iPhone 4G Prelaunch Review

iPhone 4G Prelaunch Review:  The Good and the Not So Good!

There were some iPhone 4G pre launch speculations about the features available on this amazing new gadget. But despite all the rumors, Apple managed to keep most of its ideas secret till the launch date.

The new iPhone 4G is so smart and energy efficient that as you lift it to your ears to accept a call, it automatically turns off the display to save power and to avoid unintentional dialing.

Apple is giving you some FaceTime!

Sci-fi freaks, nerds and your regular movie buffs aren’t the only people day dreaming about video calling.  With iPhone, video calling has become a reality. Yet with the new iPhone 4, anyone can now share stories, ideas and smiles across the world using FaceTime.

FaceTime is a revolutionary new software application which has been incorporated into the iPhone 4G. The best part is that you won’t need to register or have a username or password to access the iPhone Video Calling services. Just find your friends on the Contacts menu, and tap the FaceTime button. Simple, isn’t it? You can even transfer to video calling from voice calls without dropping the line. The service is perfectly seamless and so futuristic that you won’t believe how easy it is to use!

Crisp, Clear and… Wonderful!

The new Apple iPhone 4G has a 960×640 screen. The pixel density is a whopping 326 pixels per inch. You ask what is so amazing about that?

Well these pixels are tiny, really tiny! Each pixel is only 78 micrometers wide. This makes everything on your iPhone 4G screen look crisp and sharp. Though it is a small screen at 9.5 inch x 3.5 inch, the reading is quite easy.

The contrast ratio is also 4 times better than the previous iPhone at 800:1.

Retina Display: You used to see ‘em, but now you don’t!

It’s Apple’s new Retina Display Technology that makes everything on the iPhone 4G screen look so stunning! Whether you are reading from web pages, text books or even your emails, or just looking at pictures and watching movies, your iPhone 4G experience is bound to be spectacular!

The iPhone 4G Retina Display technology is so amazing because it displays some where around 320 pixels per inch. This is beyond the point at which any pixels are visible at all. So, nothing on your iPhone 4G display will pixelate, and all you get is good picture quality every time!

At its launch party, Apple’s CEO Jobs demonstrated through a video the strength of the iPhone display screen. The iPhone 4G Retina display glass is made of the same material used in high speed trains and helicopters. This means that your new iPhone screen is more scratch-resistant, long-lasting and tougher than ever!

Shortcomings:

Well, there aren’t many to tell you the truth! But here are those very little disadvantages that come with keeping an iPhone 4G.

Still no Flash support

Like previous iPhone models and of course the iPad, you won’t be able to interact with websites containing Flash elements. This can greatly restrict your browsing capabilities, especially if you are fan of flash animations, games and software. 

A Micro SIM Dilemma!

Always ahead of the pack, Steve Jobs has yet taken another step towards innovation. The iPhone 4G pre-launch rumors were correct when bloggers had anticipated a phone with Micro-SIM instead of a regular one. So just be ready to pester your network providers till you get a Micro-SIM for your new iPhone.

Oh Dear, look at the price!

Ok, so money might not be an object for iPhone buffs. But, man, the phone’s expensive!

At $299 for a 32 GB model, the 4th generation of iPhone is very pricey.

Plus, it doesn’t help that other mobile phone manufacturers offer the same functionality and features for a very reasonable price. For example the Nokia N8 is even better than the iPhone 4G in some ways and still costs less.

Availability Issues

If you aren’t living in USA or UK, you are sadly out of luck! The iPhone will start selling in France, Germany, Japan as well as the UK and USA in the first week of July.

By August and September, Apple hopes to take iPhone 4G international. So you have got a lot of waiting to do!

The Droids: Google Phones

Friday was the release date for two Google phones, called Droids, with Verizon Wireless. Both phones run Google’s Android Operating System and both look like they’re the start of some exciting mobile options for Verizon customers. Both phones, the Droid Eris by HTC and the Droid by Motorola, are both phones similar looking to an iPhone with large touch screen interfaces.

This is not surprising, as Apple’s iPhone is likely going to be the main competition for this new deal between Verizon and Google. The initial buzz surrounding these new Droids is positive. They’re powerful phones, with plenty of hard drive space and a good camera. They feature

QWERTY keyboards, WiFi, Flash, all the standard social application abilities, and a growing app library called Android Market. Predictably, the phones all include a full suite of Google features, such as Latitude, Gmail, Search and YouTube and Picasa. The Droid is supposedly the world’s thinnest QWERTY slider.

Presumably these are the first in a line of phones released for Verizon that will feature Google’s Android OS. Their main rival would appear to be the iPhone, and their first strike appears to be a good one. Apple has a head start, something that is very helpful in terms of available apps for download, but with the huge amount of Verizon customers now potential customers, I’m sure the Android Market will be growing fast. Couple this with the better coverage area and reception Verizon offers compared to AT&T and Apple could be in trouble.

