Last year the iPhone 3GS was released to the usual whoops of joy from the Apple faithful. But once the noise had died down, many of us might have wondered if the slightly upgraded device was what Apple really needed to keep them on top of the smartphone tree. With just a performance boost, a digital compass and the ability to record video setting it apart from the old model, the 3GS was hardly a must buy for existing iPhone owners.
Android, Google’s mobile operating system has in the same year taken off with all the major players in the mobile phone industry, bar Nokia, embracing it as the means to catch up with Apple and its disruptive phone. Some models, particularly from HTC, have already recaptured some of the market by offering long missing features such as multitasking and Flash support. This along with the deepening quality of the Android app store has given the iPhone its first serious competition and made it clear that a mere iteration of the iPhone just isn’t going to be enough in the future.
The introduction of the iPad in January gave us a glimpse of Steve Jobs’ priorities and was perhaps the reason why the 3GS was more of a stop-gap than a new product with many of us suspecting that the drive to develop and launch the tablet had robbed Apple of some of its focus on its flagship device. However, at the company’s annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 7, any doubts in this regard were laid to rest as the future of the company’s smartphone was revealed in the iPhone4.
The WWDC has always been the event at which iPhone related news has been announced and in contrast to last year’s limp 3GS launch, this year Apple have pulled out all the stops to deliver a phone that provokes instant desire.
Even with all of the leaks and mislaid prototypes that have pointed towards the handsets direction, the iPhone 4 represents a complete redesign of the handset and rather than getting bogged down every little upgrade, we thought we’d bring you the top five features of the iPhone 4 that are really worth getting excited about:
1. The Retina Display.
This is just a nice way of saying that the screen is now capable of four times as much detail, bringing the visual sheen of the iPad to the phone. This upgrade is not just cosmetic because the improved fidelity enables the phone to become a usable e-reader, which is just as well because the iBooks application that has made the iPad such a success will also be available for the new phone.
2. The Cameras.
The main camera on the rear has been upgraded to five megapixels, with an LED flash that finally enables the phone to take some decent low light photos. The photo comparisons demoed at the conference were very impressive but were completely in the shadow of the video capabilities which records your mini masterpieces at 720p HD quality and at 30 frames per second. The results are spectacular.
A second camera is located on the front of the phone and we will get to that in more detail below.
3. iOS4
The iPhone operating system, along with the App Store, is what really sets the iPhone apart and this year we finally get the multitasking feature that has been sorely lacking ever since the introduction of the App Store two years ago.
Multitasking will allow you to switch from multiple open apps with a press of a button, ending the irritation of having to end your favourite app just to change a song or read that email.
Speaking of email, the update will allow for all of your email accounts to be pushed into one inbox and will even create separate inboxes for individual contacts or topics.
Possibly the best part of the update is the addition of folders which will categorise your apps and save you from flicking through endless screens off apps until you find the one you want.
The update will also be available for previous iPhones and iPods via a free update which will go live on June 21.Certain features including multitasking will only be available on the 3GS and the latest version of the iPod Touch.
4. Facetime.
This is where the second camera comes in and is part of Apple’s attempt to bring video calling to the masses. Using the high definition cameras; Facetime allows iPhone 4 users to make video calls to each other with no restrictions and no set-up; just hit the application icon and you are good to go.
It’s worth noting that this sort of thing has been tried before and when the 3 network launched in Ireland in 2006, one of the things they tried to do was make video calling a standard feature on their range of handsets. It never really took off and was hampered by the unsuitable camera technology and the cost of making a video call. This made the feature very unattractive to the average user and it was quickly forgotten about.
The performance of the iPhone 4 cameras takes care of the first problem but the cost of such a service has yet to be made palatable to a mainstream consumer which explains the decision by Apple to limit Facetime to Wi-Fi connections only.
Negotiations on 3G usage with mobile networks continues but given that smartphones are already putting the squeeze on mobile network bandwidth; you should expect to pay a high premium for this feature.
Even with these limitations, Facetime looks attractive and could well grow into a valuable feature for Apple which in a great move has made the application open. This means that it can be compatible with independently developed alternatives on rival platforms; making video calling independent of hardware manufacturers and mobile providers. What this will hopefully give us in the future is an android video call on Meteor that would be able to be received on an iPhone on the O2 network. It’s early days yet but Apple might just have cracked this one.
5. Hardware Refinements.
As ever, it’s the little things that can sometimes make the difference between something great and something truly special. Along with the phone being 22 per cent thinner, the bigger battery gives 40 per cent more power and should eliminate that afternoon charging ritual.
The chip at the heart of the handset is the same piece if technical wizardry that powers the iPad and will make those games look phenomenal, especially on that Retina display.
The phone’s microphone has been joined by a second, for noise dampening that will filter out any background noise such as the roar of the lads when you are out on the lash.
Finally, the Wi-Fi capabilities of the machine now incorporate the high speed 802.11n standards to make the most of your internet connection.
Where, when and how much?
The iPhone 4 has been priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model and the phone comes in traditional black or Mac flavoured white. No international prices were announced but a good guide would be to exchange those Dollar symbols for Euros. People with lower end call plans or on pre pay should add at least another €200 to the cost of picking up one of these at launch
Unlike the iPad, the iPhone 4 will be with us sooner rather than later. The phone goes on sale on June 24 in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan, with 18 more countries including Ireland sometime in July. This presents Irish Apple fans with something of a dilemma as the launch of the phone may well coincide with the launch of a certain tablet computer providing tech heads with a difficult choice or a very expensive day in the Apple store.
Overall, the iPhone 4 is an exceptionally assured product that addresses the shortcoming of the old models while beefing up everything else it already does well. Features such as HD video and Facetime could well seethe iPhone recapture some of that sparkle that has been lost in the last 12 months; once again leaving its competitors playing catch-up. Check back with us in July when we will give you our full hands impressions with the iPhone 4; but until then you can occupy your time by salivating and saving in equal measure.
Leo Stiles
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