iPhone Reviews

Apple iPhone 5 Review

The world of technology has seen Smartphones come and go, but guess there is yet a phone to enjoy the kind of hype or excitement that the iPhone enjoys. It probably is the one and only handset to draw endless rumors, continuous speculations, innumerable comments and infinite analysis in comparison to the rest. And to think that it is Apple’s single hit in the Samrtphone arena as the company doesn’t offer a portfolio of choices and is fundamentally a single hit. In fact a BIG hit with every iPhone variant that is showered with ground-breaking sales record that almost ends in a mass hysteria. Though there is no record broken or any gigantic screen to boast of nor is it considered the world’s thinnest that brims with features, yet people continue to feel that you needn’t necessarily break any record, it is the sheer experience that matters.

It dawns on you right from the time you hold it. Let us start with the raw specs – for starters it is 18% slimmer and 20% lighter than the big brother 4S with 12% less volume. One layer of glass has been removed from the touchscreen, well, that does explain how the handset floats in the palms with typing, and swiping almost feels like playing with the very pixels.  But then, it is beaten hands down by the Nokia Lumia 800 with its captivating curve, when it comes to tactile pleasure, (but unfortunately overlooked). Again, though the 4” screen does seem long, it doesn’t really seem wide enough to accommodate 6 rows of icons like the gigantic 4.8-inch screen of the S3 does; but still one can manage to swipe their thumb across.  It sure is a crunchy time for the Cook family ain’t it?

There is a new dual-core A6 CPU clocking inside the iPhone5 with a 1GHz, 1GB RAM and has a storage between 16 and 64GB. There is also a variety of radios that backs Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n both on the 5GHz and 2.4GHz frequencies, LTE/3G on both GSM and CDMA networks together with a GPS chip. LTE speeds work as a charm on the phone and so is the general performance of the handset that easily surpasses the 4S ( it is no slouch either). Also featuring on the iPhone5 would be the 8mp shooter on the rear and the 1.2Mp camera on the front, proximity and ambient light sensors, a sports compass, accelerometer and a gyroscope.

But then hold on, statistics generally don’t lie right? Or atleast that is what it looks like from the claims made by Apple in stating that the pre-orders for the iPhone5 has hit a colossal 2 million slamming its own previous record of 1 million a day for the iPhone4, meaning many users will not get to see their precious order for at least a month from the date of order. Now, the question remains if despite being an upgrade and a better offering in every aspect over the 4S does the late arrival of the iPhone5 fail to keep pace with the latest offerings in the Android arena or was it worth the wait? The following review might give your some answers!

IN THE BOX

• iPhone 5
• Lightning to USB Cable
• Apple EarPods with Mic/Remote
• USB power adaptor
• Documentation

A Longer, Lighter and Thinner Design

Well, it is pretty much the same iPhone in a completely different avatar, which exactly is the iPhone5’s prime takeaway point. Something that cannot be appreciated unless and until one gets personal or close with, but once you do the Wow factor never stops and it is a matter of time before you notice the same. Initially, the disappointment is hard to conceal when glanced at the iPhone5 from afar, but the minute you pick it up it fades away as it dawns on you that Apple has thoroughly re-engineered the phone crafting it a lot thinner and lighter making a massive difference of how it feels.

Weighing about 112g the iPhone5 measures 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm and sports a 4-inch screen that boasts of 16:9 ratio offering additional screen real-estate than its predecessor. So if you are looking at bragging your new iPhone5 to the owners of the 4S then it is 20% light, 18% thin and 12% small, volumetrically speaking. Again, the Homescreen button and the 8Mp camera (at the rear) is pretty much there with a virtually identical volume and mute keys. Also the orange marker which indicates that the vibrate is on fills the indent now, with the power switch remaining the same. A quick look at the SIM slot would seem pretty much the same one, but it actually isn’t, as the phone now features a nano SIM as against the micro SIM. Yeah, users will have to order new SIM for their phone and true to its name it’s a teeny weeny SIM. Now, the headphone socket has been shifted to the bottom – a nice move – and the speaker grills have been spared of pocket lint, thanks to the metal surround. The new Lightning socket replaces the conventional 30-pin dock connector, which is again fairly small. Are we sensing a pattern here?

Now apple has not managed to achieve the slimness in the design just by shrinking all of the internal components, but majorly by ditching the glass rear for anodised aluminum, akin to the company’s MacBook range. The black variant of the handset is known as “slate” and as the name implies is a dyed metal. Now ditching the rear glass and minimizing the glass panel’s thickness on the front looks to have affected the design together with the metal band that runs around the edge of the phone. So aside from these edgy details, the iPhone5 doesn’t disappoint users one bit and you cannot help, but feel its monolithic presence and means nothing but business, product design at its best. It sits comfortably in the palm, looks incredibly amazing and oozes quality with absolutely no traces of cheap plastic or funky polycarbonate colors or awkward buttons and more importantly gives you the feeling of a premium Smartphone. All parts just gel in so perfectly.

A Bigger and Richer 4-inch Retina Display

Now it is nothing new if you are an existing iPhone owner to be stuck with one of the smallest displays available on the market. Competitors like Sony, Samsung, HTC, Nokia and LG are all ahead in the race in offering humongous 4 to 5-inch displays or if anything more. So after 5 long years of 3.5” screens looks like Apple decided that change is good. So, they went ahead and elongated the screen retaining the width, offering users a 4” Retina display that boasts of a resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels @ 326ppi (pretty much the same as the 4S). Simply put, it has made way of yet another row of apps on the Homescreen where widescreen movies fit in better too. Now, everything has a consequence doesn’t it, so does this! The implications will soon be witnessed in the apps. Even though Apple takes full advantage of this new space with their updated apps, the non-updated apps will be left with black bars either on the top/bottom or on either sides, based on the orientation giving you the feeling of watching a 4:3 sitcom on a 16:9 TV. Well, as much awful as it sounds, the screen’s colour quality makes up for all of the black area that is unused and blends so very seamlessly in the black-pigmented glass surrounding it, that one would barely notice it. Needless to say there will always be updates, particularly for the popular apps, sometime around Christmas, probably.
The display is not just bigger, but a lot richer too and delivers 44% amplified colour saturation in comparison to big brother 4S and utilizes the sRGB colour gamut, the same that is seen in photos, movies, web, computer monitors and HDTVs. The result being, colours are more lively and evidently richer even under direct sunlight, with apps literally zinging out the screen, movies more vibrant, and websites crispy.

A blazing A6 processor

Now for couple of users out there tech specs isn’t the end of world of a gadget, the way it performs in the real world matters more. So, benchmarking the iPhone5 against its competitors with varied specs/OS seems kind of pointless.  In short, the iPhone has the new A6 processor ticking inside of it as against the A5 in the predecessor, 4S, which means apps are quicker to load. Now, the speed doesn’t get apparent with basic tasks, but it sure does get evident with loading demanding apps or playing your favorite games. That said faster performance is not something that is unexpected out of the iPhone5.

