Smartphone Review: Apple iPhone 4

Beautiful, with a caveat


Smartphone Review: Apple iPhone 4
by Hedirman Supian
05:55 AM Aug 06, 2010

I WOULD often tell people I write love stories between people and inanimate objects. Sometimes, that isn't very far from the truth when the object in question is Apple's latest smartphone - the iPhone 4.

Compared to the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 ($888 for 16GB; $1,048 for 32GB) features a faster processor, more memory, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash (plus a front-facing VGA camera), a higher-resolution screen and a new aesthetic.

And these few improvements make all the difference.

Version 4 is just slightly thinner than its predecessor at 9.3mm, but the removal of the curved back and the addition of the glass makes it feel very svelte indeed. And although it looks fragile with all that glass, the build quality is top-notch.

The 3.5-inch touchscreen is exceedingly sharp, enough to make you rub your eyes in disbelief the first few times you gaze at it. It's bright (and useable outdoors), higher in contrast, has a wider viewing angle and the colours are very vivid - my only regret is that it makes my iPad look like a CRT screen.

Phone performance seems slightly snappier compared with the 3GS but it still takes a few seconds to load my 450 contacts whenever I launch my address book. Apart from iMovie, a US$4.99 movie editing app from Apple, there are few apps available that take advantage of the increased horsepower or the new gyroscope that the phone harbours.

Despite the thinner enclosure, day-to-day battery life has improved. It only gave me a low-battery warning after a 14-hour day that involved plenty of 3G, photo-taking, video-capturing and editing usage.

Though the 5-megapixel camera lags behind in terms of resolution when you compare it to the latest cutting-edge smartphones, pictures had ample detail, with well-saturated colours. Low-light performance was way above average compared to a regular phone camera. It takes sharp high-definition (HD) video, too. Combined with the phone's tap-to-focus feature, and Apple's iMovie app, it's easy to produce, edit and upload a HD (at 720p resolution) creative movie all on your iPhone.

You can activate video-calling - dubbed FaceTime - only when you're connected via WiFi. While it's a marked improvement over a conventional 3G video call, the video can appear pixelated at times, though audio quality's good. The ability to easily switch between the front and back camera in a call is a nice touch.

Voice quality on the iPhone has improved. My call recipients no longer complain that I sounded too soft or muffled.

The much-publicised antenna issue is real, but how it affects calls seems to vary. In areas with a strong signal strength (five bars), it would drop to two or three bars when I gripped the bottom left corner of the phone, sans the Apple bumper. With weaker signals, it would drop to one or two bars - but the phone managed to hold on to the calls, even as I traversed halfway across the island in a cab. I tested it on the networks of two telcos here and in remote areas of the island, as well as the Central Business District.

When we repeated the test with another smartphone, it seemed less affected in terms of voice quality and data transmission rates. The weaker signals caused by the so-called Death Grip will also affect any application that depends on an Internet connection.

The only time the iPhone 4 dropped a call was when I was caught in a lift or had to switch networks because 3G coverage is (still) not available in the underground portion of the East-West train line. For those of you who have to ply that route, I hope you've armed your iPhone with Bejeweled. HEDIRMAN SUPIAN

http://www.todayonline.com/Tech/Techreviews/EDC100806-0000045/Beautiful,-with-a-caveat

Sonix Snap Slim Case for iPhone 4 with 2 Screen Protectors (Black)

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Smartphone Review: Apple iPhone 4

Back on the throne

Smartphone Review: Apple iPhone 4

Just as the frenzy of the iPad launch subsides, it is time for anti-Apple frothers to have a new device waved in their angry faces and for pro-Apple droolers to get verbally bitch-slapped in the blogosphere for falling once more for Steve Jobs' huckstering blandishments.

A year ago, iPhone 3GS was released with a new operating system and now iPhone 4 arrives with iOS 4.0, offering an array of long-awaited functions. Since that 2009 3GS launch, Taiwanese manufacturer HTC in particular has upped its game and risen to Apple's challenge, producing handsets for the Android OS that offer slews of features, including free turn-by-turn navigation, multi-tasking, removable batteries and highly customisable interfaces. What can Apple do to wrench back the crown?

