iReview the iPhone 4

Well, I've had my iPhone 4 for two weeks now, and in that time I've finally been able to form an opinion of the device. That's right, I said iPhone 4 - *not* 4S. What do you think, I'm made of money or something? The two iPhone 4s were pricey enough as it is.

So allow me to begin by saying that overall I LOVE my phone. Really though, I might not be a good person to ask. It is, after all, my first smart phone. I've never had a data plan or 3G availability before, so it could be that I'm merely smitten with having the Web at my fingertips whenever I want it.

I'm proud to say, however, that I have not gone apeshit buying apps. As a matter of fact I have spent less that $5 on apps and am quite pleased with the results. I do have my eye on an additional $2.99 app but I've been biding my time in case the urge passes.

So what apps are my faves so far? Glad you asked. First, there's the addictive doodle game Draw Something (see attached screenshot), which has proven to be not only fun but very easy as well. Admittedly, it would be MUCH easier on an iPad instead.

Another game followed me from Facebook--Words with Friends. I find social online gaming in general a lot easier to keep up with now that I'm always "jacked in."

In addition to gaming, there's my newly expanded presence in the world of social media now that I'm constantly plugged in to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram and my newest obsession, Foursquare. (I have four mayorships already)

And believe it or not, I purchased my first electronic book in the iTunes store. It was the complete writings of H.P. Lovecraft--EVERYTHING--short stories, novellas, poetry, essays--for $5.99. Hard to pass up and even harder to not enjoy, even on my tiny iPhone screen. I've been reading one short story every night before bed. I even took back a library book without cracking the cover.

Anyway, I can now say that I understand the appeal of ebooks, and I will likely purchase an e-reader at some point in the future.

Drawbacks? The battery life sucks, BIG TIME. I'm accustomed to going three to four days without requiring a charge. Now it's daily. Of course, previously my phone was just a phone and texting tool. Now it's damn near a new appendage. I guess the drain on the battery should be expected when you use your phone as much as I have been.

Another gripe? This one's a legitimate complaint: The vibrate function is barely worthwhile. Most times it might as well be nonexistent because you can't feel it anyway.

So while I don't like not being able to tell if I'm getting notifications on silent mode or being tethered to my charging cable (or not being able to utilize perfectly good generic charging cables that worked just fine with my iPod--Apple bastards), I am certainly impressed overall. This phone has easily changed my life.

For the better? We'll see. By the way, this is the first post which I blogged entirely from my iPhone.

--------5/22/2012--------
UPDATE!!! See some of my most cherished drawings from my turns at DRAW SOMETHING in my Facebook photo album located here. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll likely scratch your head. But you'll definitely laugh, or at least snicker to yourself quietly.