iFunia News Blog

The worst-kept tech secret in Silicon Valley is now official: Apple today introduced the iPhone 4, a unit chockablock with 100 new features that the company hopes will help further lengthen its lead over rival offerings. Apple also renamed the iPhone OS 4 as the iOS 4, which will include 1500 new features including multitasking, a unified inbox, and app folders.

iPhone 4

The new unit features a front-facing camera, a receiver, a microSIM tray, and a camera with LED flash in the back. On the bottom, it sports a microphone, 30-pin connector, and speaker. The top of the unit includes a second microphone, a second sleep/wake button, and a noise-cancellation button. Jobs also said that the glass on the new version of its smartphone was of a higher optical quality and more scratch resistant than its predecessor.

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.

Other features include:

• The new iPhone includes front and back cameras. The 5-megapixel back camera includes a built-in LED flash, and records HD video, 720p at 30 frames-per-second
• The front camera is for working with FaceTime, a video-calling app that works with a Wi-Fi connection and between iPhone 4s. Jobs said that Apple needs to work with carriers to enable 3G bandwidth for FaceTime, which can use either of the two cameras and works in both landscape and portrait modes.
• A “tap-to-focus” for video allowing users to edit videos LED flash that remains on during HD video recording.
• iMovie app, which has been rewritten to run on the iPhone and cost $4.99.
• Microsoft’s Bing service will be added to the iPhone for search, although Google is still the default.
• A 960-by-640 pixel display, with an 800-to-1 contrast ratio. Similar to the iPad, iPhone 4 has an LCD screen with IPS technology, which provides better viewing angles than other screen technologies.
• Battery life is good for 7 hours of 3G  talk time, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 40 hours of music, 10 hours of video,  and 300 hours of standby.
• A three-axis gyroscope (pitch, roll and yaw) and the accelerometer bring more precise movement controls to the device.

iOS 4

Apple also used the occasion to announce that it’s renaming the operating system simply as iOS 4 “because it’s on iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone,” Jobs said.

The new operating system, which debuted in April when Apple first announced what was called iPhone OS4, includes the ability to multitask, along with a unified e-mail box and app folders – among the most wanted features mentioned by users. As he walked the crowd through a demo, the always stage-savvy Jobs couldn’t resist the opportunity to get in a dig at Larry Page, quoting Google’s co-founder as saying that software running in the background runs down a battery.

The iPhone 4 units go on sale June 24, though pre-orders will be taken starting on June 15. Apple plans to ship the units in the U.S. and four (still undisclosed) countries on the first day but will be available in 88 nations by September.