The iPhone 4 is an object of rare beauty. Noticeably slimmer but a trifle heavier than predecessors, its new heft only adds to the profound feeling of quality and precision that the device exudes. Sharper-edged, it is girt by a stainless steel band which cleverly houses all the antennae required by a modern smartphone. Jobs himself made a comparison between iPhone 4 and a classic Leica. With this device in my hand, I feel that I am holding its designer Jonathan Ive's personal prototype, hand-machined as a proof-of-concept model.

On the front can be discerned the lineaments of a forward-facing camera and, in the glorious glass obverse (which leads one to speculate that future models might allow solar charging), an extra eye reveals that LED flash has finally arrived. The existence of the front-facing camera allows video calling: Apple's new open standard for this, called FaceTime, neatly and transparently turns a mobile phone call into WiFi video chat, saving data charges.

Once I had located someone else with an iPhone 4, I found FaceTime worked with astounding ease and in very impressive resolution. The main camera has been upgraded to 5 megapixels and produces stunning images that might be, for many, reason enough to upgrade, especially when you consider the iPhone 4's remarkable Retina display. Retina delivers the crispest images I have ever seen on a smartphone. I found myself staring at onscreen text in disbelief.

With 720p HD video, a full-featured iMovie editing app, sweet multi-tasking, better mail, spellcheck, a bigger battery, in-built 3-axis gyroscope (wait for the gaming implications of that alone), extra pep and polish and that droolworthy form factor, Apple has once more leapfrogged the competition.

HTC Android handsets still impress and offer a viable alternative for many, but iPhone 4's star quality is irresistible. The Guardian

by Stephen Fry

05:55 AM Jun 25, 2010

http://www.todayonline.com/Tech/EDC100625-0000067/Back-on-the-throne

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Spelling made easy on phones

SEATTLE

BACK in the 1990s, typing out “hello” on most mobile phones required an exhausting 13 taps on the
number keys: 44-33-555- 555-666.

That was before inventor Cliff Kushler and a partner created a software called T9, which brought that number down to three by guessing the word being typed.

Now, there is a new challenge to typing on phones. More phones are using virtual keyboards on a touchscreen, replacing physical buttons.

But pecking out a message on a small piece of glass is not so easy, and typos are common. Mr Kushler thinks he has a solution once again. His new technology, which he developed with fellow research scientist Randy
Marsden, is called Swype.

It allows users to glide a finger across the virtual keyboard to spell words, rather than tapping out each letter.

While many smartphones have features that auto-complete words, correct typos on the fly and add punctuation, Mr Kushler is aiming for more.

“We’ve squeezed the desktop computer, complete with keyboard and mouse, into something that fits in a pocket. The information bandwidth has become very constricted,” he said.

“If we can find a better way to input that information, it could be something that would really take off.”

Mr Kushler says Swype is a big breakthrough that could reach billions of people.

To date, the T9 technology has been built into more than four billion devices worldwide. In 1999, its creators sold it to AOL for a reported US$350 million (S$485 million). It is now owned by speech-recognition
company Nuance.

Swype’s software detects where a finger pauses and changes direction as it traces out the pattern of a word. The movements do not have to be precise because the software calculates which words a user is most likely trying to spell.

Capitalisation and double letters can be indicated with a  pause or squiggle, while spacing and punctuation are automatic.

Mr Kushler, who is chief technology officer of Swype, estimated that the software can improve even the nimblest textmessager’s pace by 20 to 30 per cent.

Swype is now being used on seven smartphones in the United States, across all major wireless carriers, including the HTC HD2 and the Samsung Omnia II. By the end of the year, the firm said, its software will be on more than 50 models worldwide.

It does not have a deal with Apple, the king of touchscreen phones, but it is tinkering with software for the iPhone and the iPad and hopes to show it to Apple soon.

To make money, Swype charges phone-makers a licensing fee for each device sold. It also sees opportunity in add-ons. “We could have custom dictionaries for doctors or lawyers,” said Mr Mike McSherry, chief
executive of the company.

But Swype’s appeal goes beyond mobile phones, said Mr Won Park, director of US technology sourcing at Samsung.

“It could become the de facto standard for tablets, next-generation TV sets or next-generation remote controls,” Mr Park said.

Mr Gavin Lew, co-founder of  User Centric, a consulting firm that studies user experiences with mobile devices, said that as cellphones take on the functions of personal computers, the need increases to quickly enter and search for information on them.
NYT

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Samsung Galaxy S smartphone

Galaxy shows there’s life outside the iPhone

MY PREVIOUS experience with Samsung smartphones was less than impressive.

