iPhone 4 Lens Replacement

In the week I went without a case for my new iPhone 4, I had managed to acquire quite a few scratches on the camera lens. It had gotten to the point where the picture quality was drastically affected, so I went in search of a solution. I found the best fix to this problem was to order a new lens online (for about three or four dollars), which I got within a few days directly from Hong Kong.

The installation was very simple, just remove the two screws at the bottom of the phone, slide the back cover off, and pop out the lens. Then put the new one in place and put the cover back on. This was a lot easier and less expensive than having Apple do it, not to mention more fun.

(The old lens)

iPhone 4: Introduction

After owning the Apple iPhone 4 for about three months, I have become very attached. However, I have also discovered a few flaws that can be very frustrating. The most annoying being the fact that the lens on the camera can become scratched very easily. This is because unlike previous models where the camera was indented slightly, the camera in the iPhone 4 is flush with the back of the phone causing it to be prone to scratches. Also the lens is not made of the scratch resistant glass that is used on the rest of the phone. With the 5 megapixel camera, I would expect it to be better protected because the scratches drastically effect picture resolution. Using a case can prevent scratching because it keeps the lens from being rubbed up against surfaces, and I would strongly recommend getting one.

Enough about the flaws. The iPhone 4 really is a great phone. The Retina display is breathtaking, the camera (when not scratched) is great, it gets good reception, and the phone is about twice as fast as the 3GS. I can go through and tell you all of the pros and cons, but the truth is you really can't understand unless you get your hands on one and try it out for yourself. If you have owned a previous version of the iPhone and are considering an upgrade, I would definitely recommend it. Overall I am very pleased with it, and am looking forward to exploring all of its capabilities. In my next few posts I will focus on individual components and capabilities of the phone such as gaming, multitasking, and also tips and tricks I've learned through my own trial and error. 

Update

Two years ago, I started this blog with the goal of providing accurate information for those lost in a world full of confusing new technology. Unfortunately, with school and sports I didn't have enough time to do the research necessary to put forth my best work. Recently, however, I have made some changes that drastically changed my life. High school had become the main obstacle in my success, and being the rebel that I am, I dropped out and went back to homeschooling. I am now taking classes at a local college as a post secondary student, and have more time due to the increased scheduling flexibility of college. Because of this I can finally pursue my passion for business, technology, and innovation. And so begins a new, better chapter in my life...

~Technical Teen~

Phone Bill Savvy Family

Since late fall I have been devising a plan to convince my parents to get me a new cell phone. I tried the "tell them about a phone till they give in" plan, the "everyone has a better phone than me" ploy, and the "I'll stop bugging you if you get me a new phone" trick, but none prevailed. Finally, observing my mom trying to save money on everything, I devised a plan to save even more money, which could hold a reward in store if completed successfully. What was this plan you might ask? Well it all started when I asked my mom if I could open the cell phone bill. She asked why and I smoothly replied "Oh, no reason in particular." Even though she knew I was up to something, she let me look at it. As I sorted through the bills I noticed that there were features added to my mom's phone that she didn't use, actually she doesn't even know how to use them because, like many parents, she is slightly oblivious to new technology. Anyway I showed her that every month she had been wasting $20, which over the four years she had the phone totaled up to be $960. What did we do about it? I researched how we could change features on our plans and the service provider we are with, AT&T, has a nice feature on their website where you log in with your password and cell number and you can pay and check bills, access plan info, add/remove features, and add additional lines. That night I went through our plan on the AT&T website with my parents' permission and removed the unwanted features. By doing this I saved them $240 a year. All of this paid off in the end because my parents are rewarding me with a new phone (I still have to pay for half, but that's better than paying for the whole thing), which I am getting today and will review soon. So, as you can see, helping your parents understand technology and what goes along with it can be very rewarding in the end.

Helpful money saving tricks:

Check your plan- Sometimes when you are setting up a new plan and ask for the most basic one available the service provider will tack on extra unneeded features. A good example of this is the situation with my mom's phone. She asked for a basic plan just for calling and they added a mobile web and road side assistance neither of which she needs. She didn't know about these until I checked the bill a few weeks ago.

Add features- If you are planning on using features like texting or mobile web make sure you add them to your plan. Only add features you will use frequently. If you are not sure you will use a feature try it for a month and if you don't like it or can't see yourself using it often then just remove it from your plan.

Be aware of fees- Many features on your cell phone have hidden costs. Things like texting, instant messaging, mobile email, and mobile web are all things to be aware of. If you don't have these features on your plan don't use them if you want to avoid extra fees on your bill.

Introduction

Welcome to Teen Tech! Here at TT our goal is to provide accurate information about technology to make it easier for you to make purchasing decisions. This blog is targeted at allowing you to get all the features that you want in a particular product and also help you decide which product is the best choice for you. On all the products I review I will have the specifications, features, estimated retail price, and pictures along with any other information I feel is important. Hopefully I will be able to do some video reviews so that you can actually see all the features of a product instead of just reading about it. I will update it as frequently as possible so check back often to see new content.