What, you didn’t think we’d leave Apple’s WWDC 2010 Conference keynote without getting some hands-on time with the slick new iPhone 4 and its feature-ladden iOS 4, did you? Following Steve Jobs’ keynote earlier today, press types such as ourselves were invited for a first look at Apple’s latest iPhone iteration, and given its powerful processor, sleek stainless steel styling, and ridiculously thin form factor, we have to say that the iPhone 4 has proven yet again that Apple leads the pack in the smartphone space.
The devil, of course, is in the details. And there really are a lot of details about the iPhone 4 that are worth mentioning. For starters, the all new iPhone has a new casing that redefines what it means to be a sleek, sexy handset. Clad in hardened glass and stainless steel, the iPhone 4 looks and feels almost like a piece of modern architecture that accidentally decided upon a career as a smartphone. The stainless steel band surrounding the bezel doubles as the cellular and WiFi radio antennas, allowing the phone to be the thinnest smartphone in the world – at just 9.3 mm thin, it really is a sight to behold.
All that stainless steel and glass gives the iPhone 4 an in-hand feel that we’ve yet to encounter on any other smartphone. The weight of the phone might seem a bit much, but after holding the device for more than a few seconds, it becomes apparent that the perception of weight comes from the class leading build quality and material quality. It’s obvious that the heft comes from the iPhone 4’s ridiculously tight construction. The entire handset seems to have been crafted from a single piece of steel, but we know that’s definitely not the case – all components are snuggly fitted and there’s not play in any of the non-moving parts. It almost feels like you’re holding a slab of solid steel (did we say that already?).
Then there are the new hardware features. The new iPhone boasts an uprated 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash. The trick here, according to Steve Jobs, is that the higher megapixel count is supplemented by the larger-than-average image sensor pixels, allowing the camera to capture more light per pixel than most other cameraphones at this level. And indeed, pictures taken with the iPhone 4 are impressive – easily able to pass as photos from a standalone digital camera.
Oh, and the camera records HD 720p video. Yup, the iPhone 4 can double as a camcorder capable of capture full HD quality videos. Then, when you’re done with filming, you can edit and piece together a move using the new iMove app for iPhone. The videos are automatically geo-tagged, so you never have to include a location stamp in your videos.
Top all that off with a super high-resolution display – called the “Retina Display” by Apple – that packs in 326 pixels per square inch (the highest of any smartphone in the world), and you’ve got the makings for another revolutionary handset. The display is as crisp and color-saturated as many OLED displays out there today. Images taken with the 5-megapixel camera are sharp and, well, badass.
Rounding out the list of impressive features is the built-in 6-axis gyroscope, WiFi N support, longer battery life, and a host of new iOS 4 features.
We’ll have more extensive coverage of the iPhone 4 sooner than you think. For now enjoy our hands-on gallery and video! Stay tuned.