Apple Unveils the iPhone 4

As had been widely expected, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new iPhone today. The new device, called the iPhone 4, will feature a new display, super-thin design, and a 5-megapixel camera. When showing it off at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco today, Jobs called the iPhone 4, "the biggest leap since the original iPhone."

The iPhone 4 features a thinner design than past models; it measures just 9.3 millimeters thick, compared to the iPhone 3GS, which measures 12mm thick. Jobs said it is "the thinnest smartphone on the planet."

Jobs also highlighted the "Retina" display on the iPhone, which offers 4 times as many pixels in the same amount of space as is offered on the iPhone 3GS. That allows for a much higher resolution; Jobs said the resolution is 326 dots per inch - which he claims is higher than the human retina can see.

Jobs also said that the iPhone 4 will use Apple's A4 chip and will feature a bigger battery. The chip's power management features combined with the bigger battery will allow the iPhone 4 to offer better battery life, Jobs said, estimating that users will see 40 percent more talk time.

The iPhone 4 will feature an improve camera with 5 megapixels of resolution - up from 3.2 megapixels on the iPhone 3GS. The camera will feature an LED flash, 5X digital zoom, and can capture 720p video at 30 frames per second. Apple also unveiled a new video app, iMovie for iPhone, which will be available in the App Store for $4.99. It will allow you to edit your movies on your iPhone, much as you can on your desktop.

In addition to the standard rear-facing camera, the iPhone 4 features a front-facing camera that can be used for video calls. A new feature called Facetime will allow people to make iPhone 4-to-iPhone 4 calls over WiFi, with no setup required.

The iPhone 4 will be available from AT&T on June 24, with pre-orders starting on June 15. It will come with 16GB or 32GB of storage, in black and white versions. AT&T will offer the 16GB iPhone 4 for $199 on contract, while the 32GB version will cost $299 on contract. AT&T will allow anyone who has a contract that expires in 2010 to get the fully-subsidized price if they renew their contract. The 8GB iPhone 3GS will still be available for $99, Jobs said.

Stay tuned for a full review of the iPhone 4 as soon as the phone is available.

Photo © Apple