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Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
iPhone 4S
 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
| Manufacturer | Foxconn |
| Slogan(s) | It's the most amazing iPhone yet. |
| Form factor | Slate smartphone |
| Generation | 5th |
| Model | Apple |
| Release date | |
| Units sold | Four million in first three days |
| Operating system | iOS 5.0.1 |
| CPU | 800 MHz Dual-core Apple A5 |
| Storage capacity | 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB |
| Memory | 512 MB |
| Display | 3.5 inches (89 mm) diagonal 1.5:1 aspect ratio widescreen LED backlit IPS TFT LCD Retina display 640×960 resolution at 326 ppi (0.61 MP) 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) 500 cd/m2 max. brightness (typical) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back glass |
| Audio | Single loudspeaker 3.5 mm TRRS Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Input | 4 buttons switch microphones, touch-screen, acceleration, orientation |
| Rear camera | 8 MP back-side illuminated sensor HD video (1080p) at 24/30 frame/s IR filter Aperture f/2.4 5 element lens Image signal processor (built-in A5) Facial recognition (stills only) Image stabilization |
| Front camera | 0.3 MP VGA 30 FPS (480p) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) (2.4 GHz only) Bluetooth 4.0 Combined GSM/CDMA antenna: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (800 850 900 1800 1900 MHz) Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (800 850 900 1900 2100 MHz) (800 MHz unannounced) Dual-band CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A (800 1900 MHz) GLONASS signal reception GPS signal reception |
| Online services | iCloud, App Store, iTunes Store, iBookstore |
| Dimensions | 115.2 mm (4.54 in) (h) 58.66 mm (2.309 in) (w) 9.3 mm (0.37 in) (d) |
| Weight | 140 grams |
| Predecessor | iPhone 4 |
| Related articles | iPhone, iPad 2, iPod Touch |
| Website | Apple – iPhone |
The iPhone 4S was unveiled at Apple's "Let's Talk iPhone" event on October 4, 2011 in Cupertino, California. Apple started taking pre-orders for the iPhone 4S on October 7, 2011 in seven initial countries (United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan) with a first delivery date set for October 14, 2011, and available on that same day for direct store sales in those countries. It was released in 22 more European, American and Asian countries, including Ireland, Mexico and Singapore on October 28.
It will be available on 100 carriers in 70 countries overall, including AT&T, Verizon, and for the first time, also for Sprint and C Spire customers in the United States. In Japan, it is available for au (a KDDI brand) and Okinawa Cellular, for the first time.
For US customers, while pre-orders for purchasers buying contracts started on October 7, 2011, unlocked (contract-free) sales started on November 11, 2011.AP said that AT&T described early iPhone 4S demand as "extraordinary".
History
Announcement
For some, a series of expectations about Apple's next generation phone, including various specifications and a predicted name ("iPhone 5"), were built up in the time preceding its debut.After the iPhone 4S was announced, there was some disappointment about the new phone's name. However, as early as May 2011, some leaks had a fairly accurate description of the product including the name "iPhone 4S", the A5 chip, HSDPA, new/better camera, and Sprint carrying.As it turned out, there were no external differences between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S; all of changes were internal. Nevertheless, it has still been described as a "dramatic leap forward in technological innovation and sophistication...". The keynote was the first in which Tim Cook led since the Verizon keynote earlier in the year. It was also Cook's first product launch without Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, whose health was deteriorating and who died the day after the announcement of iPhone 4S. Tim Carmody of Wired praised Cook for focusing on company achievements, calling him a "global business thinker" and a "taskmaster". One unique aspect was that the whole management team of several people took turns discussing the new products.Reception
Initial reaction to the iPhone 4S announcement was generally favorable. Echoing technology pundits, Reuters suggested that the lack of a more radical departure from the iPhone 4 could open new market opportunities for rivals. Shares of Samsung Electronics, HTC and Nokia gained on Wednesday after the 4S was announced, while Apple stock dipped sharply. However, later in the day Apple shares rebounded, ending at a 1% gain. Analyst C. K. Lu of Gartner believed that Apple no longer had the leading edge and 4S would only sell due to brand loyalty, as fans had been expecting an iPhone 5 with a thinner profile, bigger screen, and stronger features.Some of these same people had also wanted a cheaper, stripped-down iPhone 4.The German phone company Deutsche Telekom said they were "satisfied" with consumer interest.
With the launch of the pre-order, AT&T said that the demand for the iPhone 4S was "extraordinary". Over 200,000 pre-orders were placed within 12 hours through AT&T. In addition, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint sold out of pre-order stock by October 8th, 2011 and by the 9th there was a 1-2 week estimate on new pre-orders to be filled. On October 20, 2011 AT&T surpassed 1 million iPhone 4S activations.
