Yes, I gave in and upgraded my iPhone to the new model. I wanted to wait for the white version, but the iOS 4 upgrade was not making my 3G deadly slow and crash frequently. I suspected an OS upgrade was coming to fix it (and it came out last week), but there were enough other reasons to upgrade that I talked myself into it. And talking me into new tech isn’t that hard.

I’ve had it for about three weeks now, and yes, I love it. For me, it’s a big upgrade over the 3G, and it’s a good companion for the mobile networker.

Battery Life

This was the first big “Wow!” for me. I hadn’t realized how much I had stopped doing on my old phone because of the battery life. I could barely go all day on a charge, and if I had an evening event, there was no way I’d make it all day. The iPhone 4 goes all day with no problems. In fact, I’ve been charging it about every other day. I’d stopped checking Twitter and Facebook on the go to save power, and I don’t need to do that anymore.

I haven’t put it through a full grueling day of leaving home before 7:00 AM and getting back after 9:00 PM yet, but from what I’ve seen, it’ll handle that with no problem. I needed a supplemental battery for the 3G, and I don’t think I’ll need one for the 4.

Screen Display

I’m still in awe of the Retina display. I never thought my old phone had a pixelated display, but the difference between the two is huge. A couple of apps haven’t been updated to take advantage of the new display, and I’ve stopped using them because they look so horrible.

Here’s a screen shot of an app that hasn’t been updated. See how blobby the text looks?

Now here’s one from an updated app. The text is so sharp it almost looks like it would cut you.

And honestly, those shots don’t quite do the screen justice. You have to see them on a phone to really see the difference.

Does the better screen really make me more effective as a networker? Probably not, but I spend a lot of time reading e-books, and the new display makes it easier on the eyes.

Camera

The 3G couldn’t take video and didn’t have auto focus. The lack of auto focus meant I couldn’t use one of my new favorite apps: World Card Mobile. I’ll be doing a complete review of this app soon, but right now I’ll just say that I can take a picture of a business card, and the app scans, OCRs and then creates a Contacts entry for me. It’s very accurate. Because I don’t use Outlook, traditional business card scanners are useless to me because I have no way to sync the information to my phone. World Card Mobile costs $5.99, and it’s great. Everyone who sees me use it goes “Cool!”

So, ironically, it’s the camera which has made the biggest productivity difference for me. Entering business cards by hand was time consuming. Now it’s a snap (if you’ll pardon the pun).

I think taking video will end up being helpful. I’ve been wanting to get some video testimonials, and the phone will make getting those easy.

Face Time

I figured someone would ask about it if I didn’t mention it. It was one of the most-touted features of the iPhone 4, and I’ve got to admit I’ve not used it yet. I can see benefit to it, but first I need to find someone to use it with. Any volunteers?

Multitasking

I like it, but it’s not as great as some people think. I do like that e-book apps don’t have to reload a book, which make some of them load faster. And it’s sometimes nice to fast switch between certain apps. So I use it, but I don’t rely on it. I don’t think I use the right apps to take full advantage of it. (In other words, I’m not a big gamer on my iPhone. That’s what my Nintendo DS is for.)

Conclusion

Was it a “Must Have” upgrade? Probably not. But I do love scanning cards, and the display and battery life are incredible. I like not needing to hoard my battery on long days. It’s faster than my old 3G, and it’s definitely more reliable under iOS 4. So, I’m happy I upgraded, but if you’re happy with your 3G or 3GS, it’s hardly an “Upgrade or Die!” situation.

Anyone else want to brag about your iPhone 4?