Apple iPhone 4 Review With Video

It was this month last year that Apple launched the iPhone 3GS. Records were broken in terms of sales, and overall demand looked like it couldn't possibly be higher. It was Apple's third iPhone, and the 3GS was arguably the least impressive upgrade to date. The iPhone 3G was a drastic improvement over the original iPhone; it added 3G support, a better camera, a whole new design and support for multi-media messaging. The 3GS, however, was just a mild improvement. Support for video recording was added, and a new processor was included for improved speed and graphical performance. It was a solid upgrade, sure, but it was one that many iPhone 3G owners skipped over in order to prevent the extension of their contract to a full three years.
iPhone OS 3.x was launched after the 3Gs' arrival, but the additions were minor. More things were improved, but there we no revolutionary changes, and just about everyone was more focused on what was to come instead of what was currently available. Rumors have been flying ever since the iPhone 3GS launched that the next generation iPhone (what's now known as the iPhone 4) would be the first iPhone to launch on another network. But AT&T's exclusivity agreement runs to at least 2012, so unless something changes soon, we won't see a CDMA iPhone for at least another year or so.

Regardless, the iPhone 4 has been highly anticipated for the past 12 months. Everyone expected Apple to continue their trend of launching a new and improved iPhone each summer, and the company didn't disappoint. Apple has had a busy year in the consumer space. First came the iPad, shattering sales expectations by selling two million units in two months. Then came the introduction of iPhone OS 4, or what's now known as iOS 4. That brought multi-tasking, folders and a heap of new features that iPhone users have been clamoring for since iPhone OS 2. And what good is a new OS without a new device to showcase it on?

With that, came the iPhone 4. The phone was officially revealed at WWDC in early June, but the world knew about the device long before that. In an extremely unusual slip for Apple, the next generation iPhone was found in a California bar a few weeks before its official announcement, giving the tech world an up close look at the hardware well before Apple intended. But you couldn't tell much by looking at the hardware alone; it was a little thinner, a bit different in terms of construction and had a front-facing camera. But without a working operating system, not much else could be gleaned.


Now, however, there are no more secrets. The iPhone 4 has become the first iPhone with a Apple's A4 CPU, FaceTime video chat, a new antenna setup (for better, or worse), and a new display that doubles the screen resolution compared to the iPhone 3GS. It's also going to be available in both black and white colors, and it will offer 720p movie recording as well. In fact, Apple is creating a $4.99 iMovie app specifically for the iPhone 4's video capture mode, enabling users to edit and upload videos right from their handset. Apple also improved the internal sensor array in order to give gamers more control over their titles, and considering that the iPhone and iPod touch have become serious contenders in the portable gaming space, this addition could help the platform even further.

Apple iPhone 4 Specifications Specifications & Features

CPU Speed	Apple A4 silicon (speed not specified by Apple)
Platform	iOS 4
Memory	Flash 16GB/32GB + 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
Dimensions (LxWxT)	4.5 x 2.31 x 0.27 inches (115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm)
Weight	4.8 ounces (137 grams) with battery
Display	3.5" Retina Display with 960x640 resolution; 326pp; Multi-Touch; 800:1 Contrast Ratio; 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical); Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back
Network	Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) + GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Onscreen Navigation	All touchscreen
GPS	Internal GPS antenna
Sensors	Digital compass, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer
Connectivity	Bluetooth 2.1 with FTP/OPP, A2DP, and PBAP Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n 3.5mm stereo audio jack Apple Dock Connector
Camera	5-megapixel camera with auto focus and 720p video capture (up to 30 frames per second with audio); LED Flash
Audio Formats	Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
Video Formats	Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Talk time: Up to 7 hours on 3G/14 hours on 2G Standby time: Up to 300 hours Internet Use: Up to 6 hours on 3G; 10 hours on Wi-Fi Audio Playback: Up to 40 hours
Expansion Slot	None
AC Adapter	Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60Hz DC output: 5V and 1A
Email	Gmail and Exchange
In-Box Content	Main unit, Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic, Dock Connector to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, Documentation

Unlike the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 is only launching in five countries on June 24th: America, France, the UK, Germany and Japan. Everyone else will see it a few months down the road, and at least initially, only the black model will be available. It's being offered in just two sizes: a 16GB model for $199 on a new 2-year agreement with AT&T, and a 32GB model for $299 on the same contract. It's also the first phone ever to ship with a MicroSIM, which is a cut down SIM card presumably used to save space and prevent SIM swaps.


Before we even get into the crux of the review, it's safe to say that in terms of sales, the iPhone 4 is a raging success already. AT&T and Apple servers were slammed on day one of pre-sales, with over 600,000 units being reserved and many more unable to be reserved. In fact, Apple and AT&T suspended pre-sales 24 hours after they began, noting that there was no way they could satisfy additional demand by the June 24th ship date. In other words, finding an iPhone 4 if you didn't get lucky on the original pre-sale date may be quite difficult for awhile. But is it worth stressing over? Join us in the pages to come as we take a deep dive into the iPhone 4.