Reviews

The independent and nonprofit magazine Consumer Reports sent some mixed signals after testing the iPhone 4. Reception issues resulting from touching the lower left corner of the device have been verified in Consumer Reports' labs. First the bad news. The magazine said it "can't recommend" the iPhone 4 due to the problem, which they cited as a design flaw in the external antenna.

When held so that a gap between the two antennas is covered the signal drops up to 20dB, which Consumer Reports explains is "enough to drop a call." Reception problems were improved with the addition of non-conductive tape to the affected corner of the iPhone 4, which prevents the metal from coming in contact with the user's hand.

Did you know that 80% of all iPhone failures are due to accidents? The problem is that most mobile carriers will not cover a smartphone like the Apple iPhone under typical insurance contracts.

SquareTrade, a licensed insurance provider, offers the only iPhone protection that fully covers accidents from handling. The company has been in business since 1999 and has sold over one million iPhone warranties.

According to SquareTrade, "drops, spills, water damage, battery failures or any other failures from normal use or accidental damage" are all covered under their plans. This is the key difference between SquareTrade's insurance and other coverage options such as AppleCare.

Don't Drop That iPhone

Your iPhone comes with 90 days of technical support and a one year warranty from Apple, and many users have extended this coverage to two years with AppleCare. Unfortunately, if your iPhone is dropped and damaged or accidentally gets wet, Apple will not cover the repair.

The Core Cases aluminum slider is a sharp looking hard case for the iPhone 3G. Although the product is a little expensive, it's made of aluminum for strength and low weight. After using the Core Case for seven months, here are some observations.

When the aluminum slider case (brushed black) first came out of the box, I was impressed. Unlike some other hard cases, there's an EVA foam layer on the inside to protect the plastic back of the iPhone 3G from scratches. Installation was easy, just place the phone in the back, and slide the front down until the side tabs click into place.

ZAGG is now offering Z.buds on their website at a discount. Buy one get one half price! Not only that, in the time since we reviewed the Z.buds on this site, ZAGG has introduced two new nylon cord colors, yellow and pink.

ZAGG is offering the discounted price until February 28th... but wait, there's more. Ordering two pairs ($79.99 + $39.99) makes your order with ZAGG over $100, so they throw in a FREE USB dual car charger!

All products from ZAGGaudio come with a 45 day money-back guarantee, and ZAGG's lifetime trade-in guarantee. If your Z.buds should ever fail you, ZAGG will replace them for a $20 deductible that covers diagnostics, repair/replacement, disposal, processing, and shipping and handling.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that the iPhone is capable of producing quality audio. If you're going to spend money on accessories, a headphone upgrade is essential. The stock earbuds are functional, but let's face the facts. The white plastic earbuds that everyone wears don't sound that great. They're not very comfortable to wear for long periods, and the cord gets tangled after two seconds in a jacket pocket. Getting a pair of Z.buds is like getting a whole new iPhone. Let me tell you why.