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Wow, I’ve really had a busy week. I haven’t had time to blog at all until now! So here’s a recap of the highlights…

On Tuesday night, my new Verizon iPhone 4 arrived! The box was so crisp and new and perfect. Do you know that Steve Jobs personally helped design the iPhone box, so that when you open it, the top section slides effortlessly apart from the bottom section to reveal the phone? For you iPhone owners out there, you know what I’m talking about.

The phone itself felt slightly larger and possibly a wee bit heavier than my old iPhone 3 (hereafter known as Gerri). The design is beautiful – two sides of glass, held together by the surrounding metal rim/antenna.

My immediate thought was “Eeeeasy, eeeeeeasy there, be careful! BE CAREFUL!” I didn’t purchase a protective case with the phone (I ordered one online the next day, but it hasn’t arrived yet), so I left the temporary protective plastic on the back. Ghetto, I know, but seriously, I drop everything. If my life were a video game, my clumsiness factor would be set to “demigod.”

With the patience of a Venus Fly Trap just waiting to snatch up my new toy, my boyfriend John calmly waited for me to plug the new phone into my mac laptop and begin what he must have envisioned would be a life-altering experience for the both of us. An iPhone 4! Dinner can surely wait!

I was really impressed with not having to physically leave my house to activate the phone – after plugging it in, a prompt screen appeared in iTunes asking for some info for my new Verizon account. In about 17 seconds, I was up and running. Gerri was quietly crying on the other end of the couch, deactivated, cold, and alone. (Dramatic pause).

The other awesome thing about iPhone? The backup. All my stored info, apps, text messages and contacts were already in iTunes, so once I plugged up my new phone, it all transferred in. This process took what seemed like an eternity (1 minute, 38 seconds), but finally, it was ready for John to start messing with.

The first addition John recommended was Google Voice. If anyone out there has a smartphone, but does not yet have GVoice, GET IT. It’s fantastic! And free! It lets you customize your own phone number with any area code in the country (although all the good ones are unavailable).To me, the ability to choose my own number felt like I’d been given temporary superpowers. Imagine the possibilities! I tried all kinds of number combinations – my name spelled out, my dog’s name, my cell phone number with a different area code. Eventually I settled on a Connecticut number that was similar to my own, with an aesthetic ring to it. It had to be easy to say and remember.

Once that excitement had passed, John helped me configure the settings and add credit. International calls with Google Voice are supremely cheap. Like, two-cents-per-minute-to-Australia cheap. I had to call mum and test it out. I put $10 on the account, figuring that should last me a while. Mum answered with her professional work voice, so was totally surprised to hear me on the other end. Up until this point, we were one of those families that would reverse charge the national calling company, and then make an excuse as to why my parents couldn’t accept the call, and hang up. But would then call me back straight away with their cheaper calling card. Now I don’t have to cheat the phone company! Thanks, Google Voice! Talking to mum and dad that night cost me 14 cents. You can’t even buy a lollipop for 14 cents these days! Yes, you heard it first here – Google Voice: Cheaper than lollipops.

Anyway, it’s now Saturday and I’ve been using my iPhone 4 for four days. I absolutely love it, and I’m so glad I made the switch from AT&T to Verizon. I am supremely happy! My reception service has been fantastic, I’ve had no dropped calls, the clarity of voice is great, and most importantly, the phone is lightning fast! When I open an app, it responds immediately! Just last week, I was living in a world where I didn’t think immediate response from an app was even possible. The iPhone 4 camera also takes very crisp pictures, and video! I haven’t tried that out yet (remember, I’ve had a very busy week). Oh, and there’s a new feature called Face Time, which seems cool. I haven’t tried that yet either, but you can basically call a friend (who also has an iPhone 4) and video chat with them. Sweet! The only thing I’m still not sure about is the staying power of the battery. I’m going to have to wait and see how it does over the next few weeks. Oh, and I still haven’t dropped it. Aren’t you proud of me?!

~C