Now that the iPhone 4 has had some time to circulate around a bit, I thought that I would go over some of the most common complaints about the iPhone 4. Although I am sure that Apple will probably fix most of the bugs in a free software update in a few months, they are still worth mentioning.

Perhaps one of the biggest issues that has been causing a lot of buzz is the antennae issue. The point of having the antenna wrap around the phone was to give users more service and because putting the antenna inside of the phone would mean that the phone would have to be bigger. However, many people are having poor reception issues when they hold the phone by its metal sides in two opposite places. Steve Jobs, who actually knew about the design flaw back in the development phases in 2009, merely told users that this problem is not an iPhone problem, but that the users are at fault. The statement released about this problem suggested that users should not grip the phone by the lower left corner in a way that it covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band.

They suggested that users should use a case and in a press release on July 16th, Apple announced that they would offer a free iPhone bumper in order to solve this problem.  Yes, Apple is offering the more than 3 million people who have already bought the iPhone 4 and new buyers through September 30 free iPhone bumpers. If you have already bought a bumper (valued at $30), you can qualify for a full refund.

Alright so that is the main problem, but it is definitely not the only one. Here are some more examples of the malfunctioning iPhone 4:

• Some users claim that their rear-facing camera does not work at all; the shutter will not even open
• Many have noticed a yellow tint on the iPhone’s display. However, by the looks of it, after a few days of use this should go away because it may have to due with the manufacturing process.
• The iPhone’s case scratches easily– okay, the thing is glass on both sides, what do you really expect from it?

And I’m sure that’s not all…

It is no secret that I am an iPhone fan.  The saddest day of my gadget geek life is when I had to give mine up because AT&T is garbage. Now that I have seen the new iPhone 4, I am tempted to put up with the 20 dropped calls a week.

Every time I watch someone use an iPhone, a little piece of me dies.  I went to the Droid Eris about a year ago, and it is not the same.  The Android software was better than the iPhone software because you could customize the phone in any way you want; however, the hardware couldn’t compare.  I drank the customization Kool-aid happily until last week.

One of my coworkers was playing with his phone, and a small crowd had gathered.  I was intrigued.  As I got closer I could see the screen clarity from 10 feet away.  It made all others look like watching a closed circuit camera television in black and white.  Just seeing the screen took me back to the first time seeing HDTV, it was really that good.

Then I watched him turn on the HD video camera.  He was able to zoom with no noticeable image quality issues.  He then showed me a video of another coworker who was acting a fool not knowing he was being filmed.  He was able to go from camera to video to the album and back to the camera instantly.

And then he turned the phone over to me.  As I was looking at the screen I saw myself on the video.  This is part of the new iPhone 4′s video chat feature.  You can talk to another iPhone 4 user in a web conference.  Very cool feature.

Speaking of multitasking.  There is another major function worth noting.  By clicking the home button again, you bring up a scrolling menu across the bottom of the screen.  Here you see all the apps you had opened from the most recent and on.  It is a cinch to jump from task to task.

AT&T wireless service is terrible, but they do have this going for them.

I have to admit, I still cry at night over the loss of my iPhone.  For the record, I only got rid of it because AT&T is terrible.  We had so many dropped calls, I nicknamed them butter-fingers.  So, reluctantly I went with a Droid Eris.

The Motorola Droid is a better phone but too clumsy-looking for me.  I was pleased from the start with the Droid operating system and its ease of customization.  The Eris, not so much.  The battery life is ridiculous and the system is slow.

However, as of recent a minor step was taken to make it all better for the consumer.  The push of the major software update went through with many cool features and boasting of more efficiency which would boost the battery life.  I was not pleased the night it was downloaded because it dumped all of my contacts.  I have since had better days.

The battery life was a tad bit better.  That is, until I downloaded a Task Manager application that kills all the programs not in use at the moment.  It is easy to access as a shortcut on the home page and my battery life has almost doubled.  Awesome!

After this battery debacle, I am most pleased with the Unlock Security feature standard with the phone.  I know it sounds like I need a real life but hear me out.  Up until this Droid, I have never taken advantage of protecting my phone with any type of password.  All the times in the past that I did attempt it, I became annoyed with it very, very quickly.

Who wants to type a four digit code in every single time they need to use the phone?  Not me.  I would want to make the code challenging and that made the situation even more time consuming.

Droid offers an unlock pattern under SETTINGS, SECURITY, UNLOCK PATTERN.  You get a screen with 12 circles on it.  You then create a pattern using at least four of them.  Now, in only a second I can unlock my phone.  Finally, a security system that is smart!

Yes, it is real. A few weeks ago Apple decided to officially release the details about the iPhone 4. Basic information about the phone had already been leaked a few months ago because Gizmodo had gotten their hands on a iPhone 4 disguised as an older iPhone when an Apple worker left his phone on a stool in a bar, but Apple has now officially begun the ordering process for their new phone.

There are a lot of cool features about the iPhone 4; here are a few of them.

