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- Did Apple's iPhone 4 Just Kill the Flip?
Apple CEO Steve Jobs just announced the highly anticipated fourth-generation iPhone at WWDC, and the device is bound to make some people at Cisco pretty nervous: The iPhone 4 features 720p HD video recording at 30fps, an LED flash that doubles as a spotlight source for video recording and the ability to edit any video footage right on the device.
Video editing on the iPhone is enabled through a custom version of iMovie, which can be bought in the App Store for $4.99. The development of iMovie for the iPhone was led by Randy Ubillos, whose previous credits include the design and development of Adobe Premier and Final Cut Pro. The software features a number of themes and transitions and makes it possible to export video in 360p, 540p and 720p, all of which can be shared immediately via Wi-Fi or 3G networks.
Compare that to the latest Flip camera from Cisco, and it becomes clear why everyone’s favorite HD point-and-shoot camcorder could be in deep trouble: The Flip SlideHD was supposed to be the next big step for Flip, as it transitioned to a touchscreen-based interface, but it already looked outdated when it made its debut earlier this year, missing multitouch and other UI essentials to which that smartphone users are already accustomed.
Also notably absent was any kind of network connectivity. Cisco promised to bring networking to the camera when it acquired Flip maker Pure Digital for $590 million in March of 2009, but to date, Flip users still have to rely on the built-in USB port, and their desktop PCs, to share and upload videos.
Smartphone users, on the other hand, are increasingly getting used to immediately sharing their footage via their devices’ cellular network connections. iMove for iPhone just gave iPhone users another reason to skip the desktop, making it possible to do some basic editing before they upload clips to YouTube or Facebook.
Then there’s the iPhone 4 hardware. The device features a 3.5-inch screen with a resolution of 960×640 pixels that uses the same type of IPS technology as the iPad to support video-friendly viewing angles and a great contrast ratio. It also has a back-light illumination sensor that should help to capture situations with low and changing light conditions. It’s unclear at this point how much of an impact the integrated LED flash will really have on video recording, but it should help to persuade customers dissatisfied with their current camcorder’s performance under such conditions.
Speaking of customers, one of Flip’s big selling points has always been its low price point; a dead-simple HD camcorder for less than $200 is hard to beat. However, the new Flip SlideHD costs around $280 for 16GB of memory. Apple announced today that the iPhone 4 will start selling at $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB.
Expect Cisco to slash Flip prices any day now. However, one has to wonder whether that’s too little, too late to save the device.
Related content on GigaOM Pro: The Nano & Flip: Join the Conversation (subscription required)
Переслать - iPhone 4: FaceTime Mobile Video Conferencing
At WWDC, technologies come and go, but there’s one thing that never changes: One more thing…
The infamous “One More Thing” at WWDC is reserved for the most important, most revolutionary, most inspiring feature that Apple expects will change the world. This is the first “One More Thing” since 2007, when it was Safari for Windows, so Apple is pushing its newest technical wonder pretty hard as the feature to sell iPhone 4. From what we saw at the keynote, it’s getting it right.
FaceTime is the name of iPhone 4′s video chatting feature, and the WWDC keynote’s coverage of the feature makes it look pretty impressive. Steve Jobs invoked the full power of his reality distortion field when he opened the FaceTime demo, saying that “[he] grew up with Star Trek communicators, just dreaming about video calling… It’s real now.”
FaceTime promises to offer the first real, mobile video conferencing solution, and Apple is also positioning FaceTime as the first mobile video conferencing solution that will actually be easy to use.
While we obviously haven’t seen it in the wild yet, presumably FaceTime will allow any two iPhone 4 users to call each other up over a Wi-Fi network and have a face-to-face discussion using the iPhone 4′s shiny new forward-facing camera. There are a couple really important points here:
- iPhone 4 will have honest-to-goodness video conferencing, which is awesome.
- These conversations can take place over Wi-Fi, which means that they won’t eat up your cellular minutes or bandwidth
So, Apple has officially integrated a VoIP client into its newest product. (Eat your heart out, Vonage and Skype.)
