It’s now officially out folks, the phone that’s been so hyped the past few months, that it’s no longer a surprise (but you can bet that it’ll still get most of the smartphone-related hype for months after it’s released anyway), the iPhone 4.
We’re going to stay away from the overall exterior looks, since everyone who’s been paying attention to the various online news leaks should already know what it looks like. Okay, in a nutshell, it basically looks like an iPhone 3G with more defined, non-curved edges. Also, they shaved off a few millimeters from the width and thickness, while adding 2 grams that you’ll never notice. Moving on, here’s what’s new:
The iPhone 4 still sports the same-sized 3.5-inch screen, but the screen on this phone is way, way sharper. Called the Retina display, the iPhone 4’s screen packs in four times more pixels in the same space, making for an awesome 960×640 resolution with a density of 326 ppi (compared to the 480 x 320, 163 ppi display on the 3GS).
It also sports in-plane switching, the same tech found on the Apple LED Cinema display and iPad that gives off a wider viewing angle and a contrast ratio that’s four times better than the previous iPhone. They also enhanced the glass over the screen with a stronger, more scratch-resistant glass that also features an oil-resistant coating to keep it clean. There’s also a proximity sensor under that glass that turns off the screen when you put the phone to your ear to save on power.
The next big thing would be the camera. Cameras, actually. The main cam at the back has been upgraded to a 5MP snapper with a LED flash, geotagging support, and the ability to record 720p HD videos at 30fps, while the front VGA cam now lets you do video calls. A new feature called FaceTime is listed as one of this phone’s highlights, which basically lets you do face-to-face, picture-in-picture video calls with a few kinks: it can only be done iPhone 4-to-iPhone 4, and videocalling can only be made through a Wi-fi connection (we’re assuming so you don’t experience ugly lagging and low-res images that you’d experience via a 3G network). Both front and rear cams can be switched instantly to show your face or whatever’s going on in front of you.
Overall, we think that it’s nice that a smartphone as advanced as an iPhone can (finally) do videocalls, but it’s not necessarily our favorite feature. Honestly, if we placed a lot of stock into videocalling, we’d never have bought an iPhone in the first place.
What’s got us excited? The performance brought about by the updated spec as well as the enhancements added to the iPhone 4 OS. Although it has yet to be thoroughly tested, the new iPhone should perform significantly better, thanks to a new processor (a modified version of the A4 chip found on the iPad), and a battery that’s listed to last for 300 hours on standby, 7 hours of 3G talking, 6 hours of 3G web browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video and 40 hours of music. Of course, the battery figures are listed estimates. Expect them to be lower, but we expect it to at least be better—the battery life on the 3GS, while improved over the 3G, is still atrocious.
Multitasking is major highlight brought about by the iPhone 4 OS. This allows you to easily switch between recently opened apps with a double-click on the home button, so no more annoying app reloads every time someone sends you a text message while you’re playing Rock Band. Multitasking will also allow you to listen to music while working on any other app. One more simple yet-still-awesome feature on the iOS4? Folders. The ability to create folders on the springboard screen, where you can drag and drop app icons to organize potentially hundreds of apps.
The iPhone is set to go on sale on Thursday, June 24th, in the US, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK. Pre-orders start on June 15th via Apple and AT&T (in the US), which we’d strongly advise you to do to avoid the usual in-store rush. Non-AT&T subscribers and existing iPhone owners eligible for an upgrade can pick up the 16GB model for $199, and $299 for the 32GB model with a two-year contract.
Just bought a 3GS through AT&T with a two-year deal? That’s tough. You’re going to have to pony up $200 more for the iPhone 4 if you really want it now. But really, if you don’t care much for the video calls, you can upgrade your iPhone 3GS’s software to the iPhone 4 OS to at least enjoy multitasking (among other software enhancements). It should be available for download pretty soon.
Tags: Apple, iOS4, iPhone, iPhone 4, Mobile Phones
