPhone is sex on a stick. The exterior is sleek and stylish, without the distractions that mar other phones. The LG Prada, for instance, has a number of small buttons on the bottom of the front, but the iPhone has just one button that's cleverly integrated into the front panel itself; you don't notice it until you press it. The whole thing is a beautiful piece of design; the sort of thing that Apple does so well. Put it next to a more clumsily designed phone like the Treo 750 and you'll see what some good industrial design can do for a product.

Durability (8.0)
The iPhone feels like a solidly built product; the case is tough and feels like it should stand up well to knocks and bangs. How well the glass screen holds up is another issue. Although Apple claims it is optical glass, we'll have to wait and see how it stands up to rough use.

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