However, as you’d expect for a feature that’s so new, there are still a lot of unknown quantities surrounding FaceTime. There was a lot of discussion regarding the features of iPhone 4′s new camera system — larger sensor, 5x digital zoom, better clarity — but it’s not clear if these improvements apply to both the forward-facing and back-facing cameras, or just the back-facing camera. Because it’s looking like the forward-facing camera will be used primarily for video conferencing, which will be highly compressed, it’s tempting to say that the forward-facing camera will be lower-quality than the back-facing camera, but we won’t know for sure until Apple releases full iPhone 4 technical specification. Also, Steve Jobs mentioned that “[Apple needs] to work a little bit with the cellular providers,” so FaceTime will be Wi-Fi only, through 2010 at least.
It’s still unclear what video quality will be like, and there was no discussion whatsoever of the APIs around FaceTime, so it’s hard to say if and how developers will be able to integrate FaceTime into their apps. Also, while the iOS 4 update will be available to everyone June 21, FaceTime will only work if both callers have an iPhone 4. And while it wasn’t mentioned in the keynote, it’s still possible that FaceTime will support more than 2-way calling. So this puzzle is still missing a few pieces, but they should get filled in over the next few days of WWDC.
So what does this mean for the Apple developer community? Well, the iOS 4 update will be available to the world on June 21, so you better believe that developers are poring over the iOS 4 documentation on video conferencing as we speak. The super geeks who already knew this was coming probably already have their ideas primed and ready, so expect to see some serious apps coming out in the next few months. Also, there are some features that people will want to see with FaceTime that they will pay for if they don’t already exist. For example, if FaceTime won’t let people record their conversations, some developer’s likely to get very rich off an app that will.
Regardless, though, if you’ve got some money lying around, you should invest in Dockers right now. Now that video conferencing is entering prime time, people working from home are going to be wearing pants a lot more.
Переслать - iPhone 4: Retina Display
Apple has a new display to go with all the snazzy new features of the iPhone 4. The metaphorically named “Retina Display” sports 4x the resolution (double the pixel density) to provide a noticeably crisper and more detailed image. This new screen has a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, compared to the 160 ppi display of the current iPhone. At this pixel density, the display is competing with the crispness of laser printing. The name was chosen because around 300 ppi, the human eye starts to lose track of the individual pixels.
I suspect that the display will cause a stir when we are finally able to see them in person. My first impression of the iPhone 3 years ago was that despite the other amazing technology in the iPhone, the display was what made it work because input and output are combined. This new screen will enhance the feeling that you are interacting directly with the technology.
The Retina Display provides additional enhancements beyond the increase in resolution. This screen is based on IPS technology (in-plane switching), which is also used in the Apple LED Cinema Display and the iPad. The contrast ratio has been bumped to 800:1 (4x better than the current iPhone) which will allow the Retina Display to provide even better rendering of details (particularly in shadows and dark scenes) for both photos and videos. Based on the specs alone, it looks to be an excellent screen. On paper, it compares very well to the OLED screen of the Google Nexus One (about 250 ppi) which was universally lauded for sharp text rendering.
It is also interesting to note that John Gruber nailed the specs on the screen (along with other key details) back at the end of March. Gruber also posted a breakdown of the ppi density of other displays back in 2007 when the hi-res MacBook Pro was released. This list, where most Macs have displays with PPI between 100 and 133, really highlights the significant improvement that a 326 ppi display represents over the displays we are used to seeing at our computers.
From the demos today, the iPhone OS appears to handle the difference in resolution seamlessly by scaling up the elements and interpolating edges to keep them sharp. Jobs did note that developers can provide higher resolution artwork in their apps to take full advantage of the Retina Display. I expect that some work will be required for developers to make their apps look their best on this new display, but it appears that current apps will look great as-is. The situation here is a bit different than the sometimes fuzzy scaling up of iPhone apps to the larger screen of the iPad because the elements will occupy the same physical space on the screen and should still look sharp.
