Apple's latest: A cooler iPhone
Source: Agencies |
June 9, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
The next iPhone comes out on June 24 with a higher-resolution screen, longer battery life and thinner design.
CEO Steve Jobs opened Apple Inc's annual conference for software developers in San Francisco yesterday by demonstrating the iPhone 4, which will cost US$199 or US$299 in the US with a two-year AT&T contract, depending on the capacity. The iPhone 3GS, which debuted last year, will still be available for US$99.
Some of the mystery surrounding Apple's latest creation was punctured in April, when the tech blog Gizmodo bought a lost iPhone prototype for US$5,000 and posted pictures of the unit. Apple demanded it back, and authorities have been investigating whether a Gizmodo editor broke any laws.
"Stop me if you've already seen this," Jobs said as he started.
The iPhone 4 is sleeker and more advanced than the original iPhone that came out in 2007. Like the iPhone 3GS, it comes in black or white, though it has a more angular look. Its front and back are covered with glass. Its stainless steel rim acts as part of the phone's antenna.
It is about 9.5 millimeters thick; the iPhone 3GS is nearly 12.7 mm. It can shoot high-definition video, catching up to some other smart phones. It has a gyroscope in addition to other sensors, to enable more advanced motion-sensing applications, such as games and mapping services.
The display on the iPhone remains 8.9 centimeters diagonally, but Jobs noted that it can show four times as many pixels - the individual dots that make up an image - as before, creating a sharper appearance.
One of the most noticeable changes is the iPhone's new camera on the front that can be used for videoconferencing, in addition to a 5-megapixel camera and a flash on the back.
For now, the videoconferencing function, FaceTime, works only if both parties to the call have an iPhone 4 and are connected over Wi-Fi rather than a cell phone network.
Jobs indicated that FaceTime will eventually work over cellular networks, saying Apple needs to "work a little bit" with wireless providers to make it "ready for the future."
The battery on the new iPhone will allow up to seven hours of talk time - as opposed to five hours on the last model. It can handle up to six hours of Web browsing over cellular networks or 10 hours over Wi-Fi.
The new phone will run the latest version of Apple's mobile software, now called iOS4, which Apple unveiled in April with such features as the ability to operate more than one program at a time.
Older iPhones and iPod Touch devices will be able to get iOS4 as a free download on June 21, though not all features will work on them.
Jobs said the latest phone will be available on June 24 in five countries, expanding to 18 by July and 88 by September in the quickest-ever international roll-out for an iPhone.
Michael Gartenberg, a partner at analyst firm Altimeter Group, said the iPhone upgrade puts pressure on smart-phone makers that use Google's Android operating software.
"I think Apple knows how to teach people about things they don't yet know they want," he said.
CEO Steve Jobs opened Apple Inc's annual conference for software developers in San Francisco yesterday by demonstrating the iPhone 4, which will cost US$199 or US$299 in the US with a two-year AT&T contract, depending on the capacity. The iPhone 3GS, which debuted last year, will still be available for US$99.
Some of the mystery surrounding Apple's latest creation was punctured in April, when the tech blog Gizmodo bought a lost iPhone prototype for US$5,000 and posted pictures of the unit. Apple demanded it back, and authorities have been investigating whether a Gizmodo editor broke any laws.
"Stop me if you've already seen this," Jobs said as he started.
The iPhone 4 is sleeker and more advanced than the original iPhone that came out in 2007. Like the iPhone 3GS, it comes in black or white, though it has a more angular look. Its front and back are covered with glass. Its stainless steel rim acts as part of the phone's antenna.
It is about 9.5 millimeters thick; the iPhone 3GS is nearly 12.7 mm. It can shoot high-definition video, catching up to some other smart phones. It has a gyroscope in addition to other sensors, to enable more advanced motion-sensing applications, such as games and mapping services.
The display on the iPhone remains 8.9 centimeters diagonally, but Jobs noted that it can show four times as many pixels - the individual dots that make up an image - as before, creating a sharper appearance.
One of the most noticeable changes is the iPhone's new camera on the front that can be used for videoconferencing, in addition to a 5-megapixel camera and a flash on the back.
For now, the videoconferencing function, FaceTime, works only if both parties to the call have an iPhone 4 and are connected over Wi-Fi rather than a cell phone network.
Jobs indicated that FaceTime will eventually work over cellular networks, saying Apple needs to "work a little bit" with wireless providers to make it "ready for the future."
The battery on the new iPhone will allow up to seven hours of talk time - as opposed to five hours on the last model. It can handle up to six hours of Web browsing over cellular networks or 10 hours over Wi-Fi.
The new phone will run the latest version of Apple's mobile software, now called iOS4, which Apple unveiled in April with such features as the ability to operate more than one program at a time.
Older iPhones and iPod Touch devices will be able to get iOS4 as a free download on June 21, though not all features will work on them.
Jobs said the latest phone will be available on June 24 in five countries, expanding to 18 by July and 88 by September in the quickest-ever international roll-out for an iPhone.
Michael Gartenberg, a partner at analyst firm Altimeter Group, said the iPhone upgrade puts pressure on smart-phone makers that use Google's Android operating software.
"I think Apple knows how to teach people about things they don't yet know they want," he said.
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