FaceTime: This new iPhone has two cameras. There is one in the front that focuses on you and then one in the back that focuses on everything else. With just a tap, you can switch between the two views and engage yourself in a video chat. Yes, you can now blow someone a kiss goodnight or wave hello.

Multitasking: For the longest time people have been complaining about how you cannot multi-task on my iPod products. I know that I was annoyed when I could not run my Pandora application at the same time as checking my e-mail on my iTouch. Well, Apple has created a method to allow you to multi-task.

Retina Display: This is one of their focus points. They say that they have the sharpest, most vibrant, and highest-resolution phone ever and that the pixel density is so high that the human eye will not be able to distinguish the individual pixels, but critics beg to differ.

Those are some of the main points that Apple focuses, but here are a few more things that stood out to me as I read about Apple’s latest phone.

The iPhone 4 is 4.5 x 2.31 inches, and 0.37 inches thick. It weighs 4.8 ounces (137 grams)– that’s not too bad! It is thinner and it uses a stainless steel rim to act as part of the antenna for the 3G and Wi-Fi. Another major difference is the Apple A4 chip that is inside of the phone. This is the same chip used in the iPad and it consumes less power because its sub-components can be switched on and off when they are not needed.

Here are a few of Apple’s figures:

• Talk over 3G: 7 hours.
• Browsing over 3G: 6 hours.
• Browsing over Wi-Fi: 10 hours.
• Video: 10 hours.
• Music: 40 hours.
• Stand-by: 300 hours.

We’ll see about that…

Saturday night I was pumped to see that Verizon wanted to push an update through my phone.  I have the Droid Eris and from the beginning, they have been talking about this update with many new and improved features.  They delivered on them, but also a bit of a headache as well.

Immediately after the update I noticed all my settings were gone.  Not only that, all of my contacts too.  For the past five or so years, I have had smart phones and compiled lots of info on each contact of mine.  I had business contacts, clients, friends and, of course, family.  All gone.  Thankfully, I was able to retrieve all my family and friends rather quickly through the Facebook linking option and some business associates and clients through the Gmail link.  Grrr!

Thankfully, all my pictures are still intact.  As a father of an infant, I would have choke-slammed someone if those were harmed.  Ok, enough of the bad:

First off, the redesign of the icons is very stylish and appealing.  The home button now will tile each of the seven screens onto one page.  I can quickly navigate to all of my different apps in no time at all.  That is huge for me.

There are many new Android and HTC widgets that you can add and customize.  There are also more shortcuts.  For instance, I can jump right to the camcorder now instead of bringing up my camera and then switching over there.  If that was an option before, it alluded me.

A huge plus is the navigation program now.  Finally, the Eris can take advantage of the GPS and give turn by turn directions to any locale.  I used it to get from a store to my house earlier today.  It was pretty accurate to the foot and each new point loaded quickly.  I was rather impressed with how it switched to Google Street View when I turned onto my road.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any improved efficiency or faster loading of programs and the battery still drains very quickly.  All in all, not bad.

Ever since I made the difficult decision to abandon my iPhone, I have been stuck in search of a good stock tracking application.  Finally, I found one I love with all I need and I even found a way to test my stock buying skills.  Check out Stock Quote and Market Millionare.

I love to dabble in stocks and even co-founded an investment company focused on purchasing stocks.  Just as most of us cannot check the computer all the time, we look to the cell phone.  My iPhone had the best app, which gave me the current stock price, how much my shares gained or lost and the total of my portfolio.  This is a helpful tool unless you are able to remember how much you paid for every share of stock and do math in your head every time the prices changes.

For the life of me, I could not find an app that would give me gains and losses per share.  I have no clue why this is such a tough feature to find.  Until Stock Quote saved the day.  I cannot only gain access to all the info I need, I also am able to load multiple portfolios and track my personal stocks, too.  This is not a glitter app offering fancy graphics, but it is a highly functional and well thought out one.  Make sure to get it for your stock needs.

The next app is merely for fun and a little practice to keep me on my toes.  It is Market Millionare.  This is a game app with real time stock info.  You start with $100,000 in fictional cash and try to build a powerhouse portfolio.  This a perfect tool for those with day trader aspirations.  My strategy always has been long term buys, and I am just starting to look into short term purchases.

I just got the app and set it up and have not actually loaded my picks just yet, but I can’t wait to see how I do and if I am able to beat the market.  See if you can hit a million before me.

I recently saw an iRetrofone priced around $200 and could not help but think that the “phone” was not too appealing. It looks like an old rotary-styled phone, but instead of where the dial is, your iPhone is docked there. It syncs and docks via the same USB cord that you already have and just looks so modern, even though it is supposed to look like it is from last century’s technology. To me it seems a little useless because it is so obvious that it is trying to look retro while looking modern– which just does not work –but it keeps you from being able to move around while you are on the phone.

If you are going to pay for a stationary phone, you might as well buy one that does not make it obvious that it was made less than a year ago, so that the look you are going for is actually going to be effective.