Still, these are the first Droids on the market. They are the version 1.0 of the Google and Verizon deal. Similar to the initial version of C3PO that Anakin Skywalker was working on in Episode One of Star Wars, these are the first thoughts of what a phone equipped with Google and Android can do. As they refine what a phone can, and should, do the Droids will be even more exciting. Much like generation one iPhones still can’t do SMS these Droids are the first step in a long process of development. There will likely be bugs, and quirks, and things that just don’t feel right. My initial thoughts on the bigger Droid were that it looked a little boxy, and not quite as sleek as it could be.

The main thing to note here is that Verizon customers never had an option for an iPhone, or a G1 Google phone. Whether it was contracts, perks, quality or loyalty keeping customers with Verizon, the choices were between a couple of blackberries and a handful of Windows Mobile smartphones. Few of those options compare to an iPhone, or these new Droids. Now Apple may be hurt by keeping the iPhone exclusively with AT&T, when millions more would’ve purchased one given the option with another carrier.

13 Features that Will Make You Want iPhone OS 3.0

Bowled over! Apple has come up with the third generation of the iPhone OS, climbing up to 3.0 this time. Following the Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 event, here are the great and new features that Apple has planned for the new OS, which is released this summer.

Copy & Paste

Following all the rumors, no surprises here. Apple has announced that the new OS will support copy and paste, and cut too. This is how it works: You double tap the desired text. The text is selected and movable grab points are shown. You grab the text and choose between cut, copy and paste from a tiny little box that pops up. Copy & Paste works in all major applications and there is ‘shake to undo’ which, as its name implies, brings up an undo and redo option when the iPhone is shaken. It works with photos too, so you can send multiple photos with the Mail app.

MMS

This was another rumor being spread by the rumor birdies. Although a great addition to the list, it only comes to the iPhone 3G, leaving the first gen iPhone users in the dark. But it finally relieves us from our SMS sorrows.

Push Notifications

iPhone OS 3.0 will feature push notifications, letting you seamlessly sync email and contacts between a desktop and mobile in real time. BlackBerry’s getting competition!

In-App Purchases

Featuring an enhanced App Store, Apple has unveiled a new feature called In-App purchases. With it, you can purchase additional content for games, magazines and maps for different cities. An example that was given was of purchasing different levels for games. As you finish the included levels, you can buy more levels from the app store.

It allows developers to make more money selling add-on content over the original app, and on the other hand it makes you want to spend more.

Peer-to-peer networking

Something that was not much talked of by the rumor birdies, peer to peer networking on the iPhone lets you share data wirelessly with other iPhone and iPod touch users over bluetooth, without the need for wifi.

Bluetooth tethering

With Bluetooth tethering, you will be able to use your iPhone as a modem, although you will need to use an app to bring that to use.

Maps API and turn by turn directions

Enhancing the already present GPS, developers can now insert maps in their applications using Google Maps. Turn by turn directions are also provided,  using the Maps API by Apple.

Accessories

A new feature called Accessories lets you control external devices using an API. The iPhone can connect to external devices such as a loudspeaker, FM transmitter or blood pressure monitor through a dock connector or bluetooth.

Bluetooth Stereo

Another late entry into the list of features is bluetooth stereo. Now you can stream music from the iPhone through bluetooth to a pair of compatible headphones or speakers.

More App Store Surprises

Apple also unveiled some new iPhone apps that were no less than a surprise. A new app called Voice Memos lets you record notes and reminders – great for journalists and freelancers. Safari now auto-fills and remembers your login information, and added phishing protection makes you more secure while mobile. A new feature called Spotlight lets you search the iPhone for data. The search works for all the Apple-made apps including Calendar and Mail. The OS 3.0 adds 1000 new APIs to extend the working of apps and give new opportunities to developers.

Landscape keyboard

The landscape keyboard can now be brought up when using applications like Mail and Notes.

New Calendar Type

Two new calendar standards have been added to the iPhone. CalDAV is a protocol that is supported by Google and Yahoo. And you can make subscriptions in the .ics format which is supported by Apple’s iCal.

Bonjour Discovery

This will let the iPhone discover other nearby devices using Bluetooth without setting up a wireless network first. It can surely bring life to multiplayer gaming on the iPhone.

What’s Your Verdict On It?

There may be some surprising features, but unsurprisingly, Apple left out Background Processing. We still can’t run two apps simultaneously. Well, that’s a bummer!

With over 25,000 apps in the App Store today and over 30 million iPhone OS units sold, the new iPhone OS 3.0 does rock, whatever the Windows fanboys say!

The iPhone OS 3.0 update will be free for iPhone users but iPod Touch users will have to pay $9.95 for the update.

What’s your take on it? Let us know in the comments!

(images by gizmodo)

(By) An avid freelance writer and technology enthusiast, Keshav Khera is young geek from India. Fanatic about the web, he also writes a blog and makes unsuccessful efforts to avoid twitter.

Strawdog Studios Set to Release Turbo Duck for iPhone

Today Derby, England based Strawdog Studios announced their first iPhone title, called Turbo Duck.

Strawdog Studios are the makers of the upcoming XBox Live Arcade title Bounce, which we wrote about earlier in an article about 9 XBLA games to watch for, so we can most likely expect Turbo Duck to be a light-hearted and enjoyable game.