Lightning

It is now hello Lightning and bye-bye venerable Dock connector. Apple has finally decided to ditch the ubiquitous 30-pin Dock connector that had been dominating the accessory world for 10 years now budding out of small and large accessories. We did know that its days were numbered ever since iPods started slimming down. A nice move actually, as the clunky giant connector was more of an annoyance, which no longer would be with the iPhone 5 as Apple has decided that it was about time to ditch it. We sure wouldn’t miss the Dock connector, but at the same time Lightning doesn’t really give that confidence though. So let’s kick start with the positives; for starters Lightning is way more easy to connect as it slots in well, regardless of the direction, right side up or upside down. In fact, you should be able to drive it in even without having to look at it. It is durable, small and much sturdy than the microUSB options or the flimsy dock connector. So, with the connector being reversible, no more fumbling in the dark over a bedside cabinet while trying to guess which way to slot in the charger. Yes, there looks to be a promise of having a cable in the box, but unfortunately not an adaptor.
This all new docking connector can be found towards the bottom of the iPhone 5 and also means that all of your 30-pin cables/accessories wouldn’t work unless you purchase a £25 adaptor. While it might leave most of the users annoyed, we might also want to realize the fact that Apple has clung to the same connector diligently for over a decade now and it is time for a change, particularly given the fact that most docks these days have been designed to stream wirelessly anyway.

Stunning 8Mp Camera

There is only one word to describe the camera of the iPhone5 – stunning. It is in fact one of the best cameras ever that one can find on a Smartphone and a fine one too based on the point-and-shoot standards. The images shot by the iSight shooter looks crisp, clear and extremely well-defined. iSight is pretty much the same from the 4S with just the overall mechanism being stripped down a bit to fit the tight confines of the gadget. Also the protective glass on the outside has been ditched for a 6-mm crystal sapphire disc for durability. Meaning you are offered an 8Mp shooter with a rear-illuminated sensor that shoots via a five-element f/2.4 lens. Again, bigger screen would mean bigger shutter release button that will be more appreciated by those with bigger thumbs.

The field’s depth is perfectly shallow enough to produce shots that are dramatic and are devoid of verging into parody. Wider shots are a fab too with the macro performance being nothing short of excellent. Color reproduction looks a bit blown out in comparison to its rivals, but in fact much better than the big brother, 4S, owing to being less artificially saturated. Also the Full HD, lives up to the expectation and is no slouch either and captures absolute shake-free videos that are as good as still images. Video processing in particular is exceptionally fast in the phone with uploads on LTE being an absolute fab. The front-facing camera is good too in diligently snapping all those fancy, endless self-portraits and is absolutely perfect and unbiased in giving you glimpses of your graying hair and wrinkles with absolute painstaking detail.

Moving on to the software part, nothing much has changed but for the most-touted panorama mode. For those of you who are new to panorama photography, the phone allows for you to pan across a huge scene at a constant pace and while it snaps the images, the software sews them all into one big “panoramic picture”. iOS sure does carry out this mode way better than other devices, though it isn’t something novel as many other dedicated cams and Android gadgets boast of a similar functionality. Then again, we will have to endorse the fact that the results brought about by the iPhone5 were significantly superior its rivals (but watch out for the low-lighting that brings about some evident noise) and based on how steadily and slickly one moves their hand, they can shoot up to as high as 30 megapixels.

For all the existing iPhone users (4S), the new snapper wouldn’t seem very special, but a side-by-side comparison would do the trick in making one realize the definition and clarity of images produced by the iPhone5. Though rivals like the Nokia Lumia 920 may succeed in beating Apple hands down when it comes to comparison, any day the iPhone5 would be the gadget to have in your pockets if you are planning on ditching the professional shooter at home.

Earpods

The new Earpods that accompany the iPhone 5 made some headlines on being unveiled which Apple claims are designed “from the sound up.” Well, truth be told they are nothing but for a justified upgrade in comparison to the trivial white variants that have been hanging around the iPhones and iPods for sometime now.  These partial in-ear earphones look more robust in comparison to the older pitiful variants. Though it sounds clear (despite being bit bass heavy), the buds always give the feeling that it is gonna slip out anytime, just like the previous variant. Nevertheless, the warm throb produced by them is significantly better than before. Guess the cost-effective RHA MA350 does a better job when paired up with the iPhone 5 in comparison to the £25 offering from Apple (just in case you manage to successfully break them). Long story short, the earpods manage to do a decent job and nothing revolutionary about them.

Gaming

Thanks to the enhanced graphic chip, Gaming on the iPhone5 has been given more priority than ever, as always, in comparison to the predecessor 4S and the new iPad. It is matter of time before it dawns on users as to why the iPhone5 proves to be a tuff competitor to the conventional handheld console as the gameplay is stunningly responsive and fluid even on an absolutely intensive title. As always users are given access to the gyroscope and accelerometer, which isn’t anything new, but what really excites gamers is the ability to go whirling across the room shooting all of those bad guys (something that we got to enjoy in the 4S itself) brings back nostalgic memories. The options galore when it comes to gaming content that is easily available in the App store, that are cost-effective too, so it would be ideal to check those out, no matter how seasoned a gamer you are, because you might be lucky with couple of latest versions. Also there is a lot more content to be explored now especially with the screen’s real estate being increased, which definitely would be a rewarding experience, particularly the games that require accelerometer-based controls. So, it would be just matter of time before the developers take thorough advantage of this additional real estate making one guess how far can those birds be flung across in the future.

Performance

Sound and Reception
The sound quality of the phone is absolutely crystal clear for incoming calls via both the speaker and earpiece as well as the outgoing calls via the mic on the device. Looks like the attempt from Apple (in incorporating 3 microphones on the handset that picks up sound as well as help with noise reduction) looks to be an absolute success. The speaker particularly is loud and clear when it comes to calls or playback of audio with no trace of distortion.

In terms of reception, too the phone fares exceedingly well with no dropped calls to complain of, unless and until you are in someplace that is not the best place to receive or make calls, the phone serves you faithfully well.

Battery life

Now here is an amazing feat that Apple has managed to pull of in this lighter and thinner gadget – its battery life. It is not just good as its predecessor, in fact even better despite using LTE data. The iPhone 5 serves you faithfully through a typical day’s heavy usage (like browsing, checking mails, staying connected on the social networking, tons of mails, a wee bit of music playback and gaming and some intermittent video watching) before it decides to die out on you. Now you can partly control the battery drain by effectively managing iOS’s confusion with lock screen notifications, as it weirdly wakes up display every time there is an email or FB notification. Well, if you are casual user, it is fine, but if you are the kind of person that gets never ending notifications and emails, then you might wanna save your battery drain by switching off the email/FB notifications from the lock screen, that could help the dying battery a wee bit. But otherwise, the iPhone5 sure does live up to the claims made by Apple and you can be absolutely fearless in getting through a day despite the flow of LTE data. And for all those heavy users, you are better off keeping your chargers handy if you are gonna chug down the battery

Software

The all new iOS is something that will please everyone with its simple, clean and easy to understand ways. Well, it would also be ideal to point out that there are no major changes between the iOS 5 and iOS 6 and as expected it is only an effort to make tweaks, nips and tucks here and there and couple of stylistic edits and it is not really reinventing how or what the OS does. It has its own plus and minus points. Let us start off with the positives first, like a couple of things that Apple is famous for, namely the reflection of the music controls that alter with tilting the phone or say alter the all new pull-to-refresh animation that has been added to the Mail app. There are couple of neat tweaks added by the company (nothing great or novel though, but it is good to see them here) namely the reply with text when you choose to reject a call or the Do Not Disturb feature that allows for setting a time window and letting only a selected few to get through to you. Neat huh???