The Port-O-Rotary would be a better choice for you. It is about $50 more than the iRetrohone, but this phone actually looks like an old rotary phone. Developed by SparkFun, this is a Bluetooth Portable Rotary Phone. It has a functional dial, the original ring, and a dial tone. To make things even better, each phone is an original rotary phone (yes, from “way” back then) that has been rigged to become Bluetooth enabled. That being said, you may have some scratches on your rotary phone when it gets shipped to you, but SparkFun likes to call those features “character.”

It works with any cell phone that has a support with Bluetooth hands-free protocol; however, it does have some issues with Blackberry phones like the Storm. How does it work? All you have to do is place your phone near the retro-phone, and the phone will reconnect automatically to your cell phone every time you are within range– you do not have to do a thing after the first installation! The only aspect that you will have to keep up with is making sure that the battery, which can run for 30 hours, stays charged by plugging in via an external jack.

Let’s face it, what is the point in having a smart phone if you can’t have fun?  I have found three games for my Droid ERIS that have kept me very entertained.  Without further delay: The Sims 3, Spades and Frozen Bubble.

The Sims 3 is a fun way to kill some time.  For those not familiar with the Sims, you create a character and live their lives for them.  You get them a job, spouse, and control all aspects of their day.  You tell them when to eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, clean up and everything else.  It is a true test in multi-tasking.

I love the format for the Droid.  My only complaint is whenever you change the scenes or start a new task, you have to wait for the game to load.  This always has been my pet peeve with video games like this.  I feel I lose valuable game time waiting on such loading.

Next there is Spades.  I love Spades, and it is my favorite card game of all time.  The app for the Droid proves to be a good one.  You play against two computer opponents, and your partner is also a computer player.  Each team races to 500 for the victory.

The game play is pretty good and just challenging enough.  Playing computer card games is never as much fun as playing in person.  However, I love this spades game.

Lastly, Frozen Bubbles.  Here you control where to shoot colored bubbles with the trackball or with the touch screen.  The goal is to get three bubbles of the same color to touch, and they will go away.  Eventually, you will clear the entire board and move on to the next level.  Each one starts out differently, and the ceiling actually drops after so many bubbles are played.  Just be sure to clear them all before the bubbles touch the ground.

Yes, three games to help pass the time while you are supposed to be working.

On a recent trip, I learned a new way to turn a frown upside down.  How many times have you arrived at a hotel or friend’s home and not been able to get Internet?  Many cell phones can help with this.

It never fails, you go somewhere new and need your computer for work and are stuck like Chuck.  Most hotels now have Wi-Fi, but not all are free.  Some charge upward of $10 a day for connections.  This is insane.  A quick trick for these hotels before I move on.  Most of the time, the lobbies offer free Wi-Fi.  Go down there and log in and then go back to your room, and you still should be connected.  It is the same router, just a different port.  Usually, you have to re-do this each day.  Still better than $10 per day.

So, this trick doesn’t work, or your friend’s house is a dead zone.  Your cell phone might become your best friend.  There is a way to use your phone as a modem, and it is called tethering.  All the major carriers now offer this feature.  First, do some research into your particular phone and see if it is capable.  Blackberries and Droids have this capability.  But, double-check.

Find the application in the apps store and load this program.  Use the cord that connects your phone to the USB port on your computer.  Run the program and giddy-up, you’re surfing.

Not all phones are able to do this for free.  Sometimes you need to contact  your carrier and get the software from them.  Sometimes, they charge an extra fee.  The only way it would be free is if you have unlimited Internet on your phone.

One word of caution is to ensure your Internet is “unlimited.”  Some carriers advertise unlimited Internet but with fine print.  There is often plenty enough space for most cell phones, but are you ready to go from a few hundred MB’s a month to a few GB’s?  If your carrier has a fine print limit, you will be charged for every KB over, and this could be expensive.

The music lover has just hit the jackpot.  The Droid and Droid Eris have three applications for anyone who loves music.  In this new age of gadgets and gizmos, it is refreshing to have some flexibility for cell phones, especially in the arena of music.

Pandora, Shazam and iMusic are all great apps that can’t be ignored, if you like music.  Each of these is unique and allows for you to enjoy the experience that you always imagined.  For example, have you ever heard a song on the radio and wished you knew who sang it?  I have even called radio stations and walked through some of the lyrics or melody to try and figure it out.

Shazam is the answer to this dilemma.  When you hear a song playing on the radio or wherever you may be, start the program and hold up your phone.  The “Tag Now” feature listens to the song for about 10 seconds and then tells you the artist, song and album.  It is a great program and has known almost every song I tested it on.  I have had fun with people playing music who thought I would never guess who it was.  They would freak when they heard not only the artist but the album, too.

Once you know who is playing your tune, there must be a way to get that song.  iMusic is a great app for that.  Knowing the name of the artist or song, you can search all day.  Most of the songs are free, and you can download them right to your phone.  They are not able to be transferred from your phone, and that is why it is free.

Lastly, when I love an artist I want to hear similar music.  Pandora is the answer.  I can type a band and create a channel.  Pandora searches Internet radio stations for that artist or song and plays songs from artists in the same genre.

These music apps make you feel like you’re in the future.  The only thing better would be all three combined.