Apple Announces iPhone 4

[Mike_TX]

I couldn't find the latest iPhone discussion on TCA Forum, so move/delete if this is old news...

FYI...

Apple Announces iPhone 4

Apple site

iPhone4 vs. 3GS

Slashdot Link

In a keynote presentation today at WWDC, Steve Jobs officially unveiled the iPhone 4. It's powered by an A4 chip, has a glass front and back, and has stainless steel around the edges, which turns out to be part of the antenna system. The new iPhone uses what Jobs called a "Retina display," running at 960x640, or 326 ppi. The battery is also bigger, with a corresponding increase in battery life. The iPhone 4 supports 802.11n, has two mics for noise cancellation, and a three-axis gyroscope, which allows rotation and precision that accelerometers can't match. The iPhone 4's camera is using a 5-megapixel backside illuminated sensor, which Jobs said does better at low-light photography. It also records 720p video at 30 frames per second, with tap-to-focus. In addition to this, they've created an iMovie app, which allows users to easily edit videos on their phone. Several live blogs of the event, with pictures, are available. The device ships in the US on June 24th. Read on for more details.
Update: 06/07 18:34 GMT by S : Steve's "One More Thing" this time around: FaceTime, live video chat from one iPhone 4 to another. It is Wi-Fi only at the moment, but they're working with carriers to expand that in the future.
Jobs says the iPhone 4 OS is being renamed "iOS4," since isn't just focused on phones anymore. The release candidate will be made available to developers today. He demonstrated multitasking, a unified email inbox, and folders for apps. In the App Store, you can expect to see an iPhone version of Netflix soon, as well as Guitar Hero andFarmVille. Jobs also announced that iBooks, the ebook application for the iPad, would be getting a few upgrades. Users will soon be able to make notes, and a bookmark button is on the way. It will put bookmarked pages into the book's table of contents. iBooks is also gaining support for viewing PDFs. On top of that, it won't be just for the iPad anymore; it's coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch as well, and it will sync between devices.

MacWorld Link (with pics)

(bold added)

...new battery that—coupled with the new chip—Apple says provides 40 percent more talk time. The company says talk time is up from 5 hours to 7 hours; 6 hours of 3G browsing; 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing; 10 hours of video; 40 hours of music; and 300 hours of standby.

Pricing and availability
The iPhone 4 will come in black and white, at $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB (with the same qualifications and two-year contract with AT&T as in the past). Apple will also add an 8GB iPhone 3GS for $99.

Jobs said that AT&T is going to make “an incredibly generous upgrade offer.” If your contract expires any time in 2010, you’re immediately eligible for that pricing, for up to six months early eligibility. The iPhone 4 will be available from Apple and AT&T’s retail and online stores, as well as at Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores.

The iPhone 4 goes on sale in the U.S., France, Germany, the U.K., and Japan on June 24, with pre-orders starting on June 15. It will ship in 18 more countries in July, in 24 more in August, and in 40 more by the end of September.

Apple also showed off some accessories: a $29 dock and a $29 case that comes in different colors.

AVS link

Electronic House link

6-7-10 - CNET - The skinny on upgrading to the iPhone 4 (Q&A)


Gizmodo (7/19/2010) - "Apple, Antennagate, and Why It's Time to Move On"

[dvenardos]

Doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me. Good improvements but nothing earth shattering. I was intrigued by the rumor of the iPhone OS going to AppleTV. I could see the AppleTV with an iPod touch/ iPhone remote as a really fun device.

edit:
Here is the iPhone video. They are making a big deal of the enhanced resolution and video conferencing app.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/design/#design-video

[Mike_TX]

Doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me. Good improvements but nothing earth shattering. I was intrigued by the rumor of the iPhone OS going to AppleTV. I could see the AppleTV with an iPod touch/ iPhone remote as a really fun device.

I have the 3G (not 3GS), so it might be more of an upgrade for me.
My wife still has the pre-3G (I don't know if that has a name).

I agree sounds like iterative improvements.

Mike

[Jason]

Hardware looks nice....thinner (even thinner than my Nexus 1) and better screen.

Still.....after having Android for a little while now..when I play with an iphone, it feels like going back to Windows 98 or something. I don't see me getting the new iphone.

I can't wait to see some of the new Android phones this holiday season...

[gonk]

I'll probably upgrade - my 3G is about due for an upgrade, and unlike the 3GS this model does a few things that actually interest me (better camera, for example).

[Cujobob]

It looks like a solid upgrade and I still prefer my old IPhone 3G to most of the phones on the market due to usability. My Brother in Law just got the EVO for a great price before his 1 year was even up...so I'll be looking forward to seeing what he thinks of that. I just can't tolerate bad touch screens, fat phones, or horrendous lag. IPhones have been immune from those. My Touch Pro 2 is absolute garbage...Windows Mobile is crap.