On the whole, it is pretty much the same iOS that users are familiar with, the same things that you managed to do to get your job in the iOS 4 or iOS 3.
Then again there are a couple of things that has been poorly planned or completely annoying, implementation of unobtrusive notifications while the phone is being used, for instance. Initially, the Notification Center came as a boon from the pop-up’s and alerts from Apple, but it has unfortunately turned annoying, thanks to the way these beacons are being handled by the company. So here is the thing right, as against making use of the all new taller screen to remove notifications from the areas where the phone is regularly accessed, these notifications endlessly pop up on the upper area of the screen, giving you a trapped feeling by waiting for the lousy messages to disappear in order to access the keys that you have to get to. Or the only other way would be to swipe left on the messages (a hidden function) that manages to scurry down these drop downs away.

Elsewhere, users might have to go in circles just to perform simple tasks like clearing caches in Safari or toggling to a private window for browsing, which takes around 6 home key taps and button presses for the same to happen while browsing. Also the Settings look to be a mess – what once looked wonderful during the initial setup looks exasperating as you pile up on apps. Again multitasking isn’t impressive either, as it fails to represent app states and forces stuff that needs to be always on like the IM clients that undergoes shutdown warnings every now and then. Likewise, neither Twitter updates nor Tweetbot client happens in the background (unlike Android where Twitter updates keep running in the background, even if users are disconnected they might have new content waiting to be viewed) and users need to always catchup with services. All of these might seem trivial, but when this spreads across various apps, the OS seems baffling, claustrophobic and nothing short of being obstructive many a time.
While we appreciate Apple’s social networking options like Facebook/Twitter, we cant help being unhappy with some missed opportunities which is a no-no namely – reading an article via Pocket, saving file to the Dropbox folder, posting images to Tumblr directly from the browser. Nope, none of these is possible. Yes, there could be some weird JavaScript bookmarklet that might take care of the above tasks, but guess that wouldn’t be the preferred way to accomplish these everyday tasks, that most users do on their phones on a daily basis.

Again, developers are left empty-handed by the company when it comes to widgets by just providing space in the notification draw for minimally-useful widgets like stock and weather but refuses to provide that space for anything else. The same goes true for actionable notifications. Jelly Bean notifications can be acted upon without having to get into an app, which is a fantastic addition to Android (something people use all the time). It would be nice to see some innovation in this area from Apple.

iOS sure is lovely and coherent operating system, but guess it is starting to show signs of aging, by being less helpful today than it was earlier, particularly with the competition getting sophisticated by the minute. It kind of leaves users constantly wondering where they stand or what their status is, having to load and reload stuff time and again that is almost getting tiresome. Especially if you are a Android fanatic who is much used to using the communication tools or the Google Apps on a daily basis, then it would be matter of time before you might want to run back to the safe Jelly Bean realm as it is the most handy, elegant and powerful one, at least for now. That said, for what it lacks in consistency and elegance, the iOS makes up for it in flexibility and power.

SIRI

There is a significant improvement in Siri and looks pretty much capable than what it earlier used to be. It doesn’t just do stuff like posting on SN sites, but it also is handy now with opening apps, detailing on movies, providing scores for sports, and overall is much faster and better in digging out any kind of info. It can be put to use for all those stuff that one would like to do when their hands are full, and it faithfully responds rapidly with accurate info and carries out the task diligently. It sure is a significant improvement when compared to the previous generation, and it certainly looks like Siri connects way faster when the LTE connectivity is out and about.

EMAIL

No drastic changes have taken place in terms of Mail, but for a couple of added features. For starters, it allows for pull down to refresh, a nice touch, Secondly, users are now provided with a “VIP” inbox akin to the Priority Inbox in Google where some specific contacts can be assigned, but then it is more of manual. Also flagging messages is a possibility now, and doesn’t pose much of a hassle. Most of the additions are subtle and for the better. But one thing that is yet to change still is its lack of searching message content. It wasn’t possible then and it is not possible now either. This could a little annoying especially when you are on the go and need to dig out some urgent info. Wondering why Apple is so reluctant in doing something as trivial as indexing messages? A future update probably? We’re waiting Apple!

PASSBOOK

Despite the iPhone5 lacking NFC, Apple hasn’t entirely ditched the mobile commerce revolution either, as it includes an app called PassBook that replaces NFC. An easy way to shed all those accumulating loyalty cards or all those loose change that you have to scuffle for to have a cup of coffee. Don’t bother about reaching for that crumpled boarding pass when you see a TSA agent approaching you. Because the PassBook app from Apple is here to make life easier for you, or atleast we hope so. It is really cool to watch the Passbook passes spring up on your phone’s lock screen, as they are geo-fenced. So the next time you step in to a Starbucks outlet, your Starbucks cards appears by default on the phone. Though this app did not have its fair share of attention as the Maps did, it sure is a most anticipated feature and the app has already started taking off with couple of companies getting onboard like WalGreens, American Airlines, Target etc. PassBook works almost like a currency by helping to sort gift/loyalty cards, tickets and coupons in a wallet-like interface on all iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. The PassBook items have been integrated with sites and apps such that any transaction happening within it gets directed to an “Add to Passbook” option which in turn imports info and the info translates into scannable tickets/cards in the app. Again, with iOS 6 being location-aware, a couple of Passbook’s coupons/cards pop up even if the user is in the vicinity of a store or event. Well, for now the app is not in its best potential, but guess with the growing list of partners, it is just a matter of time before this valuable tool takes the shape of a personal assistant to most of us. An ideal way to streamline your wallet and get things more organized, be it clipped coupons or tickets or stubs.

