Since all bloggers are required by law to post about it when they acquire some cool new technoid gadget, today my iPhone 4 was delivered unto me — and yes, it really is a big improvement. I’m glad I skipped the 3GS model and waited for this one.

First thing that leaped out at me: lots and lots of pixels. 614,400 of them, to be precise (960x640). The iPhone 4 screen is very noticeably sharper; when you’re reading text, you can’t see any “jaggies.” It makes reading even the smallest text much easier on the eyes, and looks a lot like printed material. The increased pixel density really improves the look of videos too; I’ve been watching episodes of “The Closer” on my older 3G, and the difference is immediately noticeable on the iPhone 4. Details are much sharper and colors are more vivid.

And the processor seems about three times faster than the 3G’s. Everything you do takes less time; launching apps, starting videos, getting mail, loading web pages. The whole system feels much more nimble and responsive.

The 5 megapixel camera is actually good enough to do real photography, and can also be used as a high def video camera — and the camera app even includes simple but effective video editing tools. And there’s a second (lower resolution) camera on the face, enabling the video calling feature Apple named “FaceTime.”

All this is wrapped up in a beautiful design that’s actually thinner than the earlier models, and has a much longer lasting battery.

The new iPhone is a significant improvement, and I’m having lots of fun exploring its capabilities. You’ve probably heard about the antenna problem, in which phone reception degrades when you cover a certain part of the edge with your hand. I haven’t tested that, but I did order the free case that’s supposed to fix the problem; Apple gives you a choice of several different case designs.