The announcement of the highly anticipated iPhone 4 dominated the 2010 WWDC Keynote speech. The new iPhone adds several features such as a frontal camera, built in antennas, and a gyroscope, as well as completely overhauling the design. However, there were several other big announcements, such as iOS4 and three major entertainment apps coming to iPhone. The Keynote started with demonstration of an iBooks update for iPad. With the update, features such as sticky notes and the ability to read PDFs will be added. Then the iPhone train started rolling with the announcement of Netflix, FarmVille, and Guitar Hero for iPhone. Netflix for iPhone is a direct port of the popular iPad app only changing the size in regards to the iPhone’s smaller screen. FarmVille was a bit of a shocker, considering that it runs on Flash on Facebook. However, Zynga gave the iPhone its own native app able to do everything that can be done while playing the game on Facebook, even giving the iPhone a bonus exclusive in the snow leopard trinket. Guitar Hero had been expected, considering that rivals Tapulous and Rock Band have had iPhone apps for a long time. Developers Activision may have one-upped them both by adding a realistic strumming mechanic that neither game has. After some positive news regarding the App Store (5 billion downloads) and the iPhone’s smartphone market share (28%, second in the US), Steve Jobs finally gave the public what they had been waiting for months since the Gizmodo story: an official revealing of iPhone 4. Jobs showed eight new features, including the aforementioned frontal camera, antennas, and gyroscope, as well as retina display, an interesting way to pack more pixels into the screen and make it more appealing. But he also demonstrated the iPhone’s new camera system. The camera is now 5 megapixels and has an LED flash. Then the new app that shocked many in attendance was revealed. iMovie for iPhone, accompanying the 4’s new feature of recording 720p HD video at 30 fps. iMovie for iPhone has many of the same features as the Mac version, including adding titles, music, and showing geolocation info for clips. When approved, it will retail on the App Store for $4.99. After the camera surprise, Jobs outdid himself with showcasing iOS4, which will include multitasking, folders, and a unified inbox for Mail. The new features kept on coming with iBooks for iPhone and Apple’s new system of ads, iAd, which already has $60 million committed to it by major brands. Then Jobs sat down and said, “Oh yeah, here’s one more thing” and called Jony Ive, a member of Apple’s design team who had been the first called back when the iPhone was revealed in 2007. Jobs pushed a new button called “FaceTime” and Ive’s face appeared on the screen. Video calls have officially been brought to phones with the new FaceTime feature, which works only over Wifi and is only iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 for the time being. The cost of all this? $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB. The 4 goes on sale June 24th in America and four other countries, and preorders start June 15th.
Labels: Apple, iphone 4
