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Steve Jobs' WWDC10 keynote video is now live on Apple's site
Yeah, we liveblogged the hell out of Steve Jobs' keynote yesterday, but there are few things more charismatic than Apple's CEO in the midst of one of his ambitious product launches. And to feel it for yourself, you've either gotta be there or you have to watch the video -- fortunately, the latter is now available for consumption right now on Apple's website. [Thanks, Dilwar]
iPhone 4: are you getting one?
Now that the dust is beginning to settle on Steve Jobs' WWDC10 keynote, we thought we'd ask the most pertinent question of all: who's buying this new hero mobile device from Apple? We know the company's loyal fan base will not disappoint, but what about you, undecided voter? Did that 960 x 640 IPS screen make you look upon Cupertino's wares with a new level of appreciation? And let us not neglect the iPhone's detractors here -- have they been placated by the inclusion of HD video recording, video chat and a meaty new A4 processor? Tick the appropriate box below, then visit us in the comments and let us know what you thought. %Poll-47657%
iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G... fight!
If you put your ear up to the screen, you can hear these two beasts snarling at one another. Hit up the gallery for more shots, along with some iPhone 3G for good measure. Let's see how they stack up on the big stats, shall we? iPhone 4 EVO 4G Screen 960 x 640, 3.5-inch 800 x 480, 4.3-inch Thickness 0.37-inch 0.47-inch Primary camera 5 megapixel 8 megapixel Secondary camera VGA 1.3 megapixel Video chat FaceTime Qik Not enough for you? We'll have a big comparison of all the "majors" for you shortly. Now, there's a lot left to learn about Apple's FaceTime video chat service. For instance, they called it "open," but they also only mentioned a zero-configuration iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 calling setup. Meanwhile Qik can make calls between EVO 4Gs, but also stream video live to the web (while the iPhone needs to record and then upload to get "social" using its official apps). No mention was made of the FaceTime call resolution, but given the fact that the front camera is merely VGA, it's probably streaming at the same 640 x 480 that Qik is constrained to in the free service. However, a premium version of Qik for $5 a month lets you go beyond that resolution, using the EVO's higher resolution cameras. Perhaps the largest distinction is the fact that the EVO can stream video calls over 3G or 4G, while the iPhone 4 is constrained to WiFi for the time being. Naturally, we expect other video calling apps (Skype, please?) to crop up on both platforms and give these initial offerings a run for their money. %Gallery-94632%
iPhone 4 first hands-on! (update: FaceTime video demo)
We've just gotten some face time (ha ha!) with the new iPhone 4, and let's just say this: it's incredibly sexy. We'll hand it to Apple, the phone is so thin it's kind of mind-boggling. The 3GS by comparison looks bloated. Feast your eyes on the pics below, and check out the FaceTime video demo after the break! Oh, and special thanks to hand models Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg. Some takeaways about the device: As we said, it's shockingly thin. The screen is truly outrageous -- you basically cannot see pixels on it. We're not being hyperbolic when we say it's easily the best looking mobile phone screen we've ever laid eyes on. The build quality is really solid. The home button feels much snappier, and on the whole it just feels like a tightly-packed device, but it's not heavy. The side buttons are really nice and clicky. iOS 4 is very familiar -- there's not a lot added to fit and finish. The general speed of the whole OS is way snappier. The camera app in particular is noticeably faster -- shots get snapped in an instant. Update: More pics! We've also thrown in a video demo of the iPhone 4 running its FaceTime video chat app. Check it out at the usual location.%Gallery-94611%%Gallery-94616%
iPhone 4 vs. iPhone 3GS: the tale of the tape
Apple's claiming that the iPhone 4 represents the platform's biggest advance since the original model's intro back in 2007 -- but does the argument hold water? Follow the break for a comprehensive rundown of the key differences between the newest member of the iPhone model and last year's king of the hill, the 3GS!
