Bluetooth headsets have come a long way since the technology was first introduced. Sound ID is proof of that with the introduction of its Sound ID 510 Bluetooth headset. The 510 has one button functionality, 3X NoiseNavigation (offering noise reduction capabilities with wind reduction) and our favorite feature, the EarPrint iPhone App. With its thin and lightweight design, the Sound ID 510 is easy to bring around with you and is not very clunky when on ear. Sound ID sent us a unit to review, check out our impressions after the jump.

The bluetooth headset itself is just a tad bit longer than 2-inches which makes it noticeable, but not so long that it takes up your face. Weighing in at less than .28 ounces, this bluetooth is very lightweight and easy to wear on your ear without it being annoying. The front of the bluetooth is a glossy black color with a single button and a call status LED. On one side there is the physical on/off switch, which we found to be much more useful than the single button on/off many other bluetooth headsets use. Turning the bluetooth to the other side will reveal the three microphones that are hidden under a metal piece. On the back end of the device there is the microUSB charging port.

There are three different earbud sizes for all different ears and an optional ear loop if that is your cup of tea. We are fans of the ear loop, but there is no problem keeping it in your ear without it.

The sound quality on the Sound ID 510 Bluetooth headset is fantastic. When using the microphone to talk to another party, they have no problem hearing what we are saying even when driving with the windows down. Hearing the other party sounds great through the earbud and there is no issue with volume.

The Sound ID 510 has 3X NoiseNavigation which has the purpose of noise reduction and wind reduction. We tested this feature in a few different loud places and found that it worked as promised. When the NoiseNavigation was turned on, people on the other end said they could hear us fine. When we turned NoiseNavigation off, they said there was much more background noise.

The thing that really makes the Sound ID 510 unique is the EarPrint iPhone App. This app allows iPhone users to make changes easily to their handset like turn on “Environmental Mode” which amplifies sounds around you when not being used in a phone call. It also allows you to check the battery life to see exactly how much battery you have left before the bluetooth is going to die. This app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store for free and automatically finds the bluetooth headset when linked to your phone.

Users can also stream music and audio from their phones to the bluetooth headset. On our iPhone, we tested Pandora and the iPod app which both worked perfectly. We love seeing this feature on a bluetooth headset since it is not as widespread among bluetooth headsets as we’d like.

The Sound ID 510 headset can be paired up to two devices at once. This is useful for those who carry around a personal phone and business phone since you can have them both paired up to one headset.

The Sound ID 510 is available for purchase for $129.99. It is definitely considered a higher end bluetooth device and has the features to back up the high price.

Check out the Sound ID 510 here

Netflix announced the upcoming availability of its iPhone app back in June. Today, the company made the app available to everyone with an iPhone and a iPod Touch. The app is a free download, however it does require a subscription to Netflix to play videos. Videos from customer’s Instant Queue can be streamed right to their device over Wi-Fi or 3G. Check out the full press release after the jump.

Read the full story

Introduction

Is it worth it sometimes to take fashion over business or pleasure? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll be thinking once giving this device a test drive. We’ve had here for a while the Nokia E72 in our labs for a while now and we’ve been diving into it for about a month to finally give you this review. At first when you notice the E72, you automatically think it’s the younger sibling Nokia came out with last year, the E71. In fact, the phone looks pretty much identical to its younger brother/sister (however you want to call it) and to be honest I would take either if I was a business man. This device pretty much follows everything in its younger sibling’s footsteps, except for the minor changes under the hood. Slim, sleek and stylish was their aim once again and they hit this out of the park. Is it enough to get Nokia out of the dark, hit the jump for this review of the Nokia E72.

