I have had my iphone 4 for a while now, and after recent events I thought I would review it. I have the 16 gb version which I received as an upgrade from my contract, but there are other memory sizes available.

**Setting up and style**
The phone is very easy to set up it only takes the matter of minutes, and I found that synching it with iTunes was the best option as I was able to keep all my appointments, contacts and other important information without having to write it all down. I am useless with technology, but I found it easy to do with my phone being ready to use within 20 minutes. In the box you receive the usual phone, usb connector, ear phones and instructions. The main difference for me between the iphones is the appearance. The iphone 4 is slimmer, but actually feels bigger, and I believe this is because it is a little heavier due to the silver trimming that surrounds the phone. It is very stylish, looks amazing and it feels a lot better built. The style seems to be a lot squarer rather than curved, and this again makes the phone feel a little bigger. Once you have set the phone up you will notice the difference in the screen resolution straight away. It is clear cut, crisp and just amazing to look at it actually makes me wonder how I ever managed with the more grainy version of the previous iphone 3gs.On first glance all of the previous features from my iphone 3gs are still visible, plus the added extra of a front facing camera.

**Calls and texts**
I find this phone is fantastic in both calling and texting. It has the same messaging system as my previous phone, so rather than having to go into each message, whole conversations are stored in the same place very conveniently. When I receive a text it pops up on the screen to alert me, meaning I can glimpse at the text to see if it is important. The onscreen keyboard is extremely easy to use, and even with larger fingers it is perfectly usable. I love the way the conversations are all stored in one place, it makes it so much more convenient to use quickly which is always a plus for me. If you wish to write a message to someone you have not done so before, with a simple click of the new button on the right hand corner this is also very easy to do.

Calling is also a breeze on this phone it does have video calling, but to be honest I have never used this, as it just does not appeal to me I prefer to use my laptop. Usual voice calls can be prompted by pressing the green phone button on the front of the phone. This then brings up a number of options including the phonebook, recent calls and voicemail. The on screen keypad is again very easy to use, and with a few pushes of the buttons I find that it is very easy to call anyone, by using my phonebook or dialling the number in. I find that the call quality is fantastic, and have never had any problems not even after my phone received water damage. Despite a lot of complaint about the reception on this phone I can honestly say I have never had a problem with it. I live in a small village with most of my previous phones needing to be dangled out of a window to pick up any signal at all. With this phone I have no problem I am able to call from anywhere in my house, with both myself and the person on the other end hearing every word perfectly.

**Camera**
With this phone you actually have two cameras one at the back, and one on the front of the phone. The general camera is 5 megapixels, but apparently there are extra sensitive light sensors that make this camera even higher quality. I have to say again this is a huge improvement from my iPhone 3gs as the pictures are so much clearer, not as grainy and with the flash option on this phone it can be used in a number of light settings. There is also a record function on this camera which is also of very high quality, with sound and picture quality being really clear. It is not all great sometimes there is a strange light that sits in the middle of a photo which can be very annoying if you only have one chance to take the picture, but as this does not happen too often, so is not too bad. It is amazing how much the quality has improved on this camera with just a few extra megapixels the pictures are clear, crisp, and I no longer worry about taking my camera out with me.

**Apps**
As always there are a huge amount of apps available to download to this phone. What I find is that they seem to run a lot better on the iphone 4, and even with the usual apps running in the background it really has improved in performance. You can press the homepage button twice, and it will bring up a list of all the apps that are running in the background, acting as a quick fire way of reaching your most used apps. You can also store them all in different folders which I find de clutters my home page making it easier and quicker to find what it is I am looking for without trailing through all of the apps on my phone. As the screen resolution is better on this phone it also makes it more enjoyable to use the apps. The games are clearer, it is easier to shop online to get a true feel of what the product looks like, and I find the kindle app is a whole lot better just because of the higher resolution of the screen.

**Battery**
The battery life is one of the main improvement areas in my opinion. If you read my review on the iphone 3gs this was my biggest complaint, as I found myself having to charge it every few hours just for the usual day to day use. This phone seems to last a lot longer, although I still need to charge it each day it is a huge improvement. I find it charges up quickly, and the battery lasts a lot longer through the day meaning I do not have to have my phone on charge each time I enter my house. Of course it does wear down a lot quicker if you are constantly using apps, watching TV or surfing the internet a lot, but for the usual use of phone calls it is a huge improvement.

**Internet**
On other smart phones I find that the internet can be a pain to use. I have previously found to type, and navigate the web is extremely difficult on a phone, so I usually stay clear. However, this phone is amazing in this department. I am able to do just about anything I like with no problems at all. The touch screen keyboard is extremely easy to use, and the pages load just as quickly as my laptop. As the screen is a fair size there is no problem viewing content on this phone, and it is perfect for watching catch up TV, general browsing or even rating on review sites. There is a definite improvement with this phone compared to my last iphone with the pages loading faster, and as the screen resolution is greater it is perfect for viewing just about anything. I have always been able to connect to the internet perfectly both wifi and the inbuilt phone internet.

**Durability**
The reason I decided to write this review is because of recent events. While searching for my phone everywhere I was unable to find it. My children often use my phone to play on the apps so I assumed it was hiding in their toy box. As I went to do the washing up I found my beloved phone sitting in the water. I could have cried, so I found myself searching the internet to find ways to try and dry it out. It was suggested to put it in a bag of rice, and place it above a heater somewhere which I did and hoped for the best. After two days I took the phone plugged it in to the charger, and found that it began to charge. I was sure there would be some lasting damage, but when I turned the phone on it was perfect. I have continued using this phone for a few months since the accident, and I have not found one single problem with it. The screen is just as clear as ever, the speakers are still fully working, and everything works perfectly. In day to day use it receives a beating from my children.

They are all under five but know how to use the phone better than I do, even my two year old son knows how to operate YouTube and the apps. This means it has been dropped a number of times, the water incident and just general rough play. The phone has managed to cope with all of this, and is still in perfect working order. Another thing to note is my previous iphone is scratched more than a kittens scratching post. It looks terrible although it does not affect use it just does not look very attractive. This screen is made from glass, and seems to defend itself from the scratches a lot better. Don't get me wrong it is not invincible, but I find the screen is in much better condition than my previous phone.

**Summary**

There is so much to do on this phone that it really is wasted on me. I am not one for technology at all, but the simple to use features on this phone have actually drawn me in a little. I can use it to call and text with no problems at all, but the other features are also very easy to use without needing to read the instructions. The main features I use are calling, texting, organiser and some apps. There is so much more available including a built in iPod, face time, and a huge amount of possibilities if you are looking for something different. I love this phone as although it has every feature under the sun, but I can still use it without any problems.

It is very simple to call text or even read a book! I have found it to be a big improvement from my previous iphone 3gs with features like the camera, and battery being majorly improved. It is practical enough to use in day to day use, but would also appeal to someone who would make full use of all the features available. I received mine on contract, but searching Google it is available for anywhere between £200 -£300 brand new so do shop around to get a deal. Of course the Iphone 5 has just been released, and it has some great features, but there is still life in the Iphone 4 yet.