iPhone 4: Best cell phone ever?

If the reams of ecstatic reviews are to be believed, Apple has achieved something special with the iPhone 4. Is there another side to the story?

One of the first customers to score an iPhone 4 emerges from the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York today.
(Image credit: Getty)

Hoards of Apple fans are lining up today in hopes of purchasing the newly released iPhone 4. Marketed as the world's thinnest smartphone, the latest iteration of Apple's blockbuster device boasts a faster processor, two cameras (one front-facing for video calls), high definition video recording capabilities and a much sharper display. With the tech blogosphere emitting a chorus of oohs and ahs, exclusive carrier AT&T says it has received 10 times as many pre-orders for this model as it did for the iPhone 3GS. Does the iPhone 4 set a new standard for smartphones? (Watch the crowds of customers outside the 5th Avenue Apple store)

It's head and shoulders above the competition: "The iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market," says Joshua Topolsky in Engadget. Its "combination of gorgeous new hardware," an "amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package." Of course, "the hyper-accelerated smartphone market" means "the Next Big Thing" is likely just around the corner. But for now, iPhone 4 is the cream of the crop.

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