MAPS

Now what can we say about the Maps in the iOS6, handsome and impressive. It is prompt, smooth and now also offers free turn-by-turn navigation. It also flaunts away couple of new technology of Apple’s, Yelp integration, partnerships, 3D Flyover mode acquisitions, together with hooking in and out of Siri. Well, there are a couple of others who think otherwise that the Maps app is a significant step backward for the iOS and is really gonna take a long time before it gets perfected. It sure isn’t something impossible for a company like Apple to make stellar Maps, but it would require tons of data which it simply lacks right now. Formerly Apple was depending on Google’s mapping expertise for this app on their phones, but guess the supposed unending animosity between the two giants have left behind Apple users a hugely mediocre product. In fact, the inferiority of the product gets all the more worse with the latest Android Map offerings powered by Google that is backed by Google’s extensive content partners/mapping data. That said, there is nothing wrong with the iOS maps particularly with the smartly designed turn-by-turn navigation that has been smartly built and well-laid out. There are times when the GPS tends to lose signal or the navigation kind of stalls, but then this can happen with any phones, so it wouldn’t be fair to blame the iPhone5’s Maps. With TomTom powering navigation, there definitely looks like there are a couple of kinks that need to be worked out, like for instance the Traffic Data that is nearly scarce in comparison to Google Maps. Also, the Flyover mode is a nice touch, but then again in comparison to Google’s offerings – indoor views for some museums/stores, extensive street view – it indeed is hard to be impressed. Well, it sure is helpful, but not really useful.

What looks to be a prime issue with Apple’s Maps is that it absolutely lacks on transit data. This might not seem to be a major issue in some parts of the world, but in places where it matters the most wherein you desperately require an up-to-the-minute update in a crowded place like a subway too, it sure does seem like a matter of life or death. This kind of major failing for such a service looks very unlikely of Apple, where the company requests users for patience while it tries to perfect their mapping skills as it takes the help of crowd-sourcing in ironing out such glitches. This can be disregarded if we are talking about some trivial company, but for someone who thrive on consumer hype by the minute, the least that can be expected of them is to aim for atleast a near-perfection prior to launch of such hyped handsets. Because it feels really weird to think that since when did the company depend on developers to pick up the slack for a 1st party app as this on their phone.

Connectivity

Talk of connectivity and one cannot deny the fact that the iPhone5 is the best in this regard. Aside from the 4G offerings along with slower 3G connections, there are a lot more surprises awaiting to be unearthed. For starters, there is 4.0 Bluetooth included that might sound like the faster variant of the wireless tech seen for decades now, but in actuality is a modest upgrade that allows connecting to devices with low power with absolute ease. Meaning devices like pressure sensors or heart monitors can now be used without having to be charged every other second. With newer technologies being designed to make the best use of the 4.0 BT, Apple is probably the biggest pusher of technology particularly with their apps being developed revolving the ecosystem. Though their mapping skill doesn’t speak high of the company, they sure have made up for that with the connection speeds that are fairly strong which is supported by both aGPS and GLONASS. For the tech-deprived, GLONASS is the Russian rival of GPS that offers connection to tons of other satellites, and is required if you are looking at shipping your Smartphone inside the country with no tax. It doesn’t really matter to consumers as long as their access to satellites are made easy especially a one with strong connection and something that manages to be tracked in 3 secs or less, mostly, that makes it a handy tracking system.

Wi-Fi is well covered too in the iPhone5 with 802.11a/b/g/n support, together with supporting 2.4GHz/5GHz frequencies. You wouldn’t have to try hard to understand all these technicalities and rest assured that it has all router technologies covered with a dual-band frequency that ensures that the other gadgets in the house doesn’t interfere with your Wi-Fi. While on the subject, we must say that the Wi-Fi signal strength is most impressive on a Smartphone as this, as the new iOS 6.0 update manages to grab a signal even in a room with faintest of connectivity; impressive!

iCloud

Apple’s online storage system – iCloud is becoming increasingly mature these days and looks to be a worthy addition in Apple’s ecosystem. Once you are logged on to your iCloud address, it allows for checking of mails on the server, safeguard your contacts by saving all of them in the iCloud or keep track of calendars saved via the service. Yet another incredible and cool thing would be to track your iOS device by fishing it out on a map that makes it emit a loud squeak for users to find their gadgets or better yet have it erased wirelessly with a connection being present. Again, by paying a fee it also allows for purchasing Pages from the App Store wherein you can pool resources on documents over the cloud via a plugged in iOS gadget that can be shared or saved instantly. Essentially, the whole stuff is less powerful but much easier to handle and sure does beat Google’s offering hands down. Although, the same or if anything more is quite possible on an Android device too, it is in the ease of use arena that Apple triumphs. Nevertheless, the online setup can be a bit testing in terms of ease of use, which users need to watch out for.

Verdict

The iPhone5 is an absolutely polished Smartphone that oozes appeal. It is amazingly well designed, easy to use, boasts of a huge screen, and packs enough power and speed to carry out all the commands faithfully. With a stunning hardware, it indeed is impressive to note how much can be crammed into this tiny box.

Now the same cannot be told of the software front though the iOS is fairly easy as the iOS 6 adds barely anything to the iOS 5 story. We don’t really see the same kind of leap taken by the hardware, as this version of OS concentrates more on replacing services or filling gaps as against re-writing something fresh from the scratch.

Also while the design and hardware is of cutting edge, the software still likes to play it safe. Now those of you all who have already ditched Apple’s eco-system for a HTC, Samsung or Nokia, the iPhone 5 is not gonna draw you back. This is a kind of phone that the existing Apple patrons would like to upgrade to as they would love the new design, its features and will be able to appreciate the kind of engineering and hard work that has gone into it.

Well, the iPhone still shines. Take your pick on any benchmark and you will find this amazing thin weapon smiling at you from the top. But the question is would it convince you to ditch a Windows or Android phone for it? Maybe yes, Maybe no! For the iOS patrons this is a no-brainer. Additionally, there are plenty of other options out there that promises to not suck a huge obscene amount out of your pockets (£529 for a 16GB variant and an additional £70 if you wish to double the memory; the contract price is not gonna make users happy either) each month that is probably worth checking.  It beyond doubt is the best iPhone yet, that is, until you crave for the iPhone6, it sure will serve you most diligently.

Complete Specifications of iPhone 5

Manufacturer	Apple
Phone Version	iPhone 5
Device type	Touchscreen
Dimensions (H x W x D)	4.87” x 2.31” x 0.30” (123.8 x  58.6 x 7.6 mm)
Weight	3.95oz (112 g)
Colour Available	Black & Slate and White & Silver
Capacities Available	16/32/64GB
Display resolution	1136 x 640 pixel resolution @326ppi
Display features	Retina Display, 4-inch diagonal multi-touch widescreen display, 800:1 contrast ratio, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on the front, 500cd/m2 max brightness, supports display of multiple characters and languages simultaneously
Camera/Video	8Mp iSight snapper, LED flash, Autofocus, Panorama, Tap-to-focus video/still images, HD videos (1080p) @30fps with audio, FaceTime HD cam with 1.2Mp photos/HD videos (720p) @30fps, face detection for both still/video images, geotagging of photos and videos, enhanced video stabilization.
Audio Playback	Supported audio formats: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, HE-AAC, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV. User-configurable maximum volume limit
Headphones	Apple Earpods with Mic/Remote, storage & travel case
Mail Attachment support	Viewable Document Types .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); . ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
Sensors	Accelerometer, 3-axis gyro, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Environmental requirements	Operating ambient temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C) Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m) Nonoperating temperature: ?4° to 113° F (?20° to 45° C)
System Requirements	Some features require Apple ID, internet access, syncing iTunes on a PC or Mac requires – • Mac: OS X v10.6.8 or later • PC: Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later • iTunes 10.7 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
Accessories	Lightning to 30-pin adaptor, Apple world travel adaptor kit
Power/Battery	Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G Standby time: Up to 225 hours Internet use: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 8 hours on LTE, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi Video playback: Up to 10 hours Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Warranty	1 year limited warranty on parts and labour

