iPad Mini
"Jobs noted that the iPhone 4 has 78 per cent on the iPad's pixels "in the palm of your hand.""
Say what you like about the product, but you have to admit Jobs is a pure hype-machine/salesman/charlatan (delete as appropriate)
Steve Jobs has introduced the next-generation iPhone, prosaically known as the iPhone 4. This wasn't unexpected, but the Apple chief did reveal a number of features not mentioned in pre-release leaks. Jobs unveiled the handset at the company's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, and since the man won't actually …
While 720p HD is pretty common now, the fact you can edit it on the phone, add transitions and then upload it somewhere is pretty impressive.
Those who might moan about the video calls working only on Wifi might actually think about why this is. Firstly this isn't your usual 3G video calling, that was designed when screens were quite low resolution and video compression wasn't hardware assisted. Apple have come up with a much better quality video call system, they're making it a standard and it will be available for others to implement.
Secondly, Wifi is more available than the reception required for 3G video calls. You can do it at home or at a hotspot. I for one haven't a chance in hell of ever using 3G video calling where I am, yet I have a nice fast cable connection to the internet.
Nice kit but still a disappointment and you're right about video-conferencing needing bandwidth - I reckon quite a few access points would struggle with it as wel. But a new system?
Lots of people know all about video-conferencing system but Cisco's TelePresence has already set the standard and someone who knows network infrastructure would have to be involved in any roll-out. But who really uses video-conferencing? It was fun to play with 15 years ago on NetPhone and stuff but the novelty soon wore off and hasn't returned.
Now for the disappointment - why isn't it 3D? As noted in the piece on the new Motorola phone - adding a flash and second camera and microphone doesn't really count as innovative any more. Apple has definitely passed the baton to HTC and others on this but will still make a lot of money from this. Thing is, what's next? And will Apple be the company to show us?
Ah, you're missing one critical point here. You may live in an area with non-existant 3G, but I live in more high-tech city where we actually have working 3G with few deadzones. Can you walk from your apartment/flat/house to your local shop, buy a bottle of milk and walk back without losing your wifi signal? No? So then how is wifi more readily available than 3G?
When comparing old solutions with new solutions the biggest factor is "Does it work". If the old solution works over 3G but the new solution doesn't, who cares about quality. It just doesn't work. I want video chat over 3G just like I want voip over 3G. If it doesn't work I don't care about it.
Video calls cost more than 3G calls. Who wants to 3G video call with it's low resolution? I don't know the specs for video calling (I can't find them) but I would imagine it is 320x240 to 640x480 at best.
Since this system is sent over the data connection it would be a little unfair of Jobs to allow that without letting the networks prepare for it.
As for the question about "can you make calls to other phones", not yet, but Apple will publish it as a standard and then anyone can use it. Which is a damn sight more than Microsoft ever did (MSN Messenger webcam standard has never been released, it had to be reverse engineered).
I'm disappointed by the lack of a storage upgrade, I can fill my 160GB iPod Classic, so 32GB will be full in no time at all. I suppose they didn't want to make the iPad look bad by releasing a phone with the same amount of storage as the top-end model.
Still, looking forward to upgrading from my aged iPhone 3G, it's still a great phone but browsing seems to be getting very slow these days...
My media library was a couple of terabytes last time I checked, manage perfectly well on my 16gb phone. Have a core music selection and then a random playlist which shuffles music in or out.
Doubt a 3 or 4tb portable device would be cost effective and fit in the pocket as easily
with both Apple and Google working on "cloud-based" streaming solutions, there will be no need to carry copies of your media files around with you.
Google have hinted that their solution will be launched with the next release of Android, and from the demos, it will be like everybody having their own private Spotify. I think some people expected Steve Jobs to unveil the Apple version last night - maybe it isn't quite ready for primetime just yet.
Maybe it isn't music and video that eat your mobile storage...but they accounted for the bulk of mine until recently.
Besides, how long ago was it that 32GB on a phone or SIM card seemed unattainable? Rest assured there are fine minds at work on either giving you 1TB on your phone, or developing technology to make huge local storage unnecessary.
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Finally the iPhone that should have been launched in 2007 is announced... With the hardware that an N95 (launched in 2007) has...
Wee another maimed product at launch from Apple...
Hopefully in 2013 they'll launch the iPhone with a 10Mp camera with xenon flash, have unlimited multi-task, Adobe Flash and everything all the other announced phones of today have...
Whilst I agree this should have been the spec of the phone 3 years ago, the N95 was a dogs dinner of pooh! The most evangelical iphone converts I know are all ex N95 owners!
I've been waiting for the phone to have this spec since I came very close to owning a Motorola A1000 back in 2005. Only 3's rubbish garden wall internet and the pain of owning another Motorola handset put me off.
Even that had a video calling that "You can switch to the front camera". Poor show apple!
The resident Apple fan here is deeply disappointed - hoping for a 64gig model. Oh well... as the ipod cant be replaced with an iphone of sufficient capacity it also means the N86 wont be replaced. I have to admit as a disinterested bystander - more media capacity would have seemed to be a bigger seller than a three-axis gyroscope or even a forward facing camera that can only be used for calls in very limited circumstances.
I feel that this launch is diminished by a lack of focus on everyday practicality in favour of toys that very few users will actually benefit from. Im sure the more dedicated fans will disagree but then here Apple fan has spent much time extolling the usability and function of Apple products, only to see those arguments torn down by the bewildering inclusion of toy of limited usefulness.
technically this is correct, this is exactly why when you drop glass it tends to break, and when you drop plastic it doesn't
Not exactly the sort of thing I'd want the majority of the case made out of? What's wrong with the macbook approach of machining the thing out of a block of aluminium, with suitable adaptations for getting signals in and out.
"""What's wrong with the macbook approach of machining the thing out of a block of aluminium, with suitable adaptations for getting signals in and out."""
The MacBook is a pretty poor example of something that signals can get in and out of. Wifi reception is pretty poor compared to most laptops I've used, and it's noticeably directional, based on how much of that lovely Aluminum is between the antennas and the access point.
I can tell you that there is glass you can throw at a concrete floor without breaking it. You can even buy cups and plates made from it. It must be about 20 years ago that someone demonstrated this for me and I was very much impressed by it. Imagine a plate of glass just wiped off the table jumping and tumbling over the floor right against the other wall without breaking.
No, you can have glass you can hardly shatter even if you try hard, really.
Apple could sell turds if they polished them up, made a funky ad.
iTurd - has a little bit of a 'ring' to it!
Apple cashing in again on what is no doubt no real improvement - the only way they could improve the iPhone is if Apple were a little bit more open and stopped being so anal about the apps and code they approve, and, like. Sooner or later, Android on well designed pretty handsets will be the death of the iPhone.
Just look at the craze over the HTC Desire..