One Geek Nation

iPhone 4 is the latest iteration of Apple’s popular smartphone, and it includes several enhancements and new features.

Retina Display

One of the more notable enhancements is the screen, which uses Apples Retina Display technology to display clearer and sharper images and videos at a pixel density that is higher than the human eye can perceive. While the Retina Display does produce higher quality visuals than its predecessors,  the enhancement is not as great as Apple may make it out to be, simply because it may not be noticeably better than that on previous iPhone models. Case in point, during his keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2010 (WWDC10), Steve Jobs had to zoom in on the iPhone 4 screen in order to show the audience the enhancement. When viewed normally, the enhanced images quality on the iPhone 4 is hard to see.

Casing

Another enhancement of the new iPhone is its casing. The iPhone 4 is now covered on the front and back with manufactured glass that is said to be as strong as the windshield on military-grade helicopters. However, these claims made by Apple have turned out to be false, since the glass will shatter after a fall from as low as as 3.5 feet. The iPhone is also bordered in a stainless steel band that serves to hide its quad-band antenna, which allows it to be used as a world phone. Also, if size is an issue, the slimmer profile of the iPhone 4 will be a major selling point.

iOS4

The new iPhone comes loaded with iOS4, which is the new upgrade to its operating system that itself includes plenty of new features. One such feature is multitasking, which allows multiples apps to run at the same time, and I can see this being a very useful addition to the functionality of not only iPhone 4, but also to the iOS4 platform in general. Another new and useful feature is the ability to create app folders simply by dragging icons on top of each other. The operating system upgrade also brings with it new apps such as iBooks and iMovie.   iBooks is Apple’s eReader app that can be used to read not only books downloaded from iTunes, but also .pdf files and documents. However, I personally prefer the Amazon Kindle app because books downloaded from Amazon.com typically cost $9.99. iMovie is Apple’s simple video editing app that can be used to edit videos filmed with the new iPhones….

Two Cameras

Yes, iPhone 4 has not one but two cameras. The camera on the back, which has a 5MP sensor and an LED flash, can be used for both still photography and video capture. The new front facing camera can currently be used with Apples FaceTime app to make video calls. However, this feature only works for iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 calls, which means an iPhone 4 cannot make a video call to any previous iPhone model, or any other phone for that matter.

In my opinion, iPhone 4 simply does not scream “Upgrade!” Its new display is only marginally better than that on current iPhones, and its casing is no more durable than previous iterations. However, the new operating system does offer some enticing new features, but these features can also be used on the iPhone 3GS and 3G after upgrading to iOS4 for free. On top of that, the new video conference feature only works from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4. While iPhone 4 may not be a worthy upgrade, it can be a very useful smartphone for those new to the iPhone platform.