WWDC 2010 took off today, with the long-awaited new iPhone announcement, but this is not the iPhone 4G or HD we’re talking about, as Apple went with another name: iPhone 4. Steve Jobs started his keynote by announcing that the iPad is a real success, selling over 2 million units in 2 months and already having 8,500 apps available exclusively on it.
We have to mention that the iPad will get an update soon, or better said iBooks will, since now the service will come with PDF support and it’ll also reach the iPhone 4. Speaking of which, the hottest item today, the 3GS follow-up comes with a couple of important improvements, like the Retina 3.5 inch display, the 5 megapixel camera at the back, complete with HD video capture (720p @ 30 fps) and a front videocall camera.
Below you can see the Apple-developed A4 CPU, the core of the new iPhone.
iPhone 4 will be available in 16GB and 32GB versions, in black or white and its display will support a 960 x 640 pixel resolution and 800:1 contrast ratio, pretty impressive for a smartphone. Also impressive is the device’s thickness, only 9.3mm, supposedly making this the thinnest smartphone ever. The above-mentioned camera uses an LED flash, photo/video geotagging and it’s also able to tap to focus.
The other specs are pretty predictable: an accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensor, A-GPS, digital compass, WiFi and Bluetooth. What’s new is a three-axis gyro, plus a bigger battery that should provide reasonable performances, like 300 hours of standby functioning time, 7 hours of 3G talk, 10 hours of Internet use on WiFi and 10 hours of video playback.
iPhone OS 4 suffered a name change and it’s now known as iOS 4, while its features are the following: multitasking, folders, retina display integration, unified inbox, new camera app, better protection, multiple Exchange accounts and more. iOS 4 integrates iAd, a promising mobile advertising platform, supposed to generate 48% of mobile advertising in the second half of 2010.
At WWDC 2010 we were pretty impressed by the FaceTime videocall feature, allowing the user to see his loved ones on the other side of the globe with the aid of the iPhone 4’s videocall camera and display. FaceTime allows you to switch back and forth between the iPhone 4’s cameras in order to show the world where you are and what you’re doing.
Price-wise you get the new iPhone in the 16GB version for $199, while the 32GB one costs $299. The iPhone 3GS will still be available, for $99, in the 8GB version. Pre-orders start next week, plus the iPhone 4 will hit the stores on June 24 in 5 countries, with 18 more to follow in July.
[via Apple]
