As expected, Apple today pulled the wraps off the fourth generation iPhone at the WWDC conference in San Jose. While the phone didn't receive its expected iPhone HD monicker, it's certainly as HD as a phone is likely to get any time soon, with a 960 x 640 resolution equalling a whopping pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. Read on for the rest of the new features.
- 5 megapixel camera with LED flash
- Same A4 processor as the iPad
- Second microphone for noise cancelling
- 720p (30 frames per second) video recording with tap to focus
- 802.11n Wi-Fi
- Quad-band HSUPA (7.2Mbps down, 5.8Mbps up)
- "FaceTime" video calls (Wi-Fi only)
- 960 x 640 "Retina" display
- 3-axis gyro in addition to the accelerometer for PS3-style 6-axis motion control
- Seven hours 3G talk time, six hours 3G web browsing, 10 hours video playback
- 9.3mm thick
- iOS 4.0 with multitasking and folders
- iMovie app for $4.99
- iBooks app (free)
- Official Apple case for $29
Apple is also touting a new and improved build quality, claiming its chemically strengthened aluminosilcate glass is 30 times harder than plastic, and more scratch resistant than previous models. The stainless steel band around the rim is an alloy forged to be five times stronger than "standard" steel.
The iPhone 4's closest competitor is Sprint and HTC's flagship EVO 4G, which debuted on June 4th. At a whopping 4.3 inches, the EVO 4G offers official Wi-Fi hotspot support, micro-HDMI output, and (you guessed it) 4G network connectivity - though early reports claim battery life is the device's Achilles' heel.
The iPhone 4 will be available in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan on June 24, and in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland by the end of July.
Unfortunately we can only tell our US readers the pricing details right now: $199 for the 16GB and $299 for the 32GB model, with that unfortunate two year AT&T contract. For the budget-conscious, an 8GB iPhone 3GS will be available for $99.