Apple iPhone 4 Review

Midnight campers, miles long queues and stores with all the stock wrung out of them; what else sounds like all of that? It can only be a new iPhone. Apple’s launch of the iPhone 4 has witnessed the greatest excitement for a new iPhone ever and this is just a reflection on how successful and exciting its predecessors were. Despite some hitches down the line, Apple’s iPhone 4 has proved to be a fairly successful launch. The proof being servers of Apple and AT&T gasping for breath on the launch date with overwhelming pre-orders with the next consignment for shipping being postponed – thanks to the incredible demand.

In the three years since the first iPhone went on sale, the mobile landscape had changed irrevocably. Most phones in the market now offer apps, internet browsing, social networking widgets and email, while the higher end phones continue to innovate around speed, features and built quality. All this just means that Apple has an increasingly difficult job in its hands; responding to the innovations of the chasing pack while turning out a new handset every year. As you can see, it is really a lot to live up to and Apple’s iPhone 4 is doing its best with the inclusion of features like the super fast A4 CPU, a completely new industrial design, an outrageous retina display, front facing camera and a five mp shooter on the back and with all this, no one will dare to argue that Apple has been sleeping at the wheel. So, now the million dollar (or pound in this case) question is that, whether or not the iPhone 4 can live up to the intense hype. We have answers for every question of yours regarding the iPhone; read on to find out.

Design:

We cannot overstate how high end the design of iPhone 4 is. The 3GS now feels cheap and chubby by comparison, and even a phone like the HTC Driod Incredible, which came out just now, looks like last generation.

An iPhone Makeover:
Perhaps, the most notable change with the new iPhone 4 is the drastic industrial design overhaul.  The design engineers have completely rethought its strategy on how the iPhone should look and feel, and the end result is nothing if not striking. Although the 3GS and 3G versions of the iPhone just made minor changes to the design of the original handset, the iPhone 4 turns out to be an intelligent exit from those earlier models. As you might be aware by now, we were very fond of the look and feel of all the three previous handsets, and we have to only say that the design of the iPhone has got only better. In short, the facia and rear are glass; back and front are level and steel edging that circle the whole phone. Though some of you picky ones might say that it looks a bit box-like, it even has a spotless, svelte and the all important look of Apple. The design aspect that we liked the most, is its flat back, because this way, the phone does not quiver while resting on the table. As you might be aware by now, the iPhone 4 can be got in white and black; here again, the former one is much more preferable.

Glassy:
With so much of glass involved, the iPhone 4 is certainly very shiny and beautiful; but Glass means, there are some concerns too. Though Apple has thoughtfully offered some oleo phobic veneer on front and rear, the glass draws smearing by a ton. And, even though Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs assures us that the glass does a much better job in resisting scrapes and breaks than plastic, we will have to watch for its longer toughness. The iPhone 4 has a very sturdy and solid feel and it does survive some falling on to a carpet. But, we do speculate how it can endure travelling inside a pocket with all your coins and keys. Only time has to say how it withstands everyday heavy usage.

Dimensions:
With the dimensions of (H x W x D) 4.5 x 2.3 x 0.37 inches, the Apple iPhone 4 has just about the same height as the 3GS, however, it is slightly thinner at 25% to be precise and is also narrower when calculated across the face. It certainly does feel less significant when compared to its ancestors, but that is not an awful thing. Apple boasts that this is the slimmest smartphone in the market, but since this race changes rapidly everyday, it might not cling on to the label for longer. When weighed, it is at 4.8 ounces, that is exactly what we had in the first generation iPhone, as both the iPhone 3GS and 3G were a bit light. The additional breadth is attributed to the larger battery and so, we will not be complaining about it; and the difference is barely noticeable.

Retina Display:
At times, the greatest gift is something that you did not know you actually wanted and that is absolutely the case with the screen of the iPhone 4. It has what is called as a Retina Display, with a resolution of 960 x 640 pixels, which is 4x the resolution of the earlier iPhones. The new “Retina display”; so named because it surpasses the number of pixels the human retina can process. In addition to this, it makes use of the identical IPS display that is used on the iPad, with a massive contrast ratio of 800:1. Though we have always loved and praised the displays of the current iPhone, Apple needs to give a finishing touch to it with the mind blowing TFT and AMOLED displays that we have on a lot of Android phones such as HTC Evo 4G; that is exactly what it has done.

Though “Dazzling”, “Gorgeous” and “Stunning” are the words we gadget reviewers typically use to explain the high quality and well performing smartphone displays, we are not quite sure if these words will do justice to iPhone 4’s display. Trust us, the whole display is simply fantastic; bold colours, exotic graphics to the brightly clear text. The display can be seen sensibly well in direct sunlight and the details on the photos, applications, web pages and videos are as sharp as they can ever be. The best thing about the display is that, you cannot see any pixels on the display. This is quite remarkable, especially apparent when you hold it up next to the iPhone 3GS. All this praise does not mean that we believed Apple’s claim that the display exceeds what is perceivable by the human eye, but we must also admit that there is no denying to the fact that it looks amazing. The iPhone 4 too has the same accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor with no changes in functionality.

Buttons and Ports:
Most of the residual outside elements of the iPhone remain largely unchanged. You will find the Home button at its usual place, below the display and the 3.5mm headset jack and power key sit up top next to the afore mentioned noise cancellation microphone. The other ports, the 30 pin connector, microphone, and speaker are placed on the bottom end of the iPhone 4. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, you will still not be able to remove the battery.

Other changes:
As we had mentioned earlier, some of the other design changes include the latest front VGA camera, LED flash with main camera lens and the inclusion of the microphone on the top side of the phone. Not to mention, they are all welcome additions as they symbolize novel functionality. We liked the split volume buttons as they are easier to get a grasp on than the prior volume rocker. Just on top of the volume is the mute button that has also got a little makeover from Apple. Moving on to the major changes, Apple has placed the SIM card slot to the right and has also switched to the MicroSIM format, similar to the iPad; this kind of the Micro-SIM set-up allows for some extra area for the generously proportioned battery. So, all we have to say is, just note that you cannot use a pattern SIM in the iPhone 4.

