June 8, 2010
Well, Apple’s WWDC 2010 keynote wasn’t that big of surprise, but it was still very insightful. Just yesterday, Apple held it’s 3rd anual WWDC meeting and kicked it off with a keynote. Now, the keynote was mostly about the new iPhone and the new OS (iOS4).
First off, the new iPhone will be named “iPhone 4″ and will have video calling (surprising, I know!), but there’s a catch. The video calling feature will only be available via Wi-Fi, but only for 2010. Now, in 2011, video calling will be available over 3G (as for Edge I don’t know). If that will cost extra? I don’t know, but it probably will cost extra. iPhone 4 will sport Apple’s Apple A4 System on a Chip (SoC) and a higher resolution screen. Something special about the new display on the iPhone 4 is that it will have a “Retina Display”. I’m sure you’re wondering: “What a Retina Display?”. Well, a Retina Display allows more pixels be fitted into a display, by making the pixels smaller. Which in the end result gives the iPhone 4 a much crisper and sharper display. This Retina Display also allows the iPhone 4 to have 4X the number the number of pixels than the iPhone 3GS does. The new display on the iPhone 4 also has a IPS panel, just like the iPad, which increases the viewing angel. From Apple.com:
The 960-by-640 backlit LCD display boasts a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, making it the highest-resolution phone screen ever. To achieve this, Apple engineers developed pixels so small — a mere 78 micrometers across — that the human eye can’t distinguish individual pixels. That makes text remarkably sharp and graphics incredibly vivid. IPS technology also provides excellent color and contrast from almost any viewing angle.
iPhone 4 will also have a 5MP camera up from a 3MP camera on the iPhone 3GS. But wait, there’s more! The iPhone 4 will also have LED flash, backside illumination sensor, and auto focus just like the iPhone 3GS. Now, Apple has also added a front facing camera for video calling, but has added the ability to switch back and forth from the front facing camera. Apple has said that video calling is only iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 and is only possible to use video calling via Wi-Fi, but will be possible to use over 3G sometime in 2011. From Apple.com:
The iPhone 4 camera shoots gorgeous 5-megapixel photos and stunning HD video. And with its advanced backside illumination sensor, it captures beautiful images even in low-light settings. The built-in LED flash does double duty. When you’re taking pictures, it works as a flash. When you’re shooting video it can stay on to light up the scene. And on the front of iPhone 4, the built-in camera is perfect for making FaceTime calls and shooting self-portraits.
When Apple added the 5MP camera to the iPhone, they had more in mind than using just as a camera. They went all out and made it a HD video camera. Yes, a HD video camera! Now, it’s not a full fledge 1080p HD video camera, but actually a 720p HD video camera. On top of that, Apple has made a special version of iMovie for the iPhone 4. Surprisingly, iMovie for the iPhone 4 will cost only $4.99. iMovie for the iPhone 4 is expected to be out “soon” according to Apple.com. From Apple.com:
Make beautiful HD movies anywhere with iMovie, the fun, feature-rich video editing app that’s designed for iPhone 4. Create a video postcard of your day at the beach and publish it to the web without leaving your spot on the sand. Or make a movie of your child’s birthday party and send it to your parents while the party is in full swing. You can start several projects on your iPhone 4 and finish them whenever you want and wherever you are.
Apple has also made iBooks available for the iPhone 4 and if you have an iPad iBooks will automatically sync all your books back and forth from your iPhone and iPad. Also, once you download a book, you can download it again for no charge, just like the App Store, expect only with apps. You will also be able to view PDFs in the iBooks app, which is a really nice addition.
Something interesting Apple added to the iPhone 4 is a gyroscope. Yes, a gyroscope! This is a 3-axis gyroscope which will provide more accuracy for games that require tilting such as Super Monkey Ball. A gyroscope combined with an accelerometer will gave the iPhone 4 a 6-axis motion sensor in total. On top of that, the iPhone 4 will also have a bigger battery and combined with the Apple A4 System on a Chip (SoC), it will have a much improved battery life.
Well, it was a given that Apple would talk some more about iPhone OS 4.0 (*cough* I mean iOS4). Apple decided to change the name of iPhone OS 4.0 to iOS4, which makes sense, but I’ll probably still call it “iPhone OS 4.0″. Anyway, Apple also announced and released the GM (golden master) version yesterday, too. iOS4 will be available to consumers on June 24th along with iPhone 4. iOS4 will also bring over 100 new features, some of which are: Multitasking, Folders, iBooks, 5X digital zoom, homescreen wallpaper, wireless keyboard support over Bluetooth, and many, many more. All of iOS4′s features will work with the iPhone 4, and the iPhone 3GS, however, the iPhone 3G won’t get multitasking and some other features along with older generations and the iPod Touch. Now, iOS4 won’t be supported at all for the first generation iPod Touch as well as the first generation iPhone (I think).
At the WWDC 2010 keynote yesterday, Steve Jobs let some App Store developers come up and announce their apps. Well, the 2 major apps were: Netflix and Guitar Hero. First off, Netflix Inc. announced that a Netflix app is coming to the iPhone for free (as for iPod Touch, I don’t know, but most likely will come to the iPod Touch). Second, Activision announced and released a special version of Guitar Hero for the iPhone and iPod Touch. There’s no word if they will create a iPad specific version, but Guitar Hero for the iPhone and iPod Touch costs $4.99. Also, for those of you that play Famrville (I don’t) a iPhone version of Farmville is in the works and is planned to be released “soon”.
Now, at the WWDC 2010 keynote, Steve Jobs didn’t announce or even release the next generation iPod Touch (opps, looks like we got that wrong on our prediction list). However, in September Apple will probably announce the new iPod Touch, along with the other iPods.
To finish this off, the new iPhone pre-orders start on June 15th and are available to be picked up June 24th at your local Apple Store. The iPhone 4 will cost: $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB, along with a 2 year AT&T cell phone subscription. Now, I must warn you though that these countries will be getting the iPhone 4 on June 24th: US, France, Germany, UK, and Japan. As for these countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland will get it sometime in July. And by the end of September, 88 countries total will have the iPhone 4. It will also come in two solid colors: black and white. PocketFullOfApps will let you know when the Quicktime video is posted along with the iTunes video.
So, this concludes the roundup of Apple’s WWDC 2010 keynote! You may want to check out our live bog of this event here, just in case if I have missed anything.
Note: You may want to head over to the live blog of this event to see more info if I have missed any.
Thanks to Gdgt for the photos!
So, obviously, the iPhone 4 has a much, much better display than the iPhone 3GS. For more info on the Retina Display and the IPS panel please click here.
Loading ...
