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What to say? Apple makes brilliant and beautiful phones. Without a doubt, the new iteration is an improvement on its predecessor in terms of processing power, the responsiveness of the screen and the pixel quality, among other things. The new camera snaps crisp images and records HD video and a second camera faces forward, enabling two-way video chat over services such as Skype.

The downsides, however, are pretty familiar. The much publicized antenna problems, which require an external "bumper" case around the edges, are not going to affect you more often than your wireless provider's network will, but it's still an unsettling gaffe. Without the bumper, the phone also feels kind of awkward, with a hard-edged brushed steel side that I've seen unsettle several iPhone users.

Also without a doubt, this phone is nowhere near as revolutionary as the original iPhone, which left other handset makers scrambling to catch up. One annoying thing is that there's nothing besides the touch-screen to navigate except for the "return to homescreen" button, just like before. Where are the cool "back one screen," home, and menu buttons common to other touchscreen phones like HTC or Samsung? I may want to go back one page without tapping the screen several times.

The new iPhone is great, don't get me wrong, but it no longer deserves to be the reference point for all new smart phones - many of which, when considering bang for their buck, are better.

Is the iPhone 4 worth $200 more than other smart phones? Maybe, if it eliminates the need for a good MP3 player (which is does) and you use all of its admittedly very cool features and specs. But it's no longer the lone standout for students looking for a serious smart phone.

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