On October 10th, Apple announced that over one million iPhone 4Ss had been pre-ordered within the first 24 hours of it being on sale, beating the 600,000 device record set by the iPhone 4.The 16-month wait between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S may have contributed to overwhelming sales as well.
By October 11th, early reviews of the iPhone 4S were released. Reviewers noted the software voice assistant, camera system, and processing speeds as significant advantages over the previous model.
Retrevo surveyed more than 1,300 U.S. consumers and reported that 71 percent of all smartphone owners were not disappointed by the new iPhone 4S but 47 percent or almost a half of current iPhone 4 owners were. 12 percent were hoping for a bigger display, 21 percent wanted a refreshed design, and 29 percent desired 4G.
Unlike previous iPhone models, the sales of the iPhone 4 had not climaxed prior to the 4S introduction.For example, the 3G model came out when sales of the first iPhone had declined to less than half their peak.In addition, iPhone 4 users had high marks for being satisfied with their phone.Nevertheless, they wanted even more from Apple, but forgot that from Apple's perspective the iPhone 4 was still a hit and that new users may not be bothered by the look and feel staying the same, because they did not have iPhone 4 in the first place.[
On October 17, 2011, Apple had announced that four million iPhone 4Ses were sold in the first three days of release, and 25 million iOS users had upgraded to the version supported by the iPhone 4S, iOS 5. Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, stated that the “iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend—the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days.”
On October 19, 2011, private wireless carrier C Spire Wireless announced they will be beginning selling the 4S as well in the United States. It is the smallest provider to carry the 4S so far as well as the first privately-held carrier.
Design
See also: iPhone hardware and iPhone 4 hardware
The iPhone 4S is primarily a combination of a hand-held computer, cell-phone, GPS, digital/video camera, and music player into one device, powered by a rechargeable 1432mAh lithium-polymer battery. It is supported by an online infrastructure where media and secondary applications can be acquired to run on the device, thereby expanding its capabilities.The iPhone 4S retains almost all of the same design features as its predecessor, the iPhone 4. The front and back are both flat, the screen being made of glass. There is a camera on the back and the sides are stainless steel with metal buttons. It keeps the 3.5 inch (8.89 cm) screen of past iPhones with the "home" button at the bottom. The iPhone 4S comes in two colors, black and white.
Hardware
Antenna
The iPhone 4S is theoretically capable of supporting a maximum throughput of up to 14.4 Mbps with HSDPA as a result of an upgraded radio chip inside the phone, in addition to being a world phone, so both CDMA and GSM customers can roam internationally on GSM networks.It also supports Bluetooth 4.0.
Camera
Input and output (I/O)
Like the iPhone 4 the 3.5 inch 960 by 640 pixel Retina Display supports multitouch, a technology that allows multiple simultaneous touch inputs. Siri, a voice control feature exclusive to the iPhone 4S, interprets voice commands and can give visual and auditory feedback. The iPhone 4S has two volume buttons and a vibrate on/off switch on the left side. On the top left there is a 3.5 mm Headphone jack and the lock/power button is situated on the top right edge of the device.. The right side of the device is devoid of inputs except for a SIM card slot. The bottom of the device features a speaker output on the right and a microphone input on the left with Apple's proprietary 30-pin dock connector in the center. The top left on the back of the device houses an 8 megapixel f/2.4 aperture camera with an LED flash.The iPhone 4S supports video out via AirPlay and various Apple A/V cables. Supported video formats include such as H.264 (1080p 30 fps max.), MPEG-4 video, and motion JPEG (M-JPEG).
In addition to user inputs, the device also has several other sensors, such as a 3-axis gyroscope that allows it to detect its orientation.
Power and battery
The iPhone 4S is stated to have 200 hours standby time (iPhone 4 300 hours), 8 hours talk time on 3G (iPhone 4-7 hours), 14 hours talk time on 2G, 6 hours 3G browsing, and 9 hours Wi-Fi browsing.However there are widely reported issues of rapidly decreasing battery level. The time of use depends on power from the lithium-ion polymer battery inside the device. It can be recharged by power from a USB port or power adapter. The battery is enclosed inside the device and is designed to be removed only by technical experts.
