Apple Announce the iPhone 4

We've known it was coming for a long time, and finally today the wait is over; Apple have confirmed the Apple iPhone 4. We will look at the device in more detail in a subsequent post, but for now let's take a brief look at the latest incarnation of one of the most popular mobile devices ever manufactured.

The new iPhone 4 is the thinnest iPhone to date, measuring in at just 9.3mm thick. The chassis of the phone is made from stainless steel, giving the iPhone a solid feel, and the aerial of the device is also incorporated into this chassis. The front and back of the iPhone is made from aluminosilicate glass, the type of glass used in the windshields of helicopters and high speed trains. 20 times stiffer, and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is also scratch resistant, and helps give the phone an overall feel of durability.

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The standout feature of the new iPhone is the inclusion of a Retina Display. Measuring 960 x 640, the LCD display boasts an amazing pixel density of 336 pixels per inch; this serves to display photos and websites in absolute clarity, making even the tiniest of text appear sharp and defined. The new iPhone also uses IPS technology, which is used on the iPad displays, offering a supreme visual experience.

Inside the device, Apple have included a Gyroscope, which, when used in conjunction with the built in accelerometer, offers superior motion gestures and greater precision in sensing movement, which translates to a new way of interacting with apps and games on the phone.

The camera has also been given a boost, now coming with a 5.0 Megapixel sensor, and a built in LED Flash, plus a backside illumination sensor, which helps capture clear images in low level light conditions. The LED Flash also doubles up as a light when capturing video clips, and the new iPhone can capture clips in HD resolution. A front facing camera has been included, which gives access to one of the most under used features on modern 3G mobile phones, video calling. Apple call their video calling service Face Time, and it will allow you to video call other iPhone 4 users, over a WiFi connection.

A second microphone is included on the iPhone 4, which will help cancel out background noise, meaning clearer calls. Multi touch is still supported on the display, and the whole thing is powered by an A4 processor, which delivers power efficient processing, which should ease the strain on the battery a little. Apple have also increased the size of the battery, with standby time of up to 300 hours being quoted, along with 7 hours talktime over 3G, 10 hours WiFi browsing, 10 hours video playback and up to 40 hours music playback.

Connectivity has been given a little boost on the new handset, with the inclusion of HSUPA for high speed uploads; the handset can handle up to 5.76 Mbps, and still offers HSDPA at up to 7.2 Mbps. WiFi has also been updated, to include support for the latest WiFi 802.11 n. Storage capacity on the iPhone was a relative surprise, in the sense that Apple are currently only committing to a maximum 32 GB; 64 GB may be a possibility in the future, but that remains to be confirmed.

The new Apple iPhone 4 will run on the new iPhone OS 4, which has been renamed iOS4. This brings all the folder goodness and multitasking which was announced a while ago by Apple.

So, the question which remains is, when can you get your hands on the new iPhone? Well, it seems you won't have long to wait, as Apple are suggesting a launch date of 24th June, and the UK will be getting the device at the same time as the US, for a change. Rest assured, as soon as tariff pricing is available, we will let you know right here.

In the meantime, if you have an Apple iPhone 3G S, or an iPod Touch, the new iOS4 will be launching on 21st June, so you can get a taste of what the new OS will deliver a few days before the new handset launches.