[Mike_TX]

“an incredibly generous upgrade offer”

I have a 3G and I'm looking at this statement:

Jobs said that AT&T is going to make “an incredibly generous upgrade offer.”
If your contract expires any time in 2010, you’re immediately eligible for that pricing, for up to six months early eligibility.

I want to see what the upgrade offer is.

Mike

[Mike_TX]

Droid X introduced a day ahead of iPhone release

hmmm...

Droid X introduced a day ahead of iPhone release
Link

Who here is getting the new iPhone.
I'm off for a vacation, so I'll wait for the dust to settle until I get back...

Mike

[Mike_TX]

Slashdot -- iPhone 4 Reception Recall Ruckus Roundup

From Slashdot:
iPhone 4 Reception Recall Ruckus Roundup

Readers today have been sending tons of stories about the iPhone4, so here are a few of the highlights:
Following the Consumers Reports that the iPhone has antenna problems, Andy Patrizio asks if Apple can withstand the pressure to recall, while CNet estimates that a recall would cost them $1.5B.

But that's just the latest on the iPhone4: the long running carrier exclusivity lawsuit rumors have been upgraded to Class Action status.

[Mike_TX]

Any thoughts/comments from iPhone 4 owners on this...

Slashdot:
The thing is...
by sjonke (457707) on Wednesday July 14, @10:28AM (#32900206)

... that my iPhone 4 is outperforming my 3GS, in terms of 3G connection quality and reliability, sometimes to pretty miraculous degree, such as at the train station I wait at every work day, where my 3GS's signal would jump up and down and go away and come back and even when it was showing 5 bars the performance was horrendous. With the iPhone 4 I can in fact reproduce the signal drop when held in my left hand, going pretty dramatically from 4 bars to only 1, but even at 1 bar the performance is outstanding and for the first time ever I've got a 100% reliable and fast connection here. I can stream audio and browse the web and it's fast, even at 1 bar. At 4 bars if not left handed.

So I'm not downplaying the drop in signal strength issue, as that is there when you hold it left handed (and I do usually), but that in practice it performs better, even a lot better, then my iPhone 3GS. So is the antenna flawed or not? I would say that it is flawed, but only from a PR standpoint. It's a public relations disaster, brought only by people who don't have an iPhone 4 and who seem to have a vendetta against Apple for not making a phone that they want, and due to magazines like Consumers Reports, who aren't seeing the forest for the trees. They are focusing solely on that there is a drop, and ignoring how it performs in practice. You need to just use the phone and see how it works for you, and most, I suspect, once they stop staring at the signal strength gauge, are going to find that it does better then their previous phone, even by a wide margin. The iPhone 4 is a great phone. Yes, you should put a case on it, as that will reduce the signal drop issue, but that issue is not nearly as big of an issue as it is being made out to be. It's not a non-issue, it just not the main thing you should be concerned about. You should be concerned about how it performs in practice, and the iPhone 4 excels there.

CNN - What Apple must do to stop the iPhone 4 bleeding
Engadget - "Consumer Reports confirms iPhone 4 antenna problems -- and so do we"
Engadget - "Apple deleting mentions of Consumer Reports' iPhone 4 piece on forums, can't delete your thoughts"

[Nfrasotoo]

Hey Mike, I've had the phone for about a month (day before launch)- and I've had zero issues. I can replicate a drop in signal strength with a naked phone and trying to do so, but of course this is pretty meaningless.

I can't imagine anyone not wanting to protect their investment with even a tiny but of rubber.

Because I've not had a single issue (in fact, better reception than my 3GS), and because I would have never known there even was a problem without reading about it online, it is in reality effectively a non-issue.

[Mike_TX]

Hey Mike, I've had the phone for about a month (day before launch)- and I've had zero issues. I can replicate a drop in signal strength with a naked phone and trying to do so, but of course this is pretty meaningless.

I can't imagine anyone not wanting to protect their investment with even a tiny but of rubber.

Because I've not had a single issue (in fact, better reception than my 3GS), and because I would have never known there even was a problem without reading about it online, it is in reality effectively a non-issue.

Thanks.

[hawkeyejw]

You may have already seen this, but if not it is an interesting read, I think.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/13/yes-the-iphone-4-is-broken-no-the-iphone-4-is-not-broken/

[engtaz]

I have the iphone 4 since launch day with no problem. Fantastic display and very fast. Love it.

[Mike_TX]

Is it a consensus that if you have the "bumper" or cover that the antenna/reception is okay?

Also, I'm coming from a 3G.

Mike