Antenna:
Most of you might be thinking that the stainless steel border is just a design feature, but it is actually more than just decorative. This is really the antenna that encircles that phone, except for 3 tiny notches. Just about now we got the feeling that Apple’s designers are some extra terrestrial people. The 1st antenna towards the left is for WiFi and Bluetooth and the second one is for 3G and EDGE. Though Apple does not specifically say that these new antennas will be enhancing the call quality or WiFi reception by any means, by the renovation itself proves that they admit that it required some changes. Even though most of the other iPhone consumers have blamed their network providers for their connectivity issues. However, we are still not sure if the new antennas have improvised reception. In fact, have they made it even worse? Read on to find out the answer.

Features:

Apple iPhone 4 is the dream phone that everybody wishes to have, by being some kind of a revolution it is way ahead in any type of competition. In fact, it has made it look as if the previous iPhones are nothing. With scores of new features, it looks more like the iPhone 4 running in circles round the predecessor 3GS ending up with some unique features and the rest of them with just an update of the iOS 4.

Connectivity:
Apple iOS 4 has added persistent WiFi, which allows the iPhone 4 to stay connected to the hot spot even when it is in the stand-by mode. But, this could result in adverse negative effect on battery, so, we will be watching. With the availability of wake on wireless, the handset promises to wake from standby when it comes in range of a cellular network. This is not something that we were asking for, but having included, we are happy to take it. Now, there is also support for using a Bluetooth keyboard. We were able to successfully pair and used an Apple Bluetooth keyboard without any issues.

Processor and Speed of iPhone 4:
The processor ticking beneath the iPhone4 is pretty much the same as the iPad – 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 chip. Additionally, it boasts of a 512MB RAM, though is not specified by Apple. Just within few minutes of usage, we realised that the phone is quite a bit faster than the 3GS and certainly than the iPhone 3G. Menus, applications, and other features opened in a flash. And as we mentioned earlier, the app switching in the multitasking menu and the camera shutter did not leave us waiting.

Home Screen Folders:
We love apps as much as you do, but we are also tired of scrolling through heaps of pages on the home screens. The good news is, that has changed with the inclusion of home screen folders. Though it is a feature that others had for a long time, we are still glad to find it on the iPhone 4. To start with, give a long press on the home screen so the icons “jiggle”, just the way it did in the iPhone 3 and 3GS. You can then drag an app and place it on top of another. The folder then appears as a square with tiny icons of the included app inside. It is good news that you are presented with a fair amount of flexibility for folder organisation. You can add any number of folders, change their name and add any related or unrelated apps. But, you can have just 12 apps in each folder. Not only is this applicable to the third party apps, you will also be able to group the legacy features. Though the overall experience is quite good, we will not go to the extent of saying that it provides any revolutionary experience when compared to the other android phones.

Home screen customisation:
Home screen customisation was not a feature that we expected Apple to include in this model and it was in the bottom part of our longing list. Surprisingly, the company has done a very decent job in rolling out the feature out there. It is true that you have always been able to alter the usual black backdrop by the third party apps, the iOS4 does add the native ability to the iPhone and iPod Touch. In the iPhone 4, you can find the “wallpaper” option in the Settings Menu and then choose either the wallpaper that is already available or even a picture on your camera. After a selection is made, you get the choice to set it as the wallpaper for your home screen or the lock screen. Though all of this sounds to be straight forward, there are some black spots too. First of all, remember that once you manage to ditch the standard black background, there is no way to get it back. You can only take a photo of the black wall, the night sky or a dark room, but it is hardly the same thing. As time has passed by, Apple has replaced some of the native wallpapers with new options.

Multitasking:
Though you have the capability to multitask with the native features on iPhone like the music player, the feature id available for 3rd party apps too. The main entrée point is a multitasking menu that can be accessed by double tapping on the home button. As soon as you get to the menu, you will view a list of applications that are running at that moment on the base of the the screen that you will be able to scroll on finger swiping. Apple has made the multitasking menu so easy. To open a running app, just scroll through the menu and tap over its icon once. And, when you are set to end the app, first do an elongated press on the particular icon and tap over the small delete button on the top left. Switch between the applications is a relatively simple task as well; when you go forward and backwards, you will get back to the precise point that you left. There is also an obvious wisdom of organisation, with the freshly used apps on the left. The aweinspiring Apple experience!

As you can imagine, the multitasking on the iPhone is way different to the ones on former smart phones. The iOS does not allow the device to use all the resources to be there for all the apps running, instead it allows just 7 apps to run on the background. This will have much less draining effect on the battery and memory. In addition to this, the background apps just stop; it will let alone the device from juggling resources and destroy the stalled applications. The seven of the approved apps include the VOIP services, GPS apps, music, local and push notifications, quick app switch and task completion. The local notification apps are those that cannot pass via the server and hence quick app switching is possible. With this task completion feature, the app will complete what it is doing though in background and also will send an alert as soon as it is done. The quick app switching is a process of app hibernation that will help toggling forward and backwards. Incomplete is the best word to explain the restrictions of the iOS4. You will not be able to play a lot in you background, for instance, your tweet will pause, but the OS still allows you to play a few stuff from a lot of apps at the same time. Now, that sure is multitasking.

Even though multi-tasking came in after a long wait, we were really satisfied with the whole experience. Because, everything needs to have a way of doing and Apple has offered this feature in an efficient and easy to handle way. Its performance was simply inspiring and it did so without ever failing the phone at any point. It did not affect the battery life in a negative way and it totally finishes what it is supposed to be doing. Though it has all these strong points, we would not conclude that it is the finest way to multitasking. Though Apple’s Multitouch is efficient and easy, but there are these other approaches that are quite impressive. A biggest advantage though will be the fact that limited multitasking results in much competent power management.

Mailing:
It is a well known fact that iPhone has always been a very functional email machine, if not as efficient as the Blackberry, it came very close. Here comes the good news, the iOS 4 has a new single inbox that can be accessed on the Mail choice on the homescreen. A new choice called “All Inboxes” has been listed above your individual in-boxes, and you will still be able to move and delete messages. Few other changes made to email includes ability to add numerous exchange accounts, go directly to separate in boxes, organise emails by thread, unwrap attachments with a ideal app and resize images before they are sent.

Auto Correct Feature:
The iPhone has always had an autocorrect feature, that changes the words as you type; and thought they were useful to some extent, there was something incomplete about it. That is exactly why we have become fans of the latest spell check feature that notifies you of unrecognised or misspelled words with a red underline. The Spell Check feature works well when you are composing both emails and text messages, and you will also get a list of some suggested corrections. You would certainly like to have more selections, but that is quite a small issue.

Game Center:
Game Center is a feature that comes later this year, which will include features like a social gaming network, the ability to invite friends to games, leaderboards and achievements, and the opportunity for “matchmaking” which sets up two people to play.

Search Options:
The iOS 4 are offering few search options across various features. When you are typing a URL in the Safari browser, you will not only be getting the URL titles of the sites that you have visited recently, but also the complete web addresses. This is a very nice touch, as it will allow you to find the exact website that you want. In the Universal Search option, you will be getting Web and Wikipedia results, along with the content stored on the phone. It just takes a couple of clicks to get them going and is very convenient too. Finally, there is also a search bar for your text messages which works just like the search option for e-mails.