Hence, I had a real surprise when I powered up the Galaxy S and saw the super-sharp Amoled 4-inch screen, which is better than any I have seen on other smartphones.

Images are bright and clear. More importantly, the Galaxy responds in a zip and everything works most expeditiously.

This Android 2.1 smartphone has a 1GHz processor and highdefinition (1280x720) video playback and recording functions.

Video-playback formats supported include AVI, and  WMV with TV-out connectivity.

iPhone users may want to check out this phone, as there is certainly life outside the iPhone universe.

How much: This is a SingTelexclusive device. Prices start from $0, depending on data plan. There is currently no unbundled price.

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Anatomy of the next iPhone

What's new? Is it worth the upgrade? Take a look at the key new features of the Apple iPhone 4 and decide

by Hedirman Supian

05:55 AM Jun 11, 2010

 

Design

At 9.3mm, the svelte design of the iPhone 4 contributes to its much improved form factor. And the hardy custom glass screen that covers its front and back is the same material used in the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains. The stainless steel band that wraps along the sides of the phone is reportedly five times stronger than standard steel and also doubles as its wireless antenna.



Retina Display

Dubbed so because it has four times the resolution of its predecessor, the bright, ultra-high resolution display delivers a wide viewing angle and renders text as sharp as print.



FaceTime

FaceTime is what Apple calls its new video call function. Higher in quality than standard 3G video calls, it can only be used over WiFi and between the new iPhones. But Apple is working with telcos to use it over their cellular networks, and will push it as an open standard that can be used by other devices. Switch between the front and back cameras with just one tap.



iOS 4

The updated operating system enables multitasking, so several apps can run in the background. The built-in email app now features a universal inbox and threaded emails. To better handle the burgeoning number of apps you might have, you can now organise them easily into folders.



5-megapixel camera and high-definition video capture

To put it simply, the higher-resolution camera sensor can absorb more light, resulting in better pictures. There's also an LED flash that can be used for photos and videos. High-definition video is captured at 720p resolution, at 30 frames per second. Using the iPhone's GPS feature, movies and photos will be automatically geo-tagged with location information as well.



Other hardware improvements

The iPhone 4 has the same efficient processor as the iPad, so you can expect speedier performance. There's also an extra mic on the iPhone that enables noise cancellation for clearer calls. The inclusion of a gyroscope makes the smartphone even more sensitive to motion controls that can be employed in games and other apps. The phone also supports the wireless 802.11n standard for wider range and faster file transfers.



Worth the upgrade?

You can almost picture hardcore geeks the world over collectively rolling their eyes as Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 4 at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference this week. After all, the new features - such as high-definition video capture and high-quality video calls - are already available on many smartphones.

But while the features aren't new, Apple is counting on luring consumers by delivering a smooth and immersive user experience. FaceTime, for instance, one-ups the conventional 3G video call by making it a breeze to talk to your loved ones "face to face", and have them see what you're seeing on a big, bright screen. If you're a travelling parent or caught in a long-distance relationship, FaceTime could be reason enough to upgrade.

If you have an iPhone 3GS, you'll get the software improvements that come with iOS 4 (out on June 21), but you won't get the sharper screen and other hardware improvements that come with iPhone 4. iPhone 3G owners can update to the new OS but you won't be allowed to multitask apps because of the device's slower processor.

According to Apple, the iPhone 4 will arrive on our shores next month. With all three telcos here offering the iPhone, consumers will also need to consider the cost of the subscription plans. And keep in mind that the iPad will see its official launch here around the same time - us mortals with not-so-deep pockets have a tough decision indeed.

 

http://www.todayonline.com/Tech/EDC100611-0000071/Anatomy-of-the-next-iPhone

 

 

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iPhone fans: Get ready for July

SINGAPORE — The first shipments of the new iPhone 4 will arrive in Singapore as early as next month but local telecommunications companies yesterday said it could be several months before it goes on sale.

Apple’s latest smartphone will debut on June 24 in the United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom and Japan at a price of US$199 ($282) for a 16-gigabyte model and US$299 for a 32-gigabyte model, chief executive Steve Jobs announced on Monday. Local pricing of the device was unavailable, however.

Telco SingTel said it was in the final stages of discussions with Apple to bring the handset to Singapore, while StarHub and M1 said they hoped to bring in the product in the coming months.