Processor, memory, and storage
Further information: Apple A5
The iPhone 4S has a dual-core Apple A5 processor,compared to the single core Apple A4 processor used in the iPhone 4. It has 512 MB of RAM, the same as its predecessor.Maximum available storage size increased to 64 GB whilst the 32 GB and 16 GB model options were retained. The screen is the same as the previous generation iPhones; 3.5 inch, 640×960 resolution (Apple's "retina" design). The improvement in interactive multimedia applications was obvious compared to its predecessor. However, applications that take more advantage of the new specs will take time to be developed and released. In one early review it scored 677 in a Geekbench benchmark speedtest compared to 380 for the iPhone 4, higher being better.Features
Gaming
See also: Game Center
The iPhone 4S uses the Apple A5 system-on-a-chip that uses an Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX graphics processing unit, which features pixel, vertex, and geometry shader hardware, supporting OpenGL ES 2.0.. The SGX543 is an improved version of the GPU used in the iPhone 4S’ predecessor, the iPhone 4. However, the iPhone 4S uses a dual-core model, the SGX543, that is integrated with the Apple A5 SoC in the same way as the iPad 2.Apple’s claim that the iPhone 4S can process graphics up to “seven times faster” than the iPhone 4 was corroborated by Epic Games President Mike Capps. At the “Let’s Talk iPhone” event held by Apple on October 4, 2011, Capps demonstrated Epic Games’ Infinity Blade 2, the sequel to Infinity Blade, on an iPhone 4S. Capps boasted that the game uses Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 and features the same graphic techniques used in the Xbox 360 game Gears of War 3.
Gaming on the iPhone 4S has been likened to the PlayStation Vita, that features the same SGX GPU only in a quad-core configuration, and the Nintendo 3DS handheld game consoles. Additionally, the iPhone 4S’ ability to process 30 million polygons per second has been compared to the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 home video game consoles that are capable of processing 275 million and 500 million polygons per second respectively.
CVG’s deputy editor Andy Robinson told TechRadar that the “[iPhone 4S] is certainly laying down some serious credibility for the iPhone as a core gaming device. Not only is it now pushing out games that simply eclipse the [Nintendo 3DS] visually, but features like cloud saving and TV streaming support are really exciting for gamers.”[39]
Senior Gaming Analyst at Jon Peddie Research Ted Pollak believes the biggest improvement to gaming on the iPhone 4S is the voice control features, noting that “one of the features that Nintendogs players loved was the ability to talk to it. There’s no reason why a game like that couldn’t be done on the iPhone 4S, and much more sophisticated given the voice control shown.”
Siri
Main article: Siri
The iPhone 4S introduced a new automated voice control system called "Siri", unique to the 4S,that allows the user to give the iPhone commands, which it can execute and respond to. For example, iPhone commands such as "What is the weather going to be like?" will generate a response such as "The weather is to be cloudy and rainy and drop to 54 degrees today". These commands can vary greatly and control almost every section of the phone. The commands given do not have to be specific and can be used with natural language. Siri can be accessed by holding down the home button for an extra amount of time (compared to using the regular function). An impact of Siri, as pointed out by Apple video messages, is that it is much easier and/or possible for people to use device functions while driving, exercising, or when they have their hands full. It also means people with trouble reading, seeing, or typing can access the phone more easily.Its not clear what the impact of Siri speaking in public will be, but it does not have to speak out loud and can be used with headphones. One interface feature of Siri is that it can be activated by holding the phone to a person's head. The iPhone 4S has a proximity sensor.
At launch Siri supports French, English, and German languages.In one early review, German Siri handled the language well but needed more information from supporting databases, such as route information and possibly the Wolfram Alpha "Computational Knowledge Engine".One early review noted its good performance in English, although it did confuse "4" and "for" at one point. The New York Times said Siri's ability to comprehend was "mind-blowing".
The Harvard Business School described Siri as the new phone's most interesting feature, and how well it works could make or break it. Apple says the A5 is a reason why Siri may not come to other devices even with iOS 5 upgrades. However, some gadget reviewers believes otherwise. Several smartphone reviewing sites have pointed out that Apple is making Siri exclusive to the iPhone 4S because that is the only selling point of the phone compared to the previous iPhone 4.
Siri is supported by the A5 chip and currently an iPhone 4S exclusive.Siri also needs internet access to function. When used for the first time, Siri does not require setup but does adapt to a user's voice over time, and can also be taught certain things directly. A number of aspects of the software can be configured, such as language and its voice feedback ability (its ability to talk back).
At launch Apple said Siri is still in Beta, and it has a certain set of abilities with restrictions, such as being able to dictate texts but not emails, and only controlling certain apps. Nevertheless one area it may be useful is driving and exercise activities. It is integrated with Apple's Find My Friends program (which debuted at the same time as the 4S), so Siri can potentially answer questions like "Where is my wife?"When it is enabled, Apple's Find My Friends lets a social group know where each other are and Siri can use this information to answer questions. Siri can be taught information, so it knows who a person is referring to when they use generic terminology on that device.