Miscellaneous changes:
As in the case of previous updates, iOS 4 also brings a selection of smaller features and interface tweaks. And these updates include enhanced iPod-out capability, a redesigned calculator icon with the same feature, the ability to send apps as gifts, bigger font sizes for accessibility, alphanumeric pass codes, and a redesigned location icon in the Google Maps application. You are also getting a new Birthday Calendar that is accessible under the main calendar app; but, we are still looking for a specific birthday event field.

Multimedia:
With the iPhone 4 too, Apple just reinforces the fact that it is the king of mobile music and video and this is one area the company beats its competitors hands down. Most parts of the new iPhone’s iPod Player remains unchanged, but we are really glad to see a few new offerings. The phone is now equipped with convenient option for creating playlists on the go. You will be able to do so in just a couple of steps and add a selection of tunes. What is more? Consumers will always welcome features when it allows you to do something without going through iTunes. Back in the multitasking menu, you will find new music player controls and a shortcut for locking the display rotation.

Face Time:
Apple boasts Face Time as one of the iPhone 4′s most interesting features and it positively looked good at the demo, so we are quite keen to try it. The quality of the feature is very pleasing and it is good that it is an incorporated option that does not necessitate an app. While the arriving video mostly depends on its quality on the senders side, and it will be pixelated and jerky, particularly when your friend is using the front camera, but you cannot do much about it.  And that is actually expected when using a VGA camera. The video from your phone will show in the top left corner and it looks immense from any camera. Additionally, you can use it in both landscape and portrait modes. Obviously, the Face Time features works only with another iPhone 4. The feature can be activated by placing a call on a Wi-Fi network and once the call connects, you will see an option for FaceTime instead of the normal “Hold” control; we have no idea where that option went. Note that both you and your friend must press the control to establish a video chat; you then can mute the call or end it directly from the FaceTime screen. After a FaceTime call is placed for the first time, you will see the phone number listed twice in your recent calls list. While one entry activates FaceTime directly, the other will place a normal cellular call.

This is not to say that the FaceTime was not without any issues. Establishing a connection with 2 iPhone4’s looks kind of dicey on Wi-Fi with one of the handsets lacking the FaceTime option where it originally should have been present. The switch between normal and FaceTime calls can take a few seconds, during which reception is faulty. For 2010, the FaceTime feature. There has been a lot of grumbling about this restriction, but we do not think that is a bad thing. Video chat uses a ton of data so we are sure the experience would be better on Wi-Fi than on any other network. What is also great is that because you are on Wi-Fi, FaceTime calls will not deduct from your cellular minutes. As long as Apple kills the Wi-Fi limit in the next year, we will be happy.

As fun as it sounds, the iPhone 4’s FaceTime feature is not that of an essential one. After all, video chat technology has been around since 2004 and the technology has not been a huge hit.

Apple iPhone 4 Camera:
Though Apple’s iPhone’s camera has always been decent, it lacked features found on many basic phones. And hence, the new camera with 5-megapixel resolution, the new LED flash, and the 5x digital zoom needs to be applauded. This phone also sports an illuminated sensor on the rear, which actually deserves a detailed description. The biggest advantage of this feature however is its ability to record 720p high-definition video at a constant 30 frames per second. Though iPhone 4 is not the first handset to offer this capability, it delivers better on quality. Of course, we would love more options like a brightness control and colour tones, but we doubt that we will get them anytime soon. The interface of the primary camera is quite similar to that of the 3GS, having the shutter control, the camcorder or camera switch along with the photo gallery shortcut on the other side.

The camera has also incorporated the changes that came from iOS 4. One of our favourite features is a 5x zoom for the still camera. While taking the photo, just tap over the display to view the zoom bar. You can make use of your finger to pan in and out, but remember that since this is digital zoom, picture quality will degrade as you zoom in. Now you also get to use the tap-to-focus feature in the still and video cameras. Though, we have never found that this feature makes that much of a difference, but it certainly does not hurt to have it.

In our tests for camera quality, we found that the camera quality has improved noticeably. Starting with the still photos, it will not be exaggeration if we said that the iPhone 4 takes some beautiful photos. The colours are bright and natural and there is no visible image noise; the shots were in focus. The bright flash has also made a positive change. As in the case of most LEDs it can make dark images look a tad overblown, but we are just glad that we can now take images in a dark room. We were also surprised to find no shutter lag like there was with previous iPhones. The camera takes the shot the instant you press the shutter. The video quality is also very impressive. All that you have to do is, keep the phone steady and you will find that you clips are just smooth and free of any pixels or hiccups. The camera also handles motion quite well, and audio is in sync with the video. You are also offered with an option to cut your videos using the nifty video-editing feature that originated on the iPhone 3GS.

In the photo gallery, you will be able to organise all the pictures from an occasion or those that feature a mate. However, for both of these features, you should have previously utilised the face-recognition feature of the iPhoto/Aperture and synced the same with iTunes. One option that seems to have disappeared is the one found in the initial beta version of iOS 4 – the option to rotate phones while in the gallery that seems to be missing in the latest version.

Gyroscope:
While in the iPhone 3GS you got the compass, Apple has raised its bar by providing a three axis gyroscope. This is a fun app for the game developers and you will enjoy it too.

Tethering:
The iPhone has always been capable of tethering, but there had been some network issues about it. A few networks now offer the ability to use your iPhone as a modem for your PC. However, you will have to pay some extra to get it, but at east it is there.

iMovie and iBookstore:
The iMovie feature brings movie-editing abilities to the iPhone. You have to pay a couple of pounds for the app, but it is a pleasant touch. Given just how much processing power is required to edit video, iMovie’s performance was impressive. It felt very smooth.

E-book reader of Apple has joined hands with Amazon’s Kindle app as a gift for the bookworms. On the iBook store of Apple, you will be able to buy new content. iBooks on the iPhone 4 takes great advantage of the new phone’s high-resolution screen. With the text being incredibly crisp, try flipping to a PDF view, and you might notice some lag while zooming in to fit into a relatively larger PDF. But once the zoomed-in portions of the PDF appeared, they were immaculately rendered. iBooks also gains a few new features previously unavailable on the iPad. You can now create notes and bookmarks, and see those notes, bookmarks, and highlights in the table of contents. We suspect that the notes remain trapped in line – for example, there’s no way to create cheat sheets, summaries, or other such personalized shortcuts that you could then utilize on your computer or elsewhere – but these new functions are a step in the right direction.

Call Quality:

Call quality has always been an issue with the iPhone, and unfortunately, Apple has done it again with the iPhone 4. We recommend that you keep your fingers off the antenna so that, you will get the best reception and Apple is not the first person to provide such advise. These are quite common with devices with bottom facing antennas. There is even a chance that the antenna could be doing harm. So, as you can sense, we are not happy with the reception. But, on the other end, callers reported that the call quality is excellent and they did not know we were on a cell phone. On active calls, our voices seemed to be clear and had much less background noise.