Singapore was one of 17 countries slated to receive shipments next month during a presentation by Mr Jobs at Apple’s annual conference for software developers in San Francisco. By September, the phone will be
available in 88 countries, which Mr Jobs said was Apple’s “fastest roll out ever”.

The iPhone 4 boasts a higher-resolution screen, longer battery life and most notably, a camera on the front that can be used for video-conferencing, in addition to a 5-megapixel camera on the back.

Some of the mystery surrounding Apple’s latest was punctured in April, when the tech blog Gizmodo bought a lost iPhone prototype for US$5,000 and posted pictures online.

The iPhone 4 is sleeker than previous models and comes in black or white, though it has a more angular look. Its front and back are covered with glass, and it is rimmed with stainless steel that acts as part of the phone’s antenna. It is about 0.93cm thick; 24 per cent thinner than previous models. It can shoot high-definition video,
catching up with other smart phones.

The new phone will run the latest version of Apple’s mobile software, the iOS4, which allows for multi-tasking. Older iPhones and iPod Touch devices will be able to get iOS4 as a free download on June 21,
though not all features will work on them.

The iPhone 4 should help Apple reestablish its leadership, some analysts said. “When it ships, it will be the best smart phone on the market,” said Mr Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies. “It gives Apple a year’s lead on competitors, if not  more.” AGENCIES

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Apple to launch new iPhone

05:55 AM Jun 08, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple chief executive Steve Jobs was poised to unveil yesterday (this morning, Singapore time) the fourth version of the company's hugely-popular iPhone - including a screen with up to four times more detail, a camera flash, noise cancellation and longer battery life.

The announcement was expected at the company's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, which has drawn thousands of programmers keen to write programs - apps - for the device.

More than 51 million iPhones have been sold since its launch in June 2007, and a number of developers have made thousands of pounds from selling apps through Apple's App Store.

But for Mr Jobs the unveiling would be something of an anti-climax - many details about the phone leaked out in mid-April after one of his staff lost a prototype in a bar near the company's headquarters. It was sold to gadget blog Gizmodo, where blogger Jason Chen took it apart and posted a video declaring: "You are looking at Apple's next iPhone."

While analysts are therefore expecting few surprises from Apple, they believe improvements to the iPhone will help to keep it at the forefront of mobile phone innovation.

"We'll see the evolution of an established and hugely successful product rather than a revolutionary new device," said Mr Geoff Blaber, an analyst with CCS Insight.

"Apple has to continue improving. It's facing a barrage of competition that didn't exist three years ago when the first iPhone was launched. Google's Android platform is gaining in momentum and popularity, and is an increasingly capable operating system," he said.

The new iPhone OS 4.0 software also features iAd, Apple's new mobile advertising platform. The company has ambitious plans to dominate advertising on the mobile web in much the same way as Google dominates desktop advertising.

Mr Jobs prefers to keep details of upcoming products under wraps to heighten expectations. But with more details known about the new iPhone than any previous model, some of that effect is likely to be diminished.

Yet Apple can revel in having passed Microsoft as the most valuable technology company based on market capitalisation, and having sold two million of its iPad tablet computers worldwide since they went on sale in the US on April 3. Agencies

 

http://www.todayonline.com/Business/EDC100608-0000127/Apple-to-launch-new-iPhone

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iPHONE 4 UNVEILED

Apple gets a jump on rivals

SAN FRANCISCO

APPLE’S iPhone is outdistancing the pack of phones that use Google’s rival software, thanks to video-
calling features, a sharper screen and its array of 225,000 applications, analysts said.

The iPhone 4, unveiled on Monday by chief executive Steve Jobs, is thinner, has better resolution and a front-facing camera. It also sports a new type of glass and a stainless-steel band that Apple says is designed to improve network reception.

Apple is counting on the product to fend off mounting competition from Android, a smartphone operating system developed by Google.

The iPhone is evolving fast enough to keep competitors at bay, even if the new version lacks major surprises, said Mr William Kreher, an analyst at Edward Jones.

“They remain the technology-innovation leader,” Mr Kreher said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “While nothing was really revolutionary in terms of new features, I think that Apple took a nice step forward.”