I further assume that any apps that use the built-in facilities to render text will automatically benefit from the sub-pixel trickery to make text look sharper. One of the first real world tests will be to check out iBooks for iPhone on this new Retina Display. iBooks look great on the iPad and can only look better on iPhone 4.
I feel a little sorry for those poor 8GB iPhone 3GS units that will be on display next to the iPhone 4 in Apple Stores around the world.
Переслать - WWDC: Netflix With Adaptive Bitrate Streaming Coming to the iPhone
Apple, highlighting both HTML5 and its own development platform, has announced support for Netflix viewing on the iPhone. Much like with the iPad, Netflix subscribers will be able to manage their movie queue on the device, but more importantly, watch streaming video in the palm of their hand. The free application arrives this summer and will support adaptive video playback — a streaming technology that adapts to the connection speed of a device demonstrated last year.
The Netflix for iPhone application will also resume playback even if the content was viewed on a different device. You could watch half of a movie on your iPad, for example, and then pick up right where you left off on an iPhone. While that all sounds good, one has to wonder what kind of bandwidth Netflix viewing will use, even with the adaptive bitrate solution. Given that AT&T’s new capped data plans for smartphones kick off today, I suspect many current AT&T customers that plan to use Netflix will keep their currently unlimited plans.
Переслать - iBooks Moves to the iPhone, Gains New Features
At WWDC today, Steve Jobs actually mentioned iBooks, the iPad native e-reader, twice: once before and once after announcing iPhone 4. The first time was to say that later this month, the iBooks app will be receiving an update. In this update, a few new features are to be included, the major one being support for PDF documents. Once synced to the iPad, users will be able to read PDFs in the same way as books. In true Apple style, this has been added in an elegant way; a new toggle switches between the books’ and the PDFs’ bookshelves. Also included was the ability to open PDF documents from attachments in Mail and read them in iBooks.
Also announced were bookmarks and notes. The former lets you mark a place in a book to save for later, and lets you resume from where you left off if you close the app. The latter is made up of yellow sticky notes which let you type a note a stick it into your book. You can also see a table of contents of all the bookmarks you have created in a book.
During the second mentioning of iBooks, after the iPhone 4 reveal, Steve told us about how iBooks will be available soon for the iPhone (and iPod touch) as well as the iPad. This is good news for anyone who doesn't have an iPad. Similar to how the App Store works, if you purchase a book from the iBookstore, you can download it again for free on any other device you have. Also available, similar to the Kindle, is automatic syncing of where you got to in a book so you can resume straight away, even on another device.
The update for iBooks should be released around the same time as iOS 4 and the iPhone 4, so keep an eye out for it.
Переслать - Apple Crams a Powerhouse Into the New iPhone 4
Inside the new iPhone 4 revealed today at WWDC is the same superfast chip architecture that powers the iPad, the A4. Alongside the A4 is a bigger battery, giving the iPhone better battery life and improved performance. The A4 was designed in-house, presumably by Apple engineers acquired through the purchase of chip manufacturers PA Semi and Intrinsity.
iPhone 4 is “packed to gills:”
- 6 hours 3G browsing
- 10 hours Wi-Fi browsing
- 10 hours video
- 40 hours music
- 300 hours standby
- 40% Improved talk time
It’s yet to be seen if the A4 in the iPhone is comparable to the A4 in the iPad, but with hands on experience with the performance of the iPad, I’m sure this phone is going to be smoking fast.
Apple marketing is focused, correctly, on user features, so much so that the A4 chip is not even mentioned on the iPhone 4 technical specifications page. Apple’s attitude seems to be that the user shouldn’t have to know or care what chip is in the iPhone, or what speed it runs at, as long as the phone is fast and responsive and does what the user wants it to do.