Hardware/Design

Let’s face it, this phone looks just like a BlackBerry Bold 9700 right? No? Oh, I knew that. As I mentioned before, this phone looks exactly like it’s younger sibling the E71 (which in my opinion is the sexiest device ever made in white, sorry iPhone) and continues its stride as one sexy handset. The form factor might have someone mistake this for a BlackBerry real quick, but the stainless steel battery cover would give it away in an instant. With smooth rounded edges, this device slides very easily into your pocket (skateboard skinny jeans too) and the leather case that is included is not necessary. Holding the phone to text and place calls feels very comfortable with little to no struggle to hold it since its very thin. This device is almost like a tool of art. You can really tell that Nokia wanted to separate themselves from the regular consumer devices they create, hi-end, mid-ranged and basic, to have their business portfolio looking extravagant. This phone was not meant to be purchased by a regular person, not even a gadget-freak, it was made for business and maybe even formal wear. If a BlackBerry ties hand in hand with a business suit, then the E72 might go with a tuxedo, it looks that good. When you want to talk about hi-end business, this is what you look at. Sorry RIM, your BOLD series isn’t cutting it when it is put next to one of these. The only setback I have for this design is the camera. It has a bit of a bump in the back for its placement. Hey Nokia, if RIM can make a device with a smooth backside, so can you.

When you’re looking at the phone, you notice the front is just flushed with the screen, d-pad with shortcut keys and a QWERTY keyboard. The keys under the screen have a nice brushed metal feel to them and it makes the menu, send, end and back keys on a BlackBerry look extremely outdated. The optical trackpad is a little awkward at first. It isn’t as smooth as the trackpad RIM implanted on their newer BlackBerry models, but it does its job. I’d prefer the D-Pad that is surrounding it for everyday use, much more acceptable. There are four shortcut keys placed there as well. You have home, calendar, contacts and the one touch mailbox key which makes getting to your messages even easier. On the left side of the phone you have the charging/usb port covered in a nice plastic material that camouflages nicely with the device, covering the port so dust wouldn’t get trapped. You also have the hot swappable microSD slot as well directly under the charging port covered with that plastic as well. On the right side you have the volume up and down buttons as well as a convenience key in the center of them both that is set to PTT as default. Unfortunately you cannot use the PTT the E72 offers because there isn’t another GSM company in the States that offers the one they use. AT&T uses PTT but on a different technology. Sorry NextelSprint turned GSM clients. The good thing is you can change the option to whatever your desire is for that key. I used it for locking the device when I was done with it for that moment. I’m very prone to making phone calls on mistake so I use that option a lot when given the option no matter what device. The back of the device houses the 5.0 MPX camera and that glossy, stainless steel finished door. If it wasn’t for the etch-a-sketch lines, you can use the backdoor as a mirror. Last but not least, the infamous 3.5 mm headset jack that people secretly want on every device.

Keyboard

After using this as my everyday phone for almost a month, I’m still not used to the new layout of this keyboard. The E71 was a little more easier to type on. The noticeable difference here is the reduced spacebar key. It’s almost half the size as my E71’s keyboard. Look below:

Now you could tell for yourself why I would have trouble typing on this. Nokia tried to cram too much into that little but already perfect space from its previous model. It’s not perfect like the BOLD 9000 or 9700 (whichever you prefer), but its one of the better keyboards out there compared to the other competition. Other than that, as usual it is usually up to the user on how they type and manage the keyboard. Myself for instance, I was banging out only 45 WPM on this device, that is a huge difference from the 75 I put up on my Tour 9630 when I decide to use it. But hey, we all have weaknesses right? Tactile feedback is there as well. The buttons are shaped very nicely and well rounded. The slight bump in the keys makes a big difference as well because it makes you get a feel for the keys a bit more. Bumps are always good right? Overall the keyboard is one of the best out there on the market right now so you shouldn’t have any issues typing on this.

Screen

There’s a 320×240 screen on the E72 and it looks very sharp. It’s not as bright as a BOLD 9700, but it’s very clear and easy on the eyes. Screen real estate isn’t a problem at all as we find it more pleasurable to use than the previous E71. Pictures and video look very detailed and clean. There’s a decent amount of contrast when looking at media, and you’ll especially appreciate the screen during some heavy web browsing. Viewing in the dark is also a pleasure and there is no need for squinting while viewing images or documents on the phone.