Turbo Duck will be Strawdog’s first foray into the iPhone/iPod touch world. In it, players will control Turbo Duck, a duck that can turbo, not surprisingly. The goal is to guide Turbo Duck through a bathtub obstacle course in a race against time.

Of course, Turbo Duck will make use of the iPhone’s unique accelerometer and touch screen controls, allowing players to navigate Turbo Duck into flags, which give you extra time, and around hazards like toy boats and mines, all by tilting and touching the iPhone.

According to the Strawdog press release, Turbo Duck will include:

20 Levels of bath-time fun
Bobbing boats
Submerging (and surfacing) submarines
Exploding mines
Bonus Bread (Ducks like bread!)
and more…..

Overall, Turbo Duck sounds like it is going to be a silly and fun game that is perfect for the iPhone, giving players a light and entertaining game with simple but fun mechanics.

After Turbo Duck is released, iPhone gamers can likely expect more Strawdog games on the Apple hardware. According to Dan Marchant of Strawdog Studios, “The guys in the office think the iPhone is a great piece of technology and a fun platform to develop games on. Turbo Duck is our first dip in the iPhone pool but certainly won’t be our last.”

Turbo Duck will be available in English, French, Italian, German & Spanish for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. It will be out at the end of March 2009 priced at $1.99 / £1.19/ ¢â€šÂ¬1,59.

You say you want an iPhone Music Revolution!

The way we listen to and access our music has changed over the years, but nothing in the music industry has steam-rolled quite as fast as what has transpired in the first decade of the 21st Century.

As the Beatles’ rock anthem of the late 60s reminded a nation:

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution…

And as we all know, the one constant in life is change. Just when we were all starting to feel real comfortable gravitating from tapes and CDs to online music downloads, a new revolution of options is beginning to unfold.

Strangely enough, Apple has approved an iPhone application that actually might replace its iTunes music download model. Even odder is the fact the new app was created by David Dederer who’s in the process of reinventing himself. Previously the lead singer for The Presidents of the United States of America, a 90s alternative rock band, David is transitioning from his old job into his new role as VP business development for Melodeo,a music technology firm. Here, he has developed the PUSA app that will let users stream his band’s entire catalog of music over a cellular connection for less than the cost of a Big Mac.

Fans who buy the app will also get access to the band’s original 10-song demo tape Froggystyle, four albums, “lost” recordings, demos, and whatever else they can throw into the mix including live recordings updated regularly and links to the PUSA blog.

The sticky point for other bands and musical artists to follow suit is the copyright issues. One has to own all of the copyrights to a piece of music in order to distribute it this manner. Otherwise agreements and sign-offs would make it prohibitive. However if all the rights are owned outright, artists can sell their music in this new distribution channel.

Based on this innovative format, one could imagine the source of new-found wealth for artists that are sitting on publishing rights for bands that no longer perform. While there is still conjecture whether or not Michael Jackson owns the Beatles library of music outright, let’s assume for arguments’ sake he does. In this case, Michael, whose appeal has waned over the last decade, might be sitting on a small gold mine! If he could produce a Beatles app that contained over 150 songs, his financial and health worries might be over!

So while Dederer and the PUSA app are gaining traction off the fact they were the first to rock ‘n roll with this new technology, the popularity of The Presidents of the United States of America pales in comparison to the Beatles. Where the PUSA app will sell nicely at $2.99 each, one can only imagine how much Mr. Jackson might be able to hit us up for a Beatles app. Can you say Cha-Ching? Sorry Paul, but don’t think you were planning an Ebony & Ivory reunion any time soon, anyways! 

In tandem with the PUSA model, iPhone is in the process of rolling out an “unlimited access” option where customers would have the opportunity to either pay a one-time lifetime access price to the iTunes’ music library, or a monthly subscription fee. What Apple will charge users for this service is still being ironed out, but recent sources have speculated a $100 fee for unlimited access to the complete iTunes library for the lifetime of their device, whether it be an iPhone or iPod. How that fee will shake down between owners, artists and Apple is still undecided and will probably take an army of lawyers to figure out.

In the meantime, be on the look out for the PUSA app. While it might not be the type of band that floats your boat, it’s currently the only one out there selling their entire body of past, present and future work for less than three bucks!

According to Ian Paul, a journalist for PC World: “Artists will always need labels to promote their music effectively….The music retailer, however, is not so important–a lesson that Tower Records discovered,” when they incurred the recent online download evolution of the industry.

So while currently the iTunes model enjoys success by basically replacing the physical record shop for the digital world, in the end, iTunes is still selling copies of music just like Tower Records did back in the day. However, the real revolution will occur if and when major artists feel they no longer need the middleman and can sell direct to the consumer. At that juncture, Apple may have to take a major step back to rethink the way it does business. And in a completely wireless world, this could become a reality sooner then we think.

So while we inch up to the end of the first decade of this new century, and music continues to soothe the savage beast, keep your ears open to the ever-changin’ music revolution that will continue to rock on, even beyond what we discussed here!

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