Mr Jobs, who unveiled the phone at the company’s developer conference in San Francisco, downplayed the threat from Android. The iPhone was the No. 2 smartphone in the United States in the first quarter, with a
28 per cent share, he said, citing Nielsen data.

Research In Motion ranked first, with a 35 per cent share, while Android-based devices accounted
for 9 per cent.

Though many of the iPhone 4’s enhancements were expected – a prototype of the iPhone was dissected and photographed by technology blog Gizmodo. com in April – the upgrade provides Apple with some exclusive capabilities, said Mr Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Bros.

“The new features and software further differentiate the iPhone from competitors,” he said.

When Apple’s first iPhone appeared in 2007, its touchscreen design and app-based interface shook up the market. Research In Motion and other mobile- phone makers clambered to add similar features to their
devices.

Since then, the industry’s rapid- fire advancements have made it harder for an upstart to catch up quickly, said Mr Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research.

“Apple and its competitors are steadily bringing better and better technology and software to...the market,” he said.

“In that environment, it’s difficult to leapfrog the competition in the same way the iPhone did when it was introduced.” The iPhone is now Apple’s top product, generating 40 percent of revenue last quarter –
more than the Macintosh computer.

The company has three products that work with its App Store: the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. All in, Apple will have sold 100 million of those devices by some time this month.

Mr Jobs said yesterday that there are more than 225,000 applications available.

The company has paid out more than US$1 billion (S$1.4 billion) to developers, who get a 70 per cent share of profits on programs sold through the store, he said.

Android developers, meanwhile, have created only about 50,000 apps, according to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

An advertising system called  iAd will be built into the new iPhone software, giving creators of apps a new way to make money.

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10 reasons iPhone 4 is so cool

APPLE CEO Steve Jobs said the iPhone 4 is the “biggest leap forward” the iPhone has made since it was introduced in 2007, CNN reported.

At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday, he said: “This is without a doubt the most precise thing and one of the most beautiful things we’ve ever made.”

But besides being “beautiful”, what makes this iPhone different? Here are 10 reasons:

1 SHARPER SCREEN
With 326 pixels per inch –four times that of previous Apple phones – Mr Jobs says the iPhone 4’s “retina display” screen is years ahead of anything else on the market.

“Text looks like you’ve seen it in a fine printed book – unlike you’ve ever seen on an electronic display before,” he said.

2 GYROSCOPE
The iPhone 4 has five sensors, including a gyroscope. What does that mean for users? Probably cooler games
and apps. The iPhone 4’s internal gyroscope can sense motion on six axes. On Monday, Mr Jobs showed a demo where he pivoted in a circle, and the stack of blocks in an app spun with him.

3 THICKNESS
It will be the thinnest smartphone on the market, Mr Jobs said. At 9.3mm thick, it is 24 per cent thinner than the previous iPhone model, the 3GS, he said. The iPhone 4’s screen remains the same size as before, 3.5 inches when measured diagonally.

4 CAMERA FLASH
Apple added an LED flash to the iPhone 4’s camera, which lets mobile photographers shoot photos and video more easily at night.

5 BETTER CAMERA
The quality of the iPhone 4’s camera has improved over previous models’. The iPhone 4 shoots photos with 5 megapixels of resolution, comparedto 3 megapixels before.

The iPhone 4 also shoots HD video, and a video-editing app –called iMovie – which Apple will sell allows people to shoot, edit and share videos with the phone.

6 VIDEO CONFERENCING
In addition to the back-ofthe-phone camera improvements, Apple also added a second camera, which faces its user. This can be used for video conferencing, which Apple and Mr Jobs expect to be an emerging trend in the use of mobile phones.

7 MULTI-TASKING
The iPhone’s operating system, which Apple calls iOS 4, got an upgrade along with the iPhone 4’s hardware. Among the most-awaited changes is multitasking, which means that the phone can run multiple applications
at one time.

8 STAINLESS-STEEL ANTENNAE
The iPhone 4 is flat on the front and back, and a band of stainless steel goes around the edge as a trim. This isn’t just a design feature, Mr Jobs said. It’s actually the antennae. “It’s never been done before and it’s
really cool engineering,” he said.

9 GUTS
The iPhone 4 has a new processor – the A4 – which Apple says makes the phone faster than competitors’ and faster than the iPhone 3GS processor. 10 IMPROVED BATTERY LIFE The improved battery
life allows for 40 per cent more talk time, Mr Jobs said.

AGENCIES

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