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| iphone 4G iPhone 4: Everything You Need to Know |
The iPhone 4 is here and we have all the answers to your questions about Apple's new iPhone including pictures and detailed specifications.
Check out our full Apple iPhone 4 review and our AppleiPhone 4 vs. HTC EVO 4G/Motorola Droid X comparisons.
Update: Issues Since Launch
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Jobs went on to highlight the bands around the side of the iPhone 4 that caused much speculation in the wake of the leaked prototypes. Jobs identified them as part of the phone’s antenna system, saying the stainless steel band is also a primarily structural element of the device. The antenna supports all the iPhone 4’s wireless capability, from 3G to Wi-Fi to Bluetooth to GPS along with cellular communications.
iPhone 4: Retina Display
The iPhone 4 will also sport what Jobs described as a “retina display” with four times the pixel density of a typical LCD display at a whopping 326 pixels per inch—by far denser than anything else in the consumer electronics market. The result is a 3.5-inch display with a native resolution of 960 by 640 pixels that is actually a higher resolution than the typical human eye is capable of perceiving, when held at a distance of just 10 to 12 inches. Jobs claims the iPhone 4’s display winds up looking like a high quality printed book (albeit that emits light!) rather than a blocky pixellated grid. The iPhone OS automatically handles rendering text and controls at the higher resolution for the iPhone 4, so developers don’t need to do anything to update their applications to look good on the new display…but, of course, if developers want to add higher-resolution graphics to their apps, they will look stunning on the iPhone 4.iPhone 4: A4 Chip and Gyroscope
The iPhone 4 will also feature an Apple-designed A4 CPU, following along the lines of the processor powering the iPad. Jobs said the A4 processor improved power management, so the iPhone 4 will manage 40 percent more talk time on 3G networks (up to 7 hours), or up to 6 hours of 3G Web browsing or 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing. The device can also play up to 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music, and should have an standby time of up to 300 hours. The iPhone 4 will also pack up to 32 GB of onboard flash storage, and will offer quad-band HSDPA/HSUPA for mobile broadband speeds up to 7.2Mbps downstream, 4.8Mbps upstream…assuming carrier networks support that technology. The iPhone 4 will also support 802.11n Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, Bluetooth, and packs and accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor,. The iPhone 4 also sports a gyroscope, which enables six-axis motion sensing…just like a game controller, and iPhone OS 4 will offer developer APIs to leverage the gyroscope: Jobs envisions the gyroscope enabling whole new types of mobile gaming.
iPhone 4: Camera & iMovie
The iPhone 4 will feature a 5 megapixel camera with a backside-illuminated sensor, which Jobs says increases the amount of light captured by the sensor, resulting in better photographs, particularly in low-light situations. The camera will also record HD video at 720p resolution and 30 frames per second, and the LED flash can be used to light video as well. Like the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 will feature in-phone video editing and enable users to share video the the Internet (think Facebook and YouTube). However, Apple is pushing the video editing envelope with a new iMovie application for iPhone, that enables users to assemble and trim clips and record directly into an iMovie timeline. Users can also add camera photos to their movies (complete with the pan-and-scan Ken Burns effect), and iMovie for iPhone will enable users to add titles and transitions to their videos. The iPhone 4 camera embeds geolocation information in video; iMovie for iPhone can optional display display that information. Users can also add music as a soundtrack to their video, and select from a number of pre-generated themes. iMovie for iPhone will be available as a separate purchase from the App Store for $4.99.iPhone 4: Bing
Among new features in iOS 4 will be an option to use Microsoft’s Bing as a default search engine; Google will still be the iPhone’s default search, but Yahoo and Bing-powered searches will be available as options. Note that Bing will be taking over the back end for Yahoo’s search services later this year.iBooks for iPhone
Apple also announced a version of iBooks will be available for iPhone, with feature parity to the iPad edition (complete with previously-announced PDF and annotations support). The applications will be able to synchronize across devices, so users will be able to start reading an iBook on an iPad, then pick up at the same spot on the iPhone. Users will be able to download purchased books to all their supported devices at no extra charge.