Recently iPhone 4S users reported that there is a security Loophole in iPhone's Siri which allows unauthorized users to bypass the passcode lock to perform tasks like making calls and sending messages with the help of Siri. However, this loophole can be dissolved simply by changing settings on the iPhone 4S.
The British English voice for Siri is provided by Jon Briggs.
Messaging
Main article: iMessage
On the iPhone 4S, texting can be done aided by the voice assistant which allows speech-to-text.In addition to regular texting, messaging on the iPhone 4S is supported by iMessage, a specialized instant messaging program and service that allows unlimited texting to other Apple iOS 5 products. This supports the inclusion of media in text messages, integration with the device's voice controlled software assistant, and read receipts for sent messages. iMessages are in blue, and regular texts in green in the screen bubbles.Input to the computer comes from a keyboard displayed on the multi-touch screen or by voice-to text by speaking into the microphone. Entered text is supported by predictive and suggestion software as well as a spell checker, that includes many regional dialects like Swiss spoken French.Since Siri can send text messages, a person can text and drive without taking their eyes off the road, as shown in Apple's video ad.Another example, is that a person can ask Siri for information while they are cooking and their hands are messy.It also makes it much easier for people with physical disabilities such as blindness to compose and send text messages.
Language
At announcement plans were in place for the iPhone 4S to support many languages from around the world. Different features have different language requirements, such as keyboards compared to the word predictor and spell-checker, which needs a large dictionary of words. Language support is related to the iOS 5 operating system that the device launched with, although not always. The Siri digital assistant supported French, English, and German at launch. Since it uses a software based keyboard supported by the multi-touch display, it can support many different keyboard layouts without having to change physically. The iPhone 4S can display different languages and scripts at the same time.Network
The device is a World phone and can work on both GSM & CDMA networks. On a 2G (on GSM) network it supports up to 14 hours of talk time. It can download at maximum rate of 14.4 Mbps on a HSPA+ network such as AT&T Mobility's. On CDMA networks however it is limited to 3.1 Mbps, this includes Verizon Wireless's.Operating system
Main article: iOS
iPhone 4S was announced with Apple’s iOS 5 operating system, which Apple claims as having 200 new features compared to the previous version. On the 4S, the Apple A5 processor and iOS 5 work together to support many subsystems of the device, such as data processing for the camera. Some major tasks performed include browsing the internet with Safari, voice assistance with Siri, cellular communications, media playback, and applications.It supports PC and Mac freedom, where updates can be downloaded by over-the-air to the device.Another feature is the ability to have Apple send a real card in the mail with the Apple Cards application.
Accessories
Bumper
Since the iPhone 4S has nearly the same design (mute switch has been moved slightly similar to the iPhone 4 CDMA model) some bumpers may fit both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
iPhone 4
 | |
|---|---|
 Photo of a Black Apple iPhone 4 (black UMTS/GSM model) | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
| Manufacturer | Foxconn (UMTS/GSM model) Pegatron (CDMA model) |
| Slogan(s) | This changes everything..again |
| Form factor | Slate |
| Generation | 4th |
| Model | A1332 (GSM model) A1349 (CDMA model) |
| Part Number | 16 GB: MC318, MC603 32 GB: MC319, MC605 |
| Release date | GSM model (black): June 24, 2010 CDMA model (black): February 10, 2011 GSM and CDMA models (white): April 28, 2011 |
| Operating system | iOS 5.0.1 Released November 10, 2011 |
| Power | Built-in rechargeable li-ion battery 3.7 V at 1420 mAh[5] |
| CPU | Apple A4 (ARM Cortex-A8) |
| GPU | Apple A4 (PowerVR SGX 535) |
| Storage capacity | 16 or 32 GB flash memory |
| Memory | 512 MB eDRAM |
| Display | 3.5 in (89 mm) diagonal 1.5:1 aspect ratio widescreen LED backlit IPS TFT LCD Retina display 640×960 resolution at 326 ppi (0.61 megapixels) 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back glass |
| Audio | Single loudspeaker 3.5 mm TRRS Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz[citation needed] |
| Input | Multi-touch touchscreen display Push-buttons Dual microphone 3-axis gyroscope 3-axis accelerometer Digital compass Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor |
| Rear camera | 5 MP back-side illuminated sensor HD video (720p) at 30 frame/s 1.75 μm size pixels 5× digital zoom Tap to focus video or still images LED flash Photo and video geotagging |
| Front camera | 0.3 MP (VGA) SD video (480p) at 30 frame/s 25.17 μm size pixels Tap to focus video or still images Photo and video geotagging |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) (2.4 GHz only) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR GSM model: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (800 850 900 1800 1900 MHz) Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (800 850 900 1900 2100 MHz) (800 MHz not yet officially supported by Apple) CDMA model: dual-band CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A (800 1900 MHz) |
| Hearing aid compatibility | GSM 3G 850/1900 MHz M4, T4 2G 850 MHz M3, T3 2G 1900 MHz M2, T3 CDMA M4, T4 |
| Online services | App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store, MobileMe |
| Dimensions | 115.2 mm (4.54 in) H 58.66 mm (2.309 in) W 9.3 mm (0.37 in) D |
| Weight | 137 g (4.8 oz) |
| Predecessor | iPhone 3GS |
| Successor | iPhone 4S |
| Related articles | iPad, iPod Touch (comparison) |
| Website | www.apple.com/iphone |
The iPhone 4 runs Apple's iOS operating system, the same operating system as used on prior iPhones, the iPad, and the iPod Touch. It is mainly controlled by a user's fingertips on the multi-touch display, which is sensitive to fingertip contact.
