The New iPhone 4 – Whats New, Release Dates, & Pricing

Well, at long last the New Apple iPhone 4 has been released. Announced by Steve Jobs at the WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) today, the new iPhone 4G (Generation 4) features a brand new set of features, upgrades, and functionality.

The main area of improvement has been in the imaging department - video conferencing ability, in built camera upgrades & high definition video recording. But that's not all. Apple have redesigned the entire operating system, bringing in the much demanded & welcomed ability to Multitask, and introduced a bunch of small, somewhat unexpected design improvements.

1. Upgraded Display

Dubbed the 'Retina Display', the new iPhone display has a staggering 960 x 640 resolution, equating to a massive 326 PPI (Pixels Per Inch). This is grand upgrade and surprisingly comes close to the resolution of Apple's new iPad tablet. This gives App designers a whole lot more screen 'real estate' to work with, and existing applications will simply double in resolution & work as they have before on the new high resolution screen.

2. Improved Performance

The new iPhone 4 has a much faster CPU inside - Apple's A4 Processor, also used in the iPad. The Li-Ion Battery has been upgraded, and together with the lower CPU Power consumption, this has resulted in a 40% battery life improvement. Up to 300 Hours standby time.

3. Video Conferencing via Forward Facing Camera.

Video Conferencing is here. New adopters of the iPhone 4, will be staring down the barrel of a discreet 640x480 camera. This is fantastic addition, and will connect up to other iPhone & (hopefully) iChat users. Connectivity is currently limited to Wi-Fi, Apple is in negotiations with Telco's to organize 3G connectivity, which will most likely be upgraded in a future software update. Sooner, then later we hope.

4. Rear Facing Five Megapixel Camera with LED Light & Flash.

The Camera on the rear of the iPhone has been upgraded also to five megapixels, and sitting alongside is a LED Light & Flash Unit. We can now take pictures at night. Nice. Also, the sensor is backlit, which improves low light picture quality.

5. HD Video Recording

Full motion, 30 frame per second High Definition video can now be shot from your iPhone. Quoted resolution is 720p, which we believe to equate to 1280x720. Great for catching HD videos, uploading to YouTube, and watching back on a HD LCD TV. Accompanying this is a iPhone version of 'iMovie', available soon in the App Store.

6. Complete Software Update Including Multi-Tasking

Apple have listened & finally brought us what we needed a long time ago - Multi-Tasking. Built-in to the new iOS operating system, applications can now share memory space & work alongside each other in real time. A whole range of OS improvements have been made, including folders for Apps, improvements to Email & the introduction of iBooks for the iPhone.

7. Design Improvements

The case of the new iPhone 4 is much more solid and durable, not to mention stylish. Built from glass & reinforced steel, it's said to withstand scratches, dents & accidents much better the the previous designs. Also, some unexpected extras here. A secondary microphone providing noise cancellation abilities. A 3-Axis Gyroscope is now inside, which adds a whole new dimension to gaming & applications.

Release Dates:

U.S. France, Germany, Britain, and Japan - JUNE 24th
Australia, Canada - JULY 30th

Models & Pricing

16GB & 32GB models - Available in White & Black. No 64GB Apple?
Pricing - in the US on a AT&T Contract it's $199 for the 16GB & $299 for the 32GB. The current 3GS will still be available as a 8GB Model, for $99.
Australians, please check out price finder for buying iPhone 4 Outright, & also iPhone 4 Plans & Contracts