No Longer iPhone OS 4: iOS 4
Since it won’t do to have an iPad running something called “iPhone OS,” Apple has decided to rename its mobile device operating system to simply “iOS 4,” encompassing all its mobile devices: the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod touch. iOS 4 will have the features Apple outlined back in April, including a form of multitasking support (so applications like Pandora can stream music in the background while an iPhone user, say, surfs the Web in Safari), a unified Mail inbox that supports multiple services, home screen folders, a Game Center, and improved support for Microsoft Exchange and enterprise users. However, developers will probably be more intrigued by a boatload of new APIs and significantly deepened features. Developers at WWDC will be able to set hands on a release candidate today.iAds
Jobs also took a moment to highlight Apple’s new in-application advertising platform iAds: according to Jobs, Apple is developing iAds as a revenue channel for developers so they can earn money from applications in ways other than direct sales to users. As outlined last April, Apple is aiming for high amounts of interactivity and engagement with iAds, building on HTML5 technologies rather than the still-industry-standard Adobe Flash. Apple will host all the advertising and handle ad sales, so all applications developers have to do is specify where in the applications the ads should be placed, then collect 60 percent of the revenue from placements in their applications. Apple has only been selling iAds for about two months—they should go live Jule 1—and so far has many major brands on board, including Disney (Jobs is Disney’s biggest single shareholder, remember), Target, Best Buy, Geico, DirecTV, and other major brands. Unlike traditional banner ads that eject users from applications out into Web browsers, iAds run without exiting a user’s application, providing an interactive experience without causing people to leave apps, or lose work or messages: the goal is an engaging experience that users know is “safe” regardless of the app they’re using.
Video Calling
Of course, that front-facing camera in the iPhone 4 exists for one and only one purpose: video calls. Jobs demonstrated what Apple is dubbing FaceTime video calling with the iPhone 4. The feature will initially be Wi-Fi only and operate iPhone 4 devices—no word in whether FaceTime will support, say, desktops or notebooks equipped with cameras. Users will be able to switch to the rear-mounted 5 megapixel camera on the iPhone 4 to let callers see what they’re seeing, or stick with the front-facing camera for face-to-face chat. Jobs says Apple plans to work with mobile operators to make FaceTime available over 3G data services. Apple says it plans to ship millions of FaceTime-capable devices this year—and if current iPhone sales are any indicator, they’re right—so iPhone 4 users will have plenty of people to talk to. (How far off is an app called FaceTime Roulette?)Apple says the technology behind FaceTime will be come an industry standard, and will be supported by other devices and services.
Apple is continuing to roll out the iPHONE 4 to international markets, and today the company has announced a huge one: the iPhone 4 wil go on sale in China starting September 25. Apple has also announced two new flagship Apple retail stores—one in Beijing and one in Shanghai—will be opening on the same day. The iPhone 4 will be available from Apple retail locations, as well as from retail locations of carrier partner China Unicom.
Bioserie iPhone 4 Cases Made From Plants
Seeing iPhone cases being made from renewable resources, such as these bamboo ones from Grove, is slowly becoming more of a common sight. Adding to this eco-friendly mix now is bioserie, who is expanding its line of iPhone cases made from bioplastics to include models for the iPhone 4.
bioserie said its new iPhone 4 cases, which will be available by early September for around $35, are made from a new proprietary blend of biobased components that come from “annually renewable plant material.” The company says its new cases, being fully biobased, contain no toxic ingredients and offer lightweight protection – 0.4 ounces – for one’s iPhone. Part of the case design includes something called screen protection feet, which reportedly allows safe facedown placement of your mobile
The iPhone 4 has become the new best friend of case manufacturers. Its controversial antenna problems have made getting a case almost essential for anyone who experiences signal loss due to the so-called “Death Grip.” Despite all the outrage over the faulty antenna, there is a pretty simple solution to the problem: Slap a case on it. A case will prevent the hand from touching the antenna and attenuating signal to alleviate the reception issues, and will also protect the phone’s delicate glass at the same time. Apple recently announced that it will be providing free cases for anyone who wants them, but at this point, the only case we know they’ll offer is the bumper. Below, we’ve rounded up the best cases to be released so far for the iPhone 4. We’ll continue to update this as more cases are announced.
Apple to Address Reception Problems Friday in Press Conference
Apple Inc has called a surprise press conference for Friday to talk about the iPhone 4, as the company continues to deal with fallout from reported reception problems on its popular smartphone.Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said late on Wednesday the company would hold the event at 10 a.m. on Friday at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.
He declined to provide further details, or to say whether the event will address the signal-strength problems that some people have reported having with the iPhone 4 when the device is held in a certain way.
iPhone 4 Finally Unlocked
Those folks looking to grab Apple’s iPhone 4 without the requisite service from AT&T – or just travel abroad with it – should be able to shortly. A member of the infamous iPhone Dev Team, which has been responsible for a number of landmark Apple workarounds in the past, finally hacked it free of its carrier shackles on Tuesday.
PlanetBeing posted a photo of the unlocked phone Tuesday morning on his Twitter feed, followed by a short video demo (embedded below) later in the day. Both show an unlocked – and jailbroken – iPhone 4 functioning on Canada’s Bell Mobile and Rogers network, neither of which has officially adopted the phone.
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