The speaker phone calls are quite good and the voice is good, though the volume is a little bad at the highest levels. However, we would say that the Bluetooth headset performance seemed to be quite mixed.

Battery:

Since the phone has a bigger battery it gives more power for your day. You get 7 hours of 3G talk time, 14 hours of EDGE talk time, 40 hours of audio playback and 10 hours of video playback. These rates are quite respectable.

iPhone 4 Package contents:

Inside the box, Apple has included the usual accessories, like the small wall plug, a USB 30 pin connector cable, and the standard white Apple earbuds. And oddly, god alone knows why, you do not get the SIM removal tool that was available with the previous models. So, you have to look for a paper clip to do the job for you, and we were truly miffed that we did not get it. Apple has not given any explanation for this.

Verdict:

The iPhone4 appears to be a must-have for anyone with an original iPhone or iPhone 3G; while the former will not get the iOS 4 upgrade at all, while the 3G will not support some features. And people who have an iPhone 3GS will find this a worthy upgrade, too. Contradictory to the iPhone 3G which leapt to a 3GS  with only a few tweaks to the performance features here and there, the Apple iPhone4 boasts of major tweaks like the Display and digital imaging skills, making it a comprehensively measurable upgrade in comparison to its predecessor.

Apple iPhone 4 Technical Specification Details

Manufacturer	Apple
Model Name	iPhone 4
Dimensions (H x W x D)	115.5 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm
Weight	137 grams
Memory capacity	16GB or 32GB flash drive
Colour	Black or white
Display technology	Retina Widescreen Multi-Touch display
Display size	3.5-inch
Resolution	960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
Contrast ratio	800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Brightness	500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)
Display features	Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Mobile and wireless	UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR wireless technology
Phone features
Audio formats supported	AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
Operating system	Apple iOS 4
Software included	iTunes 9.2 or later
Mail attachment support	Yes
Camera features	Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio 5-megapixel still camera VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second with the front camera Tap to focus video or still images LED flash Photo and video geo tagging
Sensors	Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor
Head phone features	Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic Volume control
Package contents	iPhone 4 Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic Dock Connector to USB Cable USB Power Adapter Documentation
Battery	Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery life	14 hours of EDGE talk time 7 hours of 3G talk time 40 hours of audio playback 10 hours of video playback 6 hours of 3G browsing 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing 300 hours of standby
Warranty	One year

Apple Unveils iPhone OS 4.0

At one of the most anticipated events of this summer, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone OS 4.0 which created a whole deal of buzz in the past couple of weeks. You might have come across a lot of rumours on what will and what won’t make it to the latest version OS of the most happening phone on earth. Now the cat is out of the bag and here is a sneak peak of the real deal. The iPhone OS 4.0 will have over 100 new user features, out of which seven features; Apple calls as “Tentpole” features are of particular importance.

The event:

The introduction of the iPhone OS 4.0 was held on 8th of April 2010, 10AM. As soon as Jobs was up on the stage, he said that Apple was excited about iPhone 4 and thanked the reviewers for their positive support on the new iPad.

This was followed by a few choice quotes from some of the early reviews. The revolutionary iPad sold 300,000 on the first day and in the next couple of days, the numbers reached a peak of 450,000. This was followed by some more stats on the iBooks and iPad Apps.

Finally, when Steve moved on to iPhone, he was happy about the fact that Apple has won the 2010 JD Power award and are proud to hold his achievement for 3 consecutive years. This was followed by a very interesting graph on the US mobile users and Apple’s Market share on that. iPhone seems to possess a massive 64% of mobile browser user share, and everything else added together just makes half of iPhone (Android: 19%, Blackberry: 9% and Other Phones: 8%). Apple has sold 50million iPhones to date and if we consider Touch too, the sales shoots up to 85million iPhones and iPod Touches. Check Latest iPhone Deals.

iPhone OS 4.0 Preview:

The unveiling of the most anticipated iPhone 4.0 OS began with Steve Jobs saying “So Today we are giving a dev preview of the iPhone OS 4. We have been working on this for a while and it is pretty great. We will be shipping it this summer with and release a developer preview today”.

Apple has included over 1500 new APIs in the OS4.0 and the developers get to access calendar, In-App SMS, Photo Library, Quick Look, Full access to still and video camera data, full map overlays and heaps more. The OS includes a framework known as “Accelerate” which handles math functions that is hardware-accelerated. Also as mentioned earlier, the OS also sports 100 novel user features namely: Create Playlists, Sync IMAP notes, 5x Digital Zoom, Nested Playlists, Card Dav, Tap-to-focus video, Places in photos, iPod Out, Home Screen Wall paper, rummage around SMS/MMS messages, file/delete search results from mails, suggestions from web search, Bluetooth Keyboards, CalDav Invitations, Spell Check, Persistent Wi-Fi and lots more.

iPhone OS 4.0 Highlight Features:

Multitasking:

Multitasking is now available in iPhone and it is done in such a way that it does not hinder either performance or battery life. Apparently, these two vital issues is something that almost every other mobile platform has failed to handle, and we guess Apple has managed to tame both these issues like a pro via their multitasking feature. Apple has offered seven multitasking services and so you will be able to make Voice over IP call while playing games or checking mail and just find a restaurant while listening to Pandora and more. Background location is a new part of the OS and it will work with the social apps with turn-by-turn applications.

Folders:

With this feature you will be able to organise your apps better grouping them into folders with a simple drap-and-drop. With this application, you get faster access to your favourites and will also be able to browse and manage up to 2160 apps at once, which is much more than the current limit of 180 apps.

Better Mails:

Better mails means you can see all the messages from all your mails in a unified inbox which allows you to switch between inboxes more swiftly, organise messages by threads and also open attachments in third party apps.

iBooks:

iBooks have proved to be the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. Esay flips through the pages and you can browse over tens and thousands of them, out of which, most of them are free. This app even allows you to check out the reviews and read sample pages before you purchase them.

Developers:

With a whopping set of over 1500 novel APIs, the iPhone SDK4 endows developers a whole host of technology to play with the functionality of the iPod/iPhone’s touch applications. Developers can use these new APIs to make their apps more powerful, more feature rich, and more amazing than before.

Game Center:

The iPhone gaming platform looks to beat the current day’s Nintendo hands down as it looks to be a gaming powerhouse and Apple intends exceeding expectations with the addition of social gaming network to the same. How about having Live Xbox for on your iPad or iPhone?

iAD:

Apple’s iAd is an innovative mobile advertising platform though which media-rich apps bring about a blend of TV’s emotion together with the web’s interactivity.

Enterprise:

iPhone OS 4 offers more useful features for businesses. With enhancements to security, scalability, and compatibility, IT managers have even more reasons to deploy iPhone throughout their enterprises.

Well the above seven features happen to be JUST a start to the kind of features that the iPhone 4.0 OS sports. You cannot wait for its release? Can you? So cant we!