The most noticeable difference between the iPhone 4 and its predecessors is the new design, which incorporates an uninsulated stainless steel frame that acts as the device's antenna. The internal components of the device are situated between two panels of chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass. It has an Apple A4 processor and 512 MB of eDRAM, twice that of its predecessor and four times that of the original iPhone. Its 3.5-inch (89 mm) LED backlit liquid crystal display with a 960×640 pixel resolution is marketed as the "Retina Display".
The latest operating system release is iOS 5.0.1.
In October 2011, the iPhone 4S was announced, which retains the same form factor but includes some upgrades such as the A5 processor, iOS 5, and an improved camera.
History
Prototypes
Before the official unveiling of the iPhone 4 on June 7, 2010, two prototypes were brought to the attention of the media, breaching Apple's normally secretive development process. Many of the speculations regarding technical specifications proved accurate.Gizmodo leak
On April 19, 2010, gadget website Gizmodo reported that they had purchased an iPhone prototype for $5000, and furthermore, had conducted a product teardown of the device. The prototype is reported to have been lost by an Apple employee, Gray Powell, in Redwood City, California. Shortly after Gizmodo published detailed information about the prototype, Apple's legal associates formally requested for the phone to be returned to Apple, and Gizmodo responded with the intent to cooperate. On April 22, officers from the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) task force of the California HTTAP Program raided the home of Jason Chen, the Gizmodo editor responsible for reviewing the prototype, seizing all of his computers and hard drives.The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the raid as violating journalist source protection laws that forbid the seizure of journalist computers as well as the suspicion that Apple had used its influence as a member of the steering committee which is charged with direction and oversight of the California REACT task force to push police into action in a way that would not normally be conducted for this type of incident. Apple had already received the iPhone prototype before the raid when it was returned by Gizmodo. The District Attorney has stated that the investigation has been suspended, and discontinued searching through the Gizmodo editor's belongings as they determine whether the shield laws are applicable, and cautioned that no charges have been issued at this point.Taoviet leak
Pictures and video of a second prototype were published on a Vietnamese website, Taoviet, on May 12, 2010. It was almost identical to the first, and used an A4 chip manufactured by Apple. The website purchased the prototype for $4,000. DigiTimes reported that the screen resolution of the new phone was 960-by-640, which was confirmed by Apple at the iPhone 4's official announcement.Release
The iPhone 4 has also been released through Orange in Tunisia and was available in eight cities at the launch. In South Korea, it was released by KT on September 10. In Israel, it was released, too, on September 24, through Cellcom, Pelephone and Orange. It was launched in Thailand on September 23 by AIS, DTAC and True Move, and in Malaysia on September 26 in Kuala Lumpur, and nationwide on September 27 according to the website of Maxis.The iPhone 4 was released in South Africa on September 22 on the Vodacom and MTN networks, in very limited quantities. The iPhone 4 was launched in Vietnam on September 30 by VinaPhone and Viettel, at first in 3 major cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city and Da Nang, and then all over the country by the end of October.
The iPhone 4 was launched in India on May 27, 2011 by Aircel and Airtel. Aircel is releasing the 16 GB iPhone 4 for
34,500 and the 32 GB one for 40,990. The smartphone will be available via contract from both service providers.On January 11, 2011, Verizon announced during a media event that it had reached an agreement with Apple and would begin selling a CDMA iPhone 4 in the United States, ending Apple's exclusivity agreement with AT&T. The Verizon iPhone went on sale on February 10 and pre orders began on February 3. The Verizon iPhone includes the 'Personal Hotspot" feature which allows a user to use the iPhone as a wireless hotspot, with up to 5 devices connecting at one time. The February 3 presale of the iPhone 4 broke Verizon's first day sales records for a single device.
