Simple Guide To Understanding The Iphone 4 Attraction - Part 3

By Author: Lucy Carter
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The purpose of this series titled Simple Guide to Understanding the iPhone 4 Attraction is to explain just why Apple's smartphone wonder has caused such a stir since its release in July this year.

Part 1 of the guide outlined the iPhone 4 appeal in terms of exterior appearance and display quality, while Part 2 described the advancements made to its core internal specs such as processing power, battery life, wireless connectivity and signal strength.

The following article will explore further by describing some of the iPhone 4's key functions.

Photos and Video

Apple's earlier 3GS iPhone had only a 3 megapixel resolution shooter with no flash, which some users were disappointed with. Their latest offering now sports a greatly improved 5 megapixel shooter located at the back - in addition to the enhanced resolution, it has an increased photon count via an illuminated sensor to let more light in and thus produce better picture quality. Users have reported a stunning result, even without using the flash in darker lighting. What's more, the spruced up operating system has done away with any delays to ...
... produce an almost instant photo snap. While there are not as many bells and whistles in terms of settings as some users would like, the good news is the App Store offers tons of applications to further improve the camera performance.

Feedback on the video quality has been good - the 720p capture is reported to be crisp and Apple's iMovie editing software, you'll have added image creativity on the go. It must be said however that there have been discussions about "jellyvision" CMOS issues if you don't hold the phone steady, so watch out for this.

The iPhone 4 also features a VGA camera at the front to capture your face during video calls. This feature is reported to work well even in low light and offers some interesting video shooting angle options.

Email

There have been some major improvements to the latest iPhone's Mail application. The iOS 4 now allows for threaded messaging and a unified inbox, making emailing a much more streamlined experience.

Applications

Two notable applications for the new iPhone 4 are its iBook and iMovie. While iBook is simply a smaller version of that offered by the iPad, the presentation has been improved and you will also now be able to synchronise your bookmarks and notes across platforms.

Apple's iMovie app introduction is completely new. While the iPhone OS 3 and the 3GS offered video recording and editing, iMovie takes this to a new level by giving you access to more advanced features. These include fresh themes and titling effects, the option to add audio to your videos and a selection of transition effects between clips. It also allows for fast edits on the fly and is highly affordable at under £5.

Call and Speaker Sound

The iPhone4 demonstrates an enhanced call and speakerphone quality. Firstly, the volume has been consistently raised, which was a complaint by some on the previous models. Secondly, the sound clarity is now significantly improved, including a hard working noise-cancelling mic to tackle calls in very busy areas. When it comes to the speakerphone, it is sufficiently loud without distorting, which many other smartphones can tend to suffer from.

Conclusion

So far, this series of guides on the iPhone 4 has shown us that Apple has been rather busy when it comes to improvements on its earlier mobile phone offerings. These enhancements range from the exterior appearance and display, to the operating system and core functions. All in all, the iPhone 4 is solidly proving itself to be a forerunner on the smartphone marketplace, rather than a trendy overhype. Part 4 in this series explaining the iPhone 4 attraction will discuss further improvements, such as its new multi-tasking capabilities.
Peter Williams is a mobile phone consultant and iPhone 4 retailer.