Recording and editing HD video is taxing even on desktop CPUs, so the ability to do it right on the phone is impressive. If anything speaks to the abilities of the A4, its porting a version of iMovie to the App Store. Seeing the A4 in the keynote today reminded me of John Gruber’s impressions of his demo of the iPad back in January:
“And our next thought: What happens if Apple has figured out a way to make a CPU like A4 that fits in an iPhone? If they pull that off for this year's new iPhone, look out.”
The inclusion of the A4 chip brings desktop class performance to the iPhone.
Переслать - iPhone 4 Announced
Today Steve Jobs unveiled the fourth iteration of the beloved iPhone, dubbed, iPhone 4. It was, of course, the device that we’ve seen leaked in recent weeks, but there’s a lot more to this new phone than meets the eye. Retinal Display, HD video recording and editing, LED flash for low-light, and FaceTime (video chat) to name a few.
On Tuesday, June 15, Apple will begin taking pre-orders for iPhone 4. The new device will begin shipping on June 24 to the U.S., France, Germany, UK and Japan. By sometime in September, Apple plans to be shipping iPhone 4 to 88 countries around the world.
Not just mimicking the current 3GS storage sizes of 16 and 32 gigabytes, the (subsidized) pricing scheme will be the same too, at $199 and $299 respectively. It appears that both models will come in either black or white colors, which incidentally, is visible on the front as well as the back of the new iPhone.
While iPhone OS 4, now dubbed iOS 4, is being released to developers today in Gold Master form, there was no official mention of the ship date for current iPhone users. However, it seems likely that the update would be available along with iPhone 4 come June 24.
In the meantime, check out the iPhone 4 design video. Seeing it in such detail, and all the behind the scenes technology is really breathtaking!
Переслать - iPhone 4 Design: If Looks Could Kill
Apple makes very functional tech, certainly, but it also isn’t the only company that does so. What separates Apple from the rest of the pack is its attention to aesthetics and physical design. I often want an Apple product not because I think it will be terribly useful, but because I just want to hold the dang things in my hand.
The new iPhone 4 is no exception, even if its name leaves a little something to be desired. It’s glass and steel, as you might expect from a company that lately loves the metal and gloss look (the iPad and iMac are prime examples). The front and back are optical glass, which is far more scratch resistant than the current plastic back of your iPhone 3GS, let me tell you from experience. Both will have an oleophobic coating, so you won’t get everything all smudgy.
A steel band rings the phone around its perimeter, striking quite the industrial impression, and on that band are located the various ports for the 30-pin dock connector, headset jack, microphone, speaker and sim card tray. You’ll also find the sleep/wake button, volume controls and silent switch here. No physical orientation lock like on the iPad, but there will now be a software button for that in iOS 4.0.
And that steel band isn’t just there for stunning good looks. It also doubles as part of the antenna system for the iPhone’s various radios, including Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS and Bluetooth. Integrated antennas not only frees up space to make this phone so thin, but it should also help out with reception, too, though you still have to deal with AT&T’s questionable service, unfortunately.
Speaking of thin, this iPhone is the thinnest yet, and possibly the thinnest smartphone available period. It’s 24 percent thinner than the iPhone 3GS, at an impressive 9.3mm thick. Now you have absolutely no excuse to keep this thing in your pants pocket instead of using a holster, except maybe if you want to show off your newest acquisition.
Combine all of this surface stuff with a new gyroscope sensor on the inside, the amazing new Retina Display, 40 percent more battery life and front and back cameras, the rear of which shoots full 720p HD video and you’ve got yourself quite the contender. The phone is also available in white or black, as per usual, but I’m thinking the white design could be quite a bit more popular now that it’s wrapped in optical glass instead of easy-to-discolor white plastic. Might sway my own decision on that front. What do you guys think, huge design improvement or what?
Переслать - AT&T Advances iPhone Upgrade Eligibility
On the day of the next generation iPhone launch, AT&T, out of the goodness of its corporate heart (or possibly from fear of a mass exodus to Verizon should Big Red get the iPhone), has moved up the eligibility date for some customers.