On June 24, 2010, Apple issued a statement that the white iPhone 4 models were proving more "challenging to manufacture" than expected, and initially pushed the release date back to the second half of July. There was a lot of speculation surrounding the delay of the white iPhone 4. Among the most popular rumors are those concerning the phone's internal camera being adversely affected by light leaking in due to the semi-translucent glass and the white paint. Other sources report that the problem relates to Apple's inability to match the white color of the front face plate with that of the home button.On April 27 Apple announced that it would be releasing the white iPhone 4 model on April 28, 2011 for both GSM and CDMA. The release of the white iPhone 4 was carried out on April 28, and is still available for purchase today.
During Apple's official unveiling of the iPhone 4S on October 4, 2011 it was announced that Sprint would begin carrying the reconfigured CDMA iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S in the US on October 14.
Hardware
Display
The display of the iPhone 4 is manufactured by LG under an exclusive contract with Apple. It features an LED backlit TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (ppi) on a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) (diagonally measured), 960×640 display. Each pixel is 78 micrometres in width. The display has a contrast ratio of 800:1. The screen is marketed by Apple as the "Retina Display", based on the assertion that a display of approximately 300 ppi at a distance of 12 inches (305 mm) from one's eye, or 57 arcseconds per pixel is the maximum amount of detail that the human retina can perceive. With the iPhone expected to be used at a distance of about 12 inches from the eyes, a higher resolution would allegedly have no effect on the image's apparent quality as the maximum potential of the human eye has already been met.This claim has been disputed. Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies, said in an interview with Wired magazine, that the claims by Jobs are something of an exaggeration: "It is reasonably close to being a perfect display, but Steve pushed it a little too far." Soneira stated that the resolution of the human retina is higher than claimed by Apple, working out to 477 ppi at 12 inches (305 mm) from the eyes, or 36 arcseconds per pixel. However, Phil Plait, author of Bad Astronomy, whose career includes a collaboration with NASA regarding the camera on the Hubble Space Telescope, responded to the criticism by stating that "if you have [better than 20/20] eyesight, then at one foot away the iPhone 4’s pixels are resolved. The picture will look pixellated. If you have average eyesight, the picture will look just fine."
Camera
Connectivity
In contrast to Steve Jobs' announcement at WWDC 2010, recent Federal Communications Commission documentation has shown that the iPhone 4 contains a penta-band 3G UMTS antenna, not a quad-band 3G UMTS radio, as advertised by Apple. According to the FCC documentation filed by Apple, the radio inside the iPhone 4 supports 800, 850, 900, 1900, and 2100 MHz. The 800 MHz frequency, which is most commonly used in Japanese mobile phones, is not advertised as being supported by Apple. However, the 800 MHz band is a subset of the 850 MHz band, which probably explains why the device is advertised as quad-band.[citation needed] The chip-sets were manufactured by Skyworks Solutions and Infineon for GSM version.As with most of Apple's mobile products, the iPhone 4 also uses the 30 pin dock connector as its only external data port.
The iPhone 4 is the first generation of iPhone to have a second microphone used for noise cancellation. It is located on the top of the unit near the headphone jack; the main microphone is on the bottom left.
Gyroscope and accelerometer
The iPhone 4 introduces a gyroscopic sensor that detects 3-axis angular acceleration around the X, Y and Z axes, enabling precise calculation of yaw, pitch, and roll. The gyroscope complements the accelerometer, a sensor that has been present since the original iPhone, which detects the device's acceleration, shake, vibration shock, or fall by detecting linear acceleration along one of three axes (X, Y and Z). The combined data from the accelerometer and the gyroscope provides detailed and precise information about the device's 6-axis movement in space. The 3 axes of the gyroscope combined with the 3 axes of the accelerometer enable the device to recognize approximately how far, fast, and in which direction it has moved in space.Processor and memory
The iPhone 4 is powered by the Apple A4 chip, which was designed by Intrinsity and, like all prior iPhone models, manufactured by Samsung.This system-on-a-chip is composed of an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU integrated with a PowerVR SGX 535 GPU.The Apple A4 is also used in the iPad where it is clocked at its rated speed of 1 GHz. The clock speed in the iPhone 4 has not been disclosed. All prior models of the iPhone have underclocked the CPU, which typically extends battery life and lowers heat dissipation.The iPhone 4 has 512 MB of eDRAM. The additional eDRAM supports increased performance and multi-tasking.
