Apple’s long-awaited iPhone 4 was officially launched in Singapore on 30 July. If you're one the lucky few to have confirmed your reservation, check out my quick rundown on everything you need to know to survive the next few days of iPhone mania. My tips include where you can sell off your existing iPhone at a good price to offset the cost of the new phone. As for those who are keen on getting the phone but haven’t had a confirmed reservation from your telco, I’ll be sharing some other sources to buy the phone. But if you belong to neither camp and left wondering what the hype is all about, I’ve included a snippet of the good and not-so-great stuff I’ve heard about the iPhone 4 here.
Getting the iPhone 4 today
Let’s say you have one more year to go on your iPhone 3GS contract, but still keen to get the iPhone 4 this weekend. It makes sense to consider selling your device to cut down the upfront cost of buying the new phone at the full price. Here are the places you can try.
HardwareZone forums
I’ve read that a user had managed to sell off his iPhone 3GS for $500 at the forum. If you’re keen to offload yours, try putting up a post for sale on the site.
Mobile phone retailers
However, if you’re looking to sell your old iPhone quicker, you can try visiting your nearest mobile phone dealer. Mobilesquare at Far East Plaza, for instance, is offering a $550 trade-in offer for the 3GS. Take note that your phone has to be in working condition, and that the trade-in includes the hands-free set and power adapter as well.
Tip: Before you sell off your iPhone, remember to wipe out all your personal data on the device by doing a factory restore in iTunes.
Other sources
However, unless you have made a successful booking with one of the three telcos, chances of you getting an iPhone 4 from your telco in the next few days is almost zero. Your best bet would be to wait for Apple to sell the phones directly at their online store (without a mobile contract), or wait until the next shipment arrives at your respective telco provider.
Alternatively, you can try looking for an iPhone 4 on eBay or other online marketplace such as the HardwareZone forum, but don't expect to find good deals. Many opportunists will be letting go of their iPhone 4s at ‘black market‘ prices, so expect to pay two to three times the market rate—one local eBay seller was offloading a brand new unit for close to $2,500!
Curb the urge to buy with the iOS 4
Instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for a new iPhone, you could just stick with your existing iPhone for now and still get to enjoy the benefits of the iOS 4, the iPhone's newest operating system. However, do keep in mind that the iOS 4 only works on the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and 3G, and not all of the new features are available for the 3GS and 3G. Most notably, the iPhone 3G is incapable of using the new multitasking feature, and 3G owners will miss out on Bluetooth keyboard support and custom wallpaper. You'll also need the new iPhone 4 to take advantage of FaceTime, the iPhone's new video calling feature. But on the whole, I’d still say it’s a pretty good, not to mention free, offering until you get your hands on the much coveted phone.
Is the iPhone 4 just hype?
Now, if you’re one of those wondering why the iPhone 4 is so highly coveted, here’s a rundown of some of the phone’s new features.
Most reviews of the iPhone 4 attribute the extraordinary battery life of the device as a key reason for those looking to upgrade their older iPhone models. Other key-selling features of the iPhone 4 include the new 5-megapixel camera, which also records videos in 720p resolution, as well as the Retina Display that promises photo-realistic images and text.
Signal drop offs
On the other hand, most of us may also be aware of the huge furore in North America surrounding how iPhone 4 users are experiencing signal drops.
The problem takes place when the user’s hand comes into contact with the rim antenna (on the side of the phone), which in turn affects the phone’s signals. As a short-term solution, Apple is giving away free cover bands (that wraps the sides of the iPhone 4, thus preventing skin contact).
Here’s the interesting bit.
This widespread issue seems to be happening only with the AT&T network in North America. In other countries where the iPhone 4 is also available, notably Europe and Japan, there has been close to zero complaints of the same issue that that the American consumers are facing.
Granted, the iPhone 4’s antenna isn’t perfect but could this be a case of AT&T’s own network issues amplifying the phone’s design flaw?
In any case, local telcos SingTel, StarHub and M1 are taking precautions by bundling their iPhone 4 with the same cover bands.
For more information, refer to my previous articles on the pros and cons of the iPhone 4 as well as the guide on the various price plans offered by our telcos.
So here you go; a quick and dirty guide to everything you need to know to survive the iPhone 4 launch this weekend. If you’ve managed to score a confirmed booking for Apple’s latest phone wonder, have fun and enjoy your new toy. But if you're planning on queuing up at the various SingTel, StarHub and M1 stores in the big and very impossible hope that you will get to buy a unit without a reservation, well, good luck.
Aaron Yip
A self-professed geek, Aaron Yip started out as one of the pioneer editorial staff of Hardware Zone during its early days in 2001, before founding the gaming arm of the media company - GameAxis. He later joined the Microsoft Xbox 360 team as its regional associate product manager. He recently set up a gaming media company that works with secondary schools and polytechnics with the aim to educate and promote the media industry using video games and gadgets as a platform.
|
|
|
|
|
|