While the details will no doubt be announced at the WWDC Keynote today, anxious iPhone users can find out if they are among the iChosen right now.
Customers can log in to their accounts on AT&T’s website and select the “Check Upgrade Options” link to find their new eligibility date. You can also call “
*NEW#” or “*639#” from your iPhone and get sent a text message with eligibility information. However, there may be caveats, at least that was my experience.I bought an iPhone 3GS last July, so the earliest I expected an upgrade was March 2011, approximately 90 days before my two-year contract would be due to expire. Much to my surprise, as of today I am eligible for a fully subsidized upgrade with no termination penalty, just an $18 upgrade fee and another two years behind AT&T’s more bars in more places.
Unfortunately, my wife was not so lucky. Even though her iPhone 3GS was purchased on the same day, her eligibility date isn’t until March of 2011. A quick call to AT&T explained why. Not surprisingly, it’s about the money. Her iPhone is the add-on to our Family Plan, meaning my iPhone is billed for the voice plan and generates more money for AT&T. My monthly charges are approximately twice hers.
While this is a smart move on AT&T’s part, or possibly Apple bludgeoning its carrier partner into further submission, it’s a little annoying to be “offered” half an upgrade for our family. Not that my annoyance will stop me from taking the deal. Only a Verizon iPhone would do that.
Переслать - Photo Gallery: WWDC Line Forms 12 Hours Before Event
Apple events tend to bring out the giddy-kid-on-Christmas-eve feeling in many of us, and the lines that start at these events reflect that.
Here in San Francisco, the WWDC line started no earlier than 6:30PM last night…over 15 hours before the event starts. By 10PM last night there were over 20 people in line, and by 4AM this morning, the line started wrapping around the building.
Below are some photos from the action, and by “action” we mean “people standing around.” Enjoy.
Be sure to follow our live keynote coverage at live.theappleblog.com and @theappleblog!
Picture 1 of 10Переслать - How Jobs Should Open His Keynote
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference starts tomorrow with an opening keynote from Steve Jobs (for which we’ll have complete live coverage of). The popular music will die down, Jobs will enter from the left side of the stage (stage right, right? I never understood that), and he’ll start with a few stats about how Apple is doing in some area of its business. He’ll likely talk about how WWDC sold out in record time, how many attendees there are, how many sessions, and a big thank you to everyone for making the conference and Apple a success.
But Jobs has an opportunity to open his keynote, or at least the segment where he rolls out the new iPhone hardware, with one of the best lines he could deliver.
“So, this developer walks into a bar…”
Of course, the line refers to the Apple engineer who was testing a prototype of the next-generation iPhone when he lost it or it was stolen, only to land in the hands of Brian Lam and Gizmodo. But it’s so much more than that. The line is a variant of one of the most-used first lines of a joke ever. It is instantly recognizable as such. Humor should only be used in presentations when you know you’re going to get a laugh, or when your expectations for a laugh are infinitesimally low. This line is certain to draw a good laugh.
The line is also an opportunity to be self-deprecating. Jobs was asked about the incident at the D8 conference last week, and while conversational, he took a pretty hard line, referring to Gizmodo as guilty of extortion. That’s a big, bad word, and it may or may not be true. Jobs should let his legal team handle the heavy lifting on this one, and delivering this line is an easy way to hand it off.
Delivered correctly, it could also actually help to take some heat off of the engineer in question. See, that guy is just like the thousands attending WWDC. He’s one of them. And nothing could make a stronger statement to developers than to give this guy a break in such a public way.
Lastly, this is a tech conference. Developers will be walking into bars in droves over the next few evenings. So Jobs would be speaking directly to his audience in a very personal, timely way. Oh, and I don’t think I’d follow it with anything. Deliver the line, offer up a pregnant pause, then move on to topic du jour. It is so obvious and works on so many levels that it doesn’t need to be propped up with any further comment.
Come on, Steve. Let us have it.
Follow our live coverage of the WWDC 2010 keynote, photos and all!
Переслать
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