Storage and Micro-SIM
The iPhone 4 uses a Micro-SIM card on iPhone 4 devices running on a GSM network, which is positioned in an ejectable tray, located on the right side of the device. On a CDMA network, however, the phone connects to the network using an ESN. All prior models have used regular Mini-SIM cards. Depending on the operator, Micro-SIM cards may not be available for all networks globally. As a technical workaround it is possible to trim a Mini-SIM card with a knife or scissors so that it fits into the Micro-SIM tray.As on prior models, all data is stored in flash memory, 16 or 32 GB, and not on the SIM. Unlike prior generations, the storage capacity is not printed on the back of the unit.
Design
The iPhone 4 features a redesigned structure, designed by Jonathan Ive. Most notably, the bulges of the back panel as well as the band between the front and back are gone and have been replaced with flattened surfaces. The redesign reflects the utilitarianism and uniformity of existing Apple products, such as the iPad and the iMac. The overall dimensions of the iPhone 4 have been reduced from its predecessor. It is 4.5 inches (110 mm) high, 2.31 inches (59 mm) wide, and 0.37 inches (9.4 mm) deep, compared to the iPhone 3GS, which is 4.55 inches (116 mm) high, 2.44 inches (62 mm) wide, and 0.48 inches (12 mm) deep; making the iPhone 4 24% thinner than its predecessor, the iPhone 3GS. Steve Jobs claims that it is “the thinnest smartphone on the planet". The reduced size of the device is primarily due to the externally placed antenna.The iPhone 4 is structured around a stainless steel frame that wraps around the edge of the phone, acting both as the primary structure for the device and as the iPhone 4's antennas. This metal band features two slits on the GSM version of the phone, one at the lower left, and one at the top (and a fake slit along the lower right, to cosmetically mirror the one at the lower left) that divide the band into two antenna sections: the left section of the band serves as the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS antenna, and the right and lower sections of the band act as the antenna for GSM and UMTS connectivity. On the CDMA version of the phone, however, there are four slits in the metal band. Two at the top (on the left and right) and two at the bottom. This divides the metal band into four different segments, which like the GSM version of the phone, serves as different antennas for connectivity. The top portion of the band (divided by the top left and right slits) is for connecting to the CDMA network. The left portion of the metal band is for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS just like the GSM version. The right side is not an antenna, but serves to cosmetically mirror the left side and also to create a similar look to the GSM version of the phone.
The internal components are situated between two panels of aluminosilicate glass, described by Apple as being "chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic," theoretically allowing it to be more scratch resistant and durable than the prior models.
In fall 2010, pentalobular screws started to replace the Philips screws used in post-repair units in the US and in production units in Japan.
Software
FaceTime
The iPhone 4 supports FaceTime, an embedded video calling application that is able to use either the front or back camera over a Wi-Fi connection to communicate with another iPhone 4, the fourth-generation iPod Touch, an iPad2 or any Macintosh computer running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.Accessories
Bumper
Additionally, the plastic band houses metallic buttons for the volume controls and sleep/wake button. The six holes in the Bumper enable access to the mute switch, dock connector, headphone jack, speaker, and microphones. The bumper also can be used to prevent the "antenna issue" that users face when holding the parts of the steel band where the antennas are, that could cause the phone's signal to drop.
Technical issues
Some users have reported a yellow discoloration of the screen when they first received the phone which disappeared after several days, which was attributed to the glass lamination glue that was used. It did not have time to dry fully before the unit reached consumers due to the speed of manufacturing. Another issue reported by some users within days of the iPhone 4 release was that during calls the proximity sensor can be insensitive, so that facial contact with the touchscreen can end calls, mute calls, and dial other numbers.Antenna
Shortly after the iPhone 4 was launched, some consumers reported that signal strength of the phone was reduced when touching the lower left edge of the phone, bridging one of the two locations which separates the two antennas, resulting in dropped calls in some areas with lower signal reception.In response, Apple issued a statement advising that customers should "avoid gripping [the phone] in the lower left corner" when making or receiving a call.As a consequence of this problem, it was reported on July 2, 2010 that several iPhone 4 users were planning on suing Apple and AT&T for fraud by concealment, negligence, intentional misrepresentation and defective design. The legal challenge was started by California law firm Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, who set up a website to recruit disenchanted iPhone 4 buyers for a lawsuit against Apple. Later that day, Apple issued another statement stating that it had discovered the cause of the "dramatic drop in bars". Apple explained how the formula it used to calculate the number of bars to display was "wrong". Apple promised to correct the issue and release a software update within a few weeks that would address the "mistake", which had been present since the original iPhone.The New York Times commented that "the failure to detect this longstanding problem earlier is astonishing."
Consumer Reports initially stated that the iPhone 4's signal issues are not "unique, and may not be serious" and it continued to mention that signal loss is a problem that is faced by the entire smartphone industry. It has been such a problem that Apple made a formal apology. The next day, the magazine altered their stance after encountering instances of dropped calls. The magazine rejected Apple's explanation after conducting tests in a controlled environment, and comparing the results against prior generations of iPhone. It sarcastically pointed out that using a piece of tape to cover the lower left antenna gap was one way to fix the problem, but recommended that consumers who "want an iPhone that works well without a masking-tape fix" purchase the iPhone 3GS instead. The magazine also tested the iPhone 4 while it was wearing a Bumper, a frame-like cover sold by Apple that prevents direct contact with the antenna, reporting that it did resolve the problem.[72] CNN repeated Consumer Reports' statement that a small amount of duct tape had proven an effective fix to the iPhone 4's dropped call issue.
On July 16, 2010, at a press conference, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would provide all iPhone 4 owners with a free case to help solve the antenna issue and a refund to those users who had already purchased a Bumper. The free case offer would be valid until September 30, 2010, when Apple would re-evaluate the situation. To get a free case, owners were able to apply via an app installed on the phone found in the App Store from July 22, 2010 to September 30, 2010. Jobs also announced that Apple could not produce enough Bumpers for all owners of the phone, but would source a supply and offer a range of cases. Additionally, Jobs cited figures from AppleCare which showed that only 0.55 percent of all iPhone 4 users have complained to the company about the issue, while the number of phones returned to Apple was 1.7 percent – 4.3 percentage points less than the number of iPhone 3GS models that were returned in the first month of the phone's launch.
Consumer Reports noted that the solution was not permanent, though a good first step.However, because Jobs did not specify a time line for fixing the problem, and the offering for a free bumper only being a temporary solution, PC World decided to remove the iPhone 4 from its "Top 10 Cell Phones" chart and reassign it to a pending rating.
AnandTech researched iPhone 4 antenna and identified that its outer construction provides 5–9 dB (6.9–9 times) better sensitivity comparing to common internal antenna design of iPhone 3Gs (the phone keeps working connection with signal as low as −120/121 dB comparing to usual −113/115 dB).
Despite the negative media attention regarding the antenna issues, 72% of iPhone 4 users say that they are "very satisfied" with their iPhone 4 according to an August 2010 survey by ChangeWave Research.
Camera image fault
Reports about iPhone 4 cameras being rendered useless by a peculiar fault started to show up on the Internet in September 2010. Under certain lighting conditions the back camera produces a large green 'halo' in the center of the image. This renders many of these images to be of much lower quality than what the iPhone 3GS is capable of producing under similar lighting conditions. Reports started surfacing on forums and have since been picked up by major media sources.Compass
The built in Compass application has a couple of minor software issues. In use it displays the iPhone's position at the bottom of the compass display (derived from the inbuilt A-GPS facility). While this positional information is correct for most of the world, there is a minor issue that if the longitude is greater than zero and less than one degree west of the meridian, the app incorrectly reports the longitude as being east of the meridian. This was fixed with iOS 5.0.Also when crossing the date line, the longitude changes from 179°59'59" W directly to 179°59'59" E (or vice versa) missing out 180°0'0" E. Crossing the meridian, the display correctly shows 0°0'0" E
Critical reception
Reaction to the announcement
Media reaction to Steve Jobs' announcement of the iPhone 4 was generally positive. The announcement included information that had not been covered by Gizmodo. Fox News commented that "seeing it in action is far more informative than staring at Gizmodo's photos of a busted test unit".Rhodri Marsden of The Independent said that "aside from the introduction of face-to-face video calling, it's not a staggering feature set," instead focusing on how the device is "more powerful than its predecessor, speedier, easier to use and will make previously laborious tasks seem like a cinch".CNET reacted to the announcement by explaining how it believes that iMovie for iOS was the "most exciting part of this year's WWDC Keynote". The article noted how the iPhone 4, unlike current cameras, can record HD content and then edit it from the same device, labeling it a "true mobile editing suite".
Reviews
Reviews of the iPhone 4 have been generally favorable. Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal called the device "the best device in its class". Engadget named it the "best smartphone on the market" in June 2010. CNET gave the iPhone 4 a rating of 8.6 out of 10, one of the highest ratings it has given any smartphone. TechRadar gave the device 4.5/5 stars. Consumer Reports said the signal problem was the reason they did not rate it a "recommended" model, although the other tests ranked it highest among smart phones.Joshua Topolsky of Engadget described the device's industrial design as being "more detailed and sophisticated" than its predecessor.
Source : Wikipedia
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