iPhone 4 announced, launching June 24 for $199 with new FaceTime video chat
Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 4 after a couple wild, unprecedented months of leaks. Sure, it looks exactly like we expected it to (Steve compares it to an old Leica camera), with a glass front and back, but it's what's on the inside that counts, kids. The stainless steel band that goes around the phone is an antenna system, while also providing the main structure of the phone, though it's plugged into the same old GSM / UMTS radio you all know and love -- there's a reason they didn't call it the iPhone 4G. There's also of course that front facing camera we were all anticipating, a rear camera with LED flash, and a new high resolution display that doubles the pixels in each direction (960 x 640) for a 4X overall pixel count increase -- Apple calls it a "Retina Display." It's rated at 326ppi, which Apple claims is beyond the human eye's limit of distinction. Check out an example of the new screen up against the iPhone 3G after the break. Similar to the iPad, it's an IPS display, offering 800:1 contrast. Naturally, it's still the same old 3.5-inch size. Under the hood is the A4 processor that runs the iPad. Despite the new engine (and the 25% thinner chassis), Apple managed to make the battery slightly larger, and the new handset is rated at 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, and 40 hours of music. Oh, and that WiFi? It's 802.11n now. The camera has been bumped to 5 megapixels, with 5X digital zoom and a "backside illuminated sensor," which now can also record HD video at 720p / 30fps. On the software front, applications will automatically get high resolution text and buttons as part of iOS 4 (the OS previously known as iPhone OS 4), and with "a little bit of work" developers can make their entire app compatible with the new resolution display. Developers will also get access to a new gyroscope, giving devs "six axis" motion control between the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass, with a new "Core Motion" API to deal with it all. Users won't be left out in the cold, however: they can mess around with that new HD video using a brand new iMovie app, if they shell out $4.99 for it. If anyone's feeling particularly frisky, iOS 4 even lets you switch your default search provider to Bing. Last but certainly not least, that new front camera is enabled for video chat using the new "FaceTime" feature. It's a WiFi-only (for now) video calling feature that works from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 with "no setup" involved, and can flip over to the rear camera if your grandparents get tired of your face. The phone will be available in white or black, retailing at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for 32GB. They go on sale June 24th, and AT&T will be giving some extra grace upgrade timing -- up to six months early. The 3GS will be dropped to $99 and the 3G will disappear completely. Pre-orders start in a week, with 5 countries at launch (US, France, Germany, UK, Japan), with 18 more following in July. Apple will also be selling a first party case for $29, and a dock for the same price. PR is after the break, promo videos can be found here, and we got hands-on right here. %Gallery-94580% %Gallery-94610% %Gallery-94620% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPhone 3GS drops to $99, 8GB only -- iPhone 3G discontinued
We've already seen the iPhone 3GS drop to under a $100 at Walmart, and Apple has now expectedly made that the official price point following the announcement of the iPhone 4. What's more, the 3GS will now only be available in an 8GB version (it's still not clear if both colors will be available or not), and that naturally also means that the iPhone 3G is now officially discontinued. Of course, there's also still quite a few of the current iPhone 3GS models floating around out there, and AT&T will be doing its best to clear those out -- you can now grab a 16GB 3GS for $149, and a 32GB 3GS for $199 on a two-year plan "while supplies last."
FaceTime video calling added to iPhone 4... and it's WiFi-only
That front-facing camera on the new iPhone 4 and a flood of leaks were a dead giveaway -- the new FaceTime app brings video calling to the iPhone. Unfortunately, it's WiFi-only at the moment, as Steve says Apple needs to work with carriers to support it on 3G. The FaceTime app is pretty cool -- you can flip the image between the front and rear cameras and between portrait and landscape orientation, and the video call system is built on open standards like SIP, H.264, and AAC so it'll work with other video calling apps as well.%Gallery-94599% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
Bing officially comes to iPhone, iOS
It had been rumored for a while, but now it's real: Microsoft's Bing is being added as an option to iOS' default search providers. Bing joins Yahoo and Google as Apple's two other bundled search engines -- and between the three, we imagine that comes close to wrapping 100 percent of your average user's daily generic web search habits. It's not often you see a Microsoft product headlining WWDC, so revel in the moment! Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4, launching June 21 with 1500 new features
We knew it had to happen eventually -- iPhone OS has been renamed to iOS with the bump to version 4. Some 1500 new features are coming along with the name change, including biggies like multitasking, a unified inbox, app folders, and data detectors. Although Apple is encouraging devs to tweak their apps for the iPhone 4's new Retina Display, iOS4 will also automatically redraw text and controls for existing apps to make them play nice with the new higher pixel density. Bing search integration has also been added to iOS 4 in addition to Google and Yahoo -- Google is still the default, though. The golden master is available to devs today, and Steve says the 100 millionth iOS device -- that's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad -- will be sold sometime this month. That's a lot of devices! We found out about most of the features of iOS 4 at the SDK event, so check here for the full rundown. Apple says iOS 4 will arrive for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and the iPod touch on June 21 -- and it'll be free to iPod touch owners for the first time, which is nice. Not all features will be supported across all devices: the first-gen touch is left out entirely, and the 3G won't do multitasking, as we heard at the SDK event. We'll see if there are any other limitations and let you know. Amusingly, an iOS trademark is currently owned by Cisco -- just like the original iPhone trademark -- so we'll see if Apple's lawyers actually called ahead this time around or if they'll have to fake-tussle and make nice again.%Gallery-94591% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPhone 4 does 720p HD video, iMovie
A backside-illuminated 5 megapixel sensor is about to grace the new iPhone's rear, equipped with an LED flash and 720p / 30fps video recording. Tap to focus while recording video will also be rolled out in the iPhone Quattro, and Steve Jobs is keen to impress on us all that although the megapixel count has grown, the quality of images has apparently improved. That's what they all say. iMovie for iPhone will add more sophisticated video editing options, but they won't come for free -- a $4.99 tithe will be required. This is moving things along, to be sure, but why is the iPhone 4's upper storage limit still stuck at 32GB? A more generous apportionment of memory would've gone very nicely indeed with that HD video mode.%Gallery-94584% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
Farmville and Guitar Hero announced for iPhone
You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later -- Farmville is heading for the iPhone. But that's not all, Activision was also on hand at WWDC to announce an iPhone version of Guitar Hero, which packs classic rock from the likes of Queen and The Rolling Stones, and is available in the App Store today for $2.99. Check out a shot of it after the break, and look for Farmville to be available by the end of June -- or don't, it's up to you. Update: Guitar Hero press release, with the complete tracