Simple Guide To Understanding The Iphone 4 Attraction - Part 1

By Author: Lucy Carter
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Released in June this year, the iPhone4, Apple's most recent mobile offering, is considered by many to be their most successful launch yet. It's first unveiling in the US saw the first day of pre-orders overloading the Apple and AT&T website servers, the shipping date for the next batch of phones pushed back it was actually made available.

This first part in my articles explains why Apple's latest mobile phone has caused such a stir by outlining the iPhone 4's look and feel - decide for yourself whether it is an irresistible must-have.

High-End Industrial Design

One of the most talked-about changes in the iPhone 4 compared to its predecessors is the swish industrial design. Gone is the curved, silver-bevelled, plastic feel of the iPhone 3G and 3GS - the casing and face of the iPhone 4 has had a complete overhaul to offer a far more sophisticated appearance that outclasses most every smartphone currently available on the marketplace. Steve Jobs himself likened the design to that of a "beautiful, old Leica camera", and users will agree that it not only looks like a highly expensive piece of technological ...
... art, it feels that way too.

Appearance and Components

The iPhone 4 is made up of three fundamental parts - two pieces of smooth glass which an Apple has described as "comparable in strength to sapphire crystal, but about 30 times harder than plastic" and a stainless steel band which wraps around the sides, top, and bottom of the device. The effect is sleek and clean, plus Apple has added extra little details such as notches in the metal band which improve radio connections and modified volume buttons which are easier to access than before.

Another noticeable difference between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3G is that it's now much thinner, measuring .37 inches compared to the previous .48 inches. It weighs the same as its predecessor however at 4.8 ounces, but users report that this in conjunction with its slimmer design makes for a more compact, tighter overall feel.

In the glass just above the front facing display, there is a small slit for the earpiece and the front-facing camera. The home button towards the bottom now has a 'clickier' feel than on the iPhone 3GS. On the left side of the phone, apart from the newly streamlined volume buttons, you'll find a redesigned mute switch. The Micro SIM slot is on the right side and the power / sleep button, headphone jack and enhanced noise-cancelling microphone is found at the top of the phone. Moving to the bottom, you'll find a speaker, microphone and dock connector port.

The back-facing side of the iPhone 4 is made from the same strengthened glass as the front, and here Apple has placed its snazzy new five megapixel camera with LED flash.

Display

Another exciting feature of the iPhone 4 is that it has a revamped display. While measuring the same 3.5-inches as previous screens, it delivers an impressive 326ppi pixel density along with an 800:1 contrast ratio. Apple has titled it the "Retina Display" because they claim the resolution of the screen exceeds what is perceivable by the human eye. Users agree that there has never been a clearer, more detailed screen on any mobile device to date.

The display also has a much-talked about LED backlight for maximum picture quality and in total has a, 960 x 640 IPS screen. This makes it crystal clear even in bright sunlight as well as viewable even from extreme angles.

As for colour brightness, richness and depth, user feedback has been ecstatic. The display of text is also reported to be remarkably clean and clear. Higher resolution graphics or video display is described as very impressive.

Conclusion

In terms of design and viewability, the iPhone 4 has certainly lived up to its hype. My next guide, Part 2 of this series, will explain the inner workings of this new generation device, so you can see whether what lies beneath the surface is as impressive as the undeniably stylish exterior.
Peter Williams: mobile phone consultant and iPhone 4 retailer.