OS

Oh Symbian, Symbian, Symbian, when will it ever change? With Symbian’s latest OS, Symbian 9.3 OS with the Series60 3rd Edition FP2 user interface, there’s little to no change at all. Here is a complete rundown of what Symbian 9.3 has to offer:

Symbian OS v9.3 includes:
Improved phone performance
•    Shorter start-up times for phones and key applications
•    Improved memory management resulting in more responsive applications and phone features ensuring smartphones work as quickly with better quality features as mid-range phones
Reduced development and ownership cost, and time to market
•    New development tools
◦    Symbian OS awareness for the Eclipse/CDT IDE framework and Nokia’s Carbide.c++ Development Tools for Symbian OS v9.3 phones
◦    Configuration tools to easily create and customize Symbian OS variants
◦    The Symbian Verification Suite to support compatibility and phone integration for creating Symbian OS variants, reducing time taken to customize phones for operators targeting different market segments
◦    A fully searchable on-line edition of the Symbian OS Library including a significant amount of new content
•    Backwards compatibility from v9.1, easy migration for phone vendors, technology and third party software providers
•    Reference design for Symbian OS v9.3 with Freescale and Nokia S60
•    Hindi and Vietnamese language support for improved market coverage
Support for new hardware
•    Native support for WiFi
•    USB 2.0 on-the-go, allowing faster device connectivity
Support for key operator services and requirements
•    Firmware over the air (FOTA) provisioning, FOTA allows network operators to provide OTA software upgrades or fixes lowering cost of ownership
•    HSDPA support
•    Introduction of IPSec for UMA service (Voice over IP)
•    Improved 3GPP R5 support
•    Native support for Push To Talk
•    Java JSR 248 support

To sum it all up, it features improved memory management, faster boot up time, native support for wifi, native support for USB on-the-go, a reference design for Freescale with S60, HSDPA support and a whole lot of other things. Navigating the OS is really not for the average consumer. It takes getting some used to. Now Nokia fanatics will actually be used to this because they’re already used to the Symbian platform, so they shouldn’t have any issues making the transition whether it’d be from S40 or prior S60 devices. There is no need to fear though, Nokia did the best they can to make the OS as simple as they could for someone who has never owned such a device, and by the looks of it, they pretty much hit it out of the ballpark. The menus are quite easy to navigate through and getting to applications is just two clicks away. You also have the option of setting shortcuts to the programs you use the most on your home-screen, which is six; and then you also have shortcuts to any text messages, voicemails, or e-mails as well to the bottom of the shortcuts. You can change the shortcuts as much as you want, Nokia didn’t want you to think that they were locked there forever (no pun intended iOS 1). Besides all the technical stuff posted above, the OS pretty sleek and quick. Symbian doesn’t require a lot of RAM to move through the menus, so 128MB of RAM is just enough to breeze through. Don’t get confused of the 256MB that’s in there as well, that is just the on board storage space. One great benefit to Symbian that has yet to be seen in other OSes besides Windows Mobile Phone, is the method of storing apps to the memory card (which has yet to be seen on an Android device but that should change with the release of Gingerbread 3.0 and of course the iPhone, well because, the lack of a slot in general) which is great because you don’t have to use up all of the tiny memory the phone already has. The phone ships with a 4GB microSD card but it is upgradable to 16GB, so choose which card you’d like in it. Overall, the OS is snappy in its own kind of way, but it isn’t as easy as using an iPhone or a BlackBerry, and that might drive consumers away other than the outdated look this has. Hmmmmm sounds familiar, right?

e-Mail/Messaging

Nokia takes pride in it’s business devices, let alone their flagship line for them, the E-Series itself. Business is all about connectivity and how are you going to get something over to the next person. The E72 takes that into consideration and offers right off the back the pre-installed Nokia Messaging application. What this does is connect you to which ever e-mails you currently have such as Ovi Mail, IBM Lotus Notes Traveller, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Hotmail etc. Nokia’s Mail for Exchange service is also included in the handset for those who are on an Enterprise server. Using the Nokia Messaging application is just a breeze. To use it, first you have to register a name with Nokia’s server to get the free service and from there you choose which service you want to setup. All it takes is plugging your user name and password and voila! You’re email is setup with no hassles. Now those of you using custom servers, IMAP, POP3 servers would have to plug in your settings manually via the instructions of your provider. Mail for Exchange is almost the same, but have your IT guy at the office set it up for you. Now for those of you using GMail’s exchange server like I am, it does not sync your emails to the device because it is currently not supported. You can sync your calenders and contacts though so that saves you some hassle. I’ll update this when a fix has come out for the email syncing on the device. e-Mail coming into the phone is ‘pushed’ to your device in real-time and notifications are given to you right on the homescreen. From there you can either view it that instant or choose to view later. It doesn’t get easier than that. e-Mail + E72 = Easy Life.

Phone

If it is one thing Nokia knows how to do, that is making great antennas. Phone calls on this device was more than crystal clear. Places where my DROID and 9630 didn’t receive service or had fringe bars, the E72 picked up signal like a champ. I didn’t have any “deathgrip” issues, I was able to hold my phone however I wanted in all types of places. Whatever Apple is doing, they’re doing it wrong and shouting out Nokia by probably using a defective N97 mini is completely uncalled for. Apple should try looking up to these guys for inventing the way a radio should be installed/made on a cell phone. Anyway, phone calls = crystal clear like the guys in red were behind me the whole time (Verizon).. Get it. Verizon. Haha. Forget it lol.

Camera

The Nokia E72 means business even when it comes to imaging. While 5 megapixels are no longer high-end, it’s more than enough for casual use, even for prints. The camera captures photos up to 2592 x 1944 pixels resolution and sports autofocus and an LED flash, which can be used as a video light too. The image quality of the Nokia E72 is among the best 5MP snappers on a business handset I’ve seen (I’ll have to wait for the Torch 9800 to see how that one shoots). Now this isn’t going to replace say a Nikon DSLR type camera or even a Sony Ericsson Cyber-Shot branded cell phone with xenon flash (C902), but it’ll get the job done for quick to shoot photos. The quality is well worth printing for those damn-I-wish-I-had-my-digital-camera-moments people beat themselves for. Look at the examples below.

Battery Life

If you thought the battery life on the E71 was outstanding, then you won’t be disappointed with the E72’s either. The E72 ships with a standard Li-Po 1500 mAh (BP-4L) battery, the same exact battery as the E71. Nokia managed to squeeze an extra 2 more hours of talk time on this device, making it from 10.5 hours of 2G talk time to 12.5. This is most likely due to the upgrade from v9.1 to v9.3, since v9.3 has the better memory management, it handles more usage time. Here’s the official comparison between the two siblings for battery life:

While testing the phone for actual calling, I managed to get 13.1 hours on 2G and 7 even on 3G, bypassing the official specs that Nokia has given us. Standby time is well, just amazing. I managed to get 22 days of battery life without using the phone for anything. No exchange. No personal Gmail. No data. NOTHING. This phone is just too good on battery, it’s way better than the BOLD 9700 when it comes to this. Battery life is just outstanding.

Conclusion

Now its time to decide which phone to get if you are a business user. If it was me, I’d put my money on the E72 hands down just because of the battery life and the extra multimedia functions it has. BlackBerry users have had to wait almost forever to get a 5 MPX camera on their handsets. More positives are the slim and sleek style factor as well as amazing quality build. Just the looks alone might make you want to think twice on a BlackBerry as no one in the industry right now is doing anything to match this powerhouse of a business phone. Great reception, amazing battery life, make-you-look-back-three-times-because-this-phone-is-sexy style, and did I mention it’s pocketable? Yeah, I think my decision is made. This is a sure winner and a great alternative to a BlackBerry. The only reason it isn’t my phone of choice is because the area where I was reviewing the unit from I moved and where I’m located at now there isn’t really good reception for both AT&T and T-Mobile. So how many of you are going to Amazon right now to purchase one unlocked? I would.

Now whether you believe RIM’s official statement or not. The BlackBerry does in fact have the signal drop issue when being held as well. As you can see below, we have shot a video of my personal BlackBerry Bold 9700 in my basement that I use daily running on the superior Rogers Wireless network in Canada. This means that we know it’s not AT&T’s fault and that I guess all phone’s do have some weak spots. So what can you say? I guess Apple was right… or were they? As you can see, the BlackBerry never hit the “no service” message and was still able to send and receive data but it did drop drastically.

Last week Apple issued a statement saying that the reception issue with the iPhone is a software and not a hardware issue. Today Apple released iOS 4.1 to developers which is supposed fix the issue. The first you will notice after upgrading (if you are a developer) will likely be the new coverage bars; they are not a bit taller. MobileCrunch has tested the “death grip” and can confirm that it did not fix the issue with reception. Can this mean a delay in Canada or even a recall?

Agent18 is one of the most famous iPhone cases sold at the Apple store. They are very well known for their original style while keeping the phone protected as well as unique designs for the case. Below are two of the most popular Agent18 cases that are sold for the iPhone 3G/3GS and for those who haven’t upgraded to the iPhone 4 or decided to get the 3GS or kept with your original 3G. These might be the cases for you.

Limited Edition Mix Tape for iPhone

Here we have the Limited Edition Mix Tape case for the iPhone 3G/3GS. This case is an original snap-on case which allows protection from scratches and minor bumps. The case is made from ultra-thin plastic which allows full access to all the ports and includes a screen protector as well as a table stand. The Agent18 Limited Edition Mix Tape case will run you for $29.95.

EcoShield Slider for iPhone

We also have the EcoShield Slider Case for the iPhone 3G/3GS. This case is an original two piece slider case which allows scratches, dings and bumps. The case is made of thick plastic and also has rubber bumpers around the side which allows grip and can withstand quite the drop. Also, the volume and sleep button is covered with rubber which allows buttons to be pressed easily. The Agent18 EcoShield Slider case includes a screen protector and table stand and will cost $34.95.

StandHear

Now additional to the cases that Agent18 design. They also sell the StandHear Travel stand & Headphone Splitter. This product is a very basic stand and headphone splitter unit which allows your iPhone, mp3 or any phone with a 3.5mm headphone jack to split and allow 2 people to listen to music. The stand is layered with rubber to stop the phone or mp3 from sliding off. The Agent18 StandHear will run you a simple $24.95 on the Agent18 website.

More Info

[View with PicLens]

12►

The wait for the iPhone 4 has been excruciating. I’ve have been drooling over this phone since it was first found in a bar and sold to Gizmodo. On June 15, I was able to reserve the 32GB iPhone 4 at our local Apple store. My excitement for June 24 cannot be explained in words.

Jump to June 24th. Nick and I arrived at the Apple store at 6am to get in the reservation line one hour before the store opened. It was obvious that we was not the only one excited by eavesdropping in other line-stander’s conversations. At 7am Apple opened up the doors and by 7:30am we walked out as proud owners of a new iPhone 4. Apple had offered to help set up email and other features, I politely declined as that is the fun part about getting a brand new phone.

Apple Bumper

Upon walking out of the Apple store with my iPhone 4 in hand, the first thing I thought was “I am going to need a case for this”. The phone has a stunning look with its silver bezel and glass front and back; however, it feels that it will get easily damaged if dropped. With a glass front and back, one drop seems like enough to shatter the device and ruin all of the fun to be had. So I purchased the only case available at the Apple store, a Bumper. The iPhone 4 Bumper, a piece of plastic costing you $29, covers the bezel of the phone and leaves the front and back glass open. The Bumper gives the iPhone a good grip as to not drop it out of your hand while playing with it. However, it takes away from the industrial look that Apple is going for. I carry my iPhone in my jeans pocket and the Bumper does not do much to protect the glass from pocket damage. We are actively looking for another third-party iPhone 4 case that we like, but until we find one, the Bumper will do.

Design

On the second day of using the iPhone, I decided that I wanted to show off the beauty of the phone and remove the Bumper. Risking potential damage, I removed the Bumper and used my iPhone 4 in its naked state the entire day. Comparing  it to the iPhone 3GS, there are some major design changes. Apple ditched the plastic back and the shiny metal look. The iPhone 4 has a beautiful glass back that complements the front of the device. The Apple logo is under the glass, so no need to worry about getting it scratched like on the 3GS.  The downside to the glass is that it attracts finger prints like crazy. The sides of the phone are a matte metal that does not look as if it will easily attract scratches, like on the iPhone 3GS. Only time will tell how scratch resistant the matte bezel will be to scratches.

The phone itself is made well and is really sturdy. When holding the phone, there aren’t any spots that feel cheap or can be pressed in like plastic. The glass feels really strong as well. I think the iPhone 4 design looks really slick and clean. The design does leave the phone more vulnerable to damage when dropped, but we think in general it looks much cleaner than previous iPhones.

Display

I instantly noticed how crisp the retina display is on the iPhone 4. Just by looking at the text on the home screen under the icons you will see a major difference from the iPhone 3GS. This retina display is the best screen on any smartphone on the market right now. As expected, photos and videos look superb on this display. All text on the phone just looks so clean and crisp that it actually looks like text on a paper. Even when holding the phone right up to your eye, it is nearly impossible to see any pixels. This is because Apple has included more pixels in the display than are visible to the human eye. I hadn’t really understood how big of a change the retina display was compared to the iPhone 3GS display. If you haven’t yet seen a iPhone 4 and are considering it, I would suggest hitting your local Apple store to see the display in person.

Software

The most important part of our daily use with the iPhone 4 is the software. The device is running iOS 4, the latest software released by Apple for the iPhone. iOS 4 adds a bunch of features that I’ve have been dying for including multitasking, folders, iBooks, home screen wallpaper customization, and a unified inbox. iOS 4 is available for both the iPhone 3G and 3GS as well, however all of the features are not available on the iPhone 3G. After using iOS 4 on the iPhone 4 for about a week, I can say that Apple has really implemented some nice changes the right way. Category folders are fantastic and make it very easy to organize your apps into folders that correspond to the nature of the app. The unified mailbox saves time that would normally be wasted switching between different email accounts. And multitasking is fantastic to use when the app has the API that allows it to run in the background. There has been some debate whether iOS 4 has “real multitasking”, but the way Apple has implemented it saves battery life. Coming from an iPhone 3G, I am thoroughly enjoying all of the features of iOS 4 and how fast it runs on the iPhone 4.

With double the RAM of the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 is a joy to use. Switching between apps is very fast and has almost no lag. Every transition is smooth and fast and every keystroke is instantaneous. For those of us coming from the iPhone 3G, the difference in speed will be very noticeable.

Camera

The iPhone 4 has a 5 megapixel camera. Steve Jobs says that the megapixels aren’t everything, much more goes into the camera than that. I’m going to have to agree after using the iPhone 4 camera and comparing it to other phones with higher megapixel cameras. The test images I took on this device are so clear and crisp that we think it could replace our regular point and shoot. There is a 5x digital zoom that lets you zoom in close on what you are trying to take a photo of. For low light environments, there is a LED flash. Check out a few sample images I took with our iPhone and didn’t retouch at all.

[View with PicLens]

HD Video

Apple boasts about its new HD video recording on the iPhone 4. Gone are the days of carrying around your Flip camera and phone, now you can just carry the iPhone 4. The quality of the video recording is superb and crisp. Even in low light situations, the video camera takes some nice shots for the little device it is. Once you shoot a bunch of video, it is easy to edit it right from the phone with iMovie for iPhone, available in the app store for $4.99. With iMovie you can take different clips, edit them, piece them together, add titles, add music, and much more to make a professional looking video right from your iPhone. Edited videos can be exported to YouTube, Mobile Me, or MMS in medium (640x360), large (960x540), or HD (1280x720) format.

I shot and edited together a quick (took about 10 minutes total) video to showcase how the HD video works:

Battery Life

One of the biggest complaints I had with the iPhone 3G is the battery life. I would have to recharge my phone at least twice a day to keep it working all day long. When I switched over to the iPhone 4, I was surprised at the battery life I was getting out of this device. With pretty heavy use, I would have about 30-40% of battery left. One day of testing yielded 30% of battery remaining after 4 hours, 35 minutes of usage and 13 hours, 31 minutes of standby. Another day of testing yielded 42% of battery remaining after 3 hours, 32 minutes of usage and 12 hours, 57 minutes of standby.

FaceTime

One of the most talked about new features on the iPhone 4 is FaceTime. FaceTime is essentially video calling between two iPhone 4 devices using the front facing camera on the device. Right now FaceTime is only available over Wi-Fi, which is a bit of a downer, but Apple is working with the carriers to get it working over 3G sometime in the future. I’ve done numerous FaceTime calls with friends who purchased the iPhone 4 and I have to say that I’m pleased with the quality of the call. The voice quality improves when switching to FaceTime because the call is transferred from 3G to the Wi-Fi network making it a voIP call.

Conclusion

After one full week of using the iPhone 4, I have to say that I am very happy with the device. I’ve tested a lot of phones for Smartphone Nation and the iPhone 4 really sticks out as one I am going to be happy to use for a long time down the road. With all of the improvements made to the device and the new software update, I believe that this phone is going to be popular among all different types of users, from business users to teenagers. The device is still locked down to AT&T which is the one major thing holding a lot of consumers away from the device, however I personally think this phone warrants a carrier switch if you are aching for the phone.

There has been tons of speculation as to whether Hulu was going to bring its popular episode viewer to the iPhone and iPad. The speculation turned into a reality today as the company announced Hulu Plus, ad-supported subscription based app that will allow users to watch full television episodes right from their iOS 4 device. The downside? The subscription to Hulu Plus will run you $9.99 a month. The company is offering users a chance to request a invite to the service before it is launched here.

Read

Well today was the day…

Thousands of people lined up throughout the country to receive their iPhones at 7 AM sharp.

Cheers erupted as employees turned on the lights (although air conditioning in our Natick, MA store didn’t turn on until 9 AM- and boy, was it hot!!)  and let the first wave of customers with reservations in the door.

After about 5 minutes of trying to sell me on MobileMe (at a discount for iPhone purchasers)  and an AppleCare package (after explaining that the phone was “virtually bulletproof”) I was on my way.

Setup:

Setup was painless- the iPhone was plugged into my laptop and within minutes it was happily chugging away and importing my Gmail account, saved settings, applications, and music without a hitch.

Within minutes, the phone was activated and ready to go!
Hands on so far:

Display: First thing you notice about this phone is the display… and… Wow.  That’s just about all you can say.  The new high-density display allows for amazing color reproduction and seemless text rendering.  Truly spectacular- especially for apps that take advantage of the upgraded display.

Sound: Speakers are nice and loud and the noise cancelling microphone at the top of the handset does a fantastic job of keeping your conversation between you and the caller- not you, the caller, and all the ambient noise around you.  Speaker phone reproduces sounds pretty well, no tinniness to speak of.

Calls and Reception: AT&T limits what the iPhone can do call-wise but in general, I’ve noticed a better signal in most of the areas I frequent. I normally have 3-4 bars on 3G in the Boston area, today I had 4-5 bars of 3G and no drops to EDGE even while driving through Weston and Sudbury, MA where coverage is notoriously scarce.  Interestingly enough- I noticed the previously reported problem of signal bars dropping when the phone was held a certain way.  It wasn’t an issue when I had a full 5 bar signal (rare on AT&T) however the display showed a drop when I had 3 bars (down to two, then one).  Interestingly enough, I did not have any call quality changes or drops so maybe it’s true that this is simply a software issue with the signal display and not an actual hardware problem.

FaceTime: Wow- good stuff!  SmartPhoneNation blog owner Justin and I held a FaceTime chat for about 35 minutes.  During that time, video froze only once and only for a few seconds.  The transition to video is seemless and slick- Apple thought this out and they planned it out well.  After the call, battery life had only declined by about 10% on my unit- remarkable considering the data and hardware orchestration necessary to transmit video and data on a phone.

Battery Life: Battery life is amazing.  The 3GS was getting slammed for reports of iOS4 destroying what little battery life the phone had left.  The iPhone 4 rectifies that issue in testing so far- the only downside is the phone can get warm while in use (like all svelte Apple products) but not uncomfortably so.  We attribute this to the huge battery and simple physics.

Apps: I’ve had about 9 app updates (out of the 64 I have on the iPhone) which have allowed for backgrounding and/or optimized the app for the new display or cameras.  Some products (grr Navigon!) haven’t updated yet but I’m sure iOS4 compatible updates will be shipping app-store wide soon.

Form: Apple has been known for its avant-garde approach to design and had taken heat in the last year or so for not really “breaking the mold” with the 3GS (in terms of departure from the 3G, or even the 2G for that matter).  The new iPhone 4 will put these statements to rest as Apple has, once again, revolutionized the market with a beautiful, solidly designed phone.  This thing just FEELS solid- you feel comfortable going without one of Apple’s “bumper” cases (a “value” for “only” $29.99)  and the new oil-resistant glass on both sides gives the phone a sleek, slick look that’ll fit in anywhere.
All in all, it’s a great phone and it’ll be interesting to see where AT&T and Apple go with the hardware and software (especially FaceTime)

Reports from all over the web are hinting at some troubling new developments as we approach the official iPhone 4 release date of June 24th, 2010.
Bloggers on DailyTech, MacRumors, and Gizmodo (links below) are reporting that some users who have received their iPhones early have noticed a yellow discoloration at the bottom right and left hand corners of the vaunted “Retina” display.

Given the fanfare and promotion of the high-tech screens, Apple could be in trouble if many of the initial release iPhone 4′s have this discoloration problem- especially due to the current supply issues with the iPhone 4.

If you’ve got a discolored iPhone 4, let us know in the comments and good luck- you could be waiting a few days before there are enough phones to exchange yours under warranty.

In addition, iPhone 3GS users- including this author- have noticed a DRAMATIC drop in battery life while using the iPhone 3GS with the new iOS4 software.  Our own testing indicates a 25-35% drop in battery life using the new software with our iPhones.  Couple this with some added sluggishness (a result of the 3GS’ weaker processor as compared to the iPhone 4′s A4 processor)  and Apple might have to hurriedly push out a 4.1 update in order to rectify these issues.

UPDATE: See picture at the top of this article and Andrew’s post here: (http://smartphonenation.com/2010/06/apple-responds-to-iphone-4-reception-issue/)

Links:

http://www.dailytech.com/Early+Adopter+Woes+iPhone+4+Customers+Reporting+Yellowish+Displays/article18828.htm

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/23/some-iphone-4s-experiencing-display-discoloration/

http://gizmodo.com/5571143/some-iphone-4-screens-have-yellow-bands-and-spots

(Photo credit: Gizmodo)