Steve Jobs gave his famous keynote at Apple’s WWDC event today, officially unveiling the next iPhone which Apple is calling the iPhone 4. The device, which was leaked prior to the official announcement, is a departure in design from the 3G and 3GS that came before it, but will still be able to run existing applications from Apple’s popular App Store.
Pricing and Release Date
The iPhone 4 will be available on June 24th in the US, France, Germany, UK, and Japan. Pre-orders start on June 15th. Apple says that they’ll be shipping in 18 additional countries in July. In the US: those eligible for upgrades from AT&T will be able to get the iPhone 4 16GB for $199 or the 32GB version for $299 with their choice of black or white casing.
Design
The new iPhone is decidedly more square than the previous models. Gone is the rounded plastic back of the iPhone 3G and 3GS – replaced by a piece of glass that is stronger and more scratch resistant than plastic (by 30x, according to Apple). The iPhone 4 is 25% thinner than the iPhone 3GS, and Apple claims that at 9.3mm thick, it is the thinnest smartphone on the market. The volume rocker on the side has been split into two individual volume up/down buttons, but their functions remain unchanged. Aside from this, there are no additional buttons or changes to existing buttons. You’ll still find the mute switch above the volume buttons, as well as the familiar hold button on the top of the device and the home bottom on the front. The stainless steel band around the device functions are the antenna.
I love it!
This is the first Apple phone i’ve taken a real interest in because it focuses on battery life, camera, outdoor use and on-phone editing. Despite the lack of Xenon, I bet we’re going to see some amazing low-light performance. The Milestone XT720 will be one to compare it against although for on-device video editing, the iPhone will blow the Milestone away for sure.
http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_milestone_xt720_now_official_the_first_xenonish_droid-news-1716.php
With the A4 chip and tight OS, it’s likely to be the fastest pocketable web browser. (Although a little short of Full Internet Experience)
Steve
Perhaps the Nokia N8 would be a better comparison and the ability to directly connect a USB storage device has cinched the choice for me.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/08/nokia-demonstrates-n8-video-editing-capabilities/
The battery capacity is said to be 19% larger than the 3GS. That corresponds to 1450mAh.
I have to admit they know how to perfect a design. One of the most impressive on the 3GS was the on-screen keyboard, no 3rd party or Windows based on-screen keyboard comes close to matching its simplicity and functionality.
PS: I don’t have any Apple products, the 3GS is my friend’s.
Don’t forget to buy a bag too, to carry all of the above.