If you are a big Apple nerd like me yesterday was a pretty exciting day for you. I know I was anxiously awaiting a roll out of the new iPhone and boy did Apple deliver. Here are highlights of some of the new features.
The Hardware
- Complete Redesign
- Retina Display
- Front facing Camera
- 5 Megapixel Camera
Apple completely re-designed the iPhone 4 to have extra strong glass on both sides and a aluminum band around the entire phone which doubles as the antenna. Here are a few pictures to see how pretty this thing is.
The Software
- FaceTime – Video Calling
- HD Video Recording
- Multitasking
- iBooks
- iMovie
All of these features are extremely appealing to the average iPhone user and even more appealing to non-iPhone users. I want to briefly talk about a few of the features but I am not going to touch on all of them.
FaceTime – Video Calling
This is the new feature I think will change the way we communicate dramatically. Think about it… We knew this day would come where we can see the person we are talking to on the other end, but did we think it would be this soon?
FaceTime is what Apple is calling it’s new “Video Calling” feature. It allows two iPhone 4 users to call each other and see each other by using the front facing camera. There is a catch though… currently it only works over WiFi. Could you imagine how much bandwidth would be taken up by every iPhone user video calling every day. I really don’t think AT&T is ready for that. FaceTime also allows you to flip the camera feed to the back camera with a single touch of the screen.
“People have been dreaming about video calling for decades. iPhone 4 makes it a reality. With the tap of a button, you can wave hello to your kids, share a smile from across the globe, or watch your best friend laugh at your stories — iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. No other phone makes staying in touch this much fun.”
This is a revolutionary new feature that Apple is bringing to the Smartphone playing field. Another interesting fact is that Apple is leaving FaceTime open so developers can implement it into their applications.
It’s really awesome when you get to video chat with someone way across the country and now we’ll be able to do it on our phones… crazy. Get ready for this to change the way we communicate.
View FaceTime in action here
HD Video Recording
The iPhone 4 will allow you to record 720p HD video on your camera phone. That is an outstanding feat. and I believe a first in the smartphone market (I could be wrong). It’s not enough just to be able to shoot HD Video but for $4.99 you can purchase Apple’s iMovie app for your iPhone 4 which allows you to edit your HD video right on your phone.
“No need to wait until you’re back at your computer to edit video. You can perform basic editing right in the Camera app. Just drag to select start and end points on a filmstrip.”
The iMovie app allows you to combine and trim video clips right on your new iPhone. This is another feature I can’t wait to get my hands on. I recently bought my fiance a new Nikon point-and-shoot that shoots 720p and we’ve been having a blast with it.
View HD Recording in action here
Multitasking
This feature has been a long time coming. I have a friend that is constantly in the Mac vs. PC battle and now currently owns an Android phone that always said that his blackberry had multitasking so why should he switch. Well now Apple has done it and done it right.
View Multitasking in action here
Release date is June 24th, 2010
You can bet that I will be one of the first one’s in line for this amazing product. I cannot wait to get my hands on the new hardware and software. See you at the Apple store.
Be sure to vote in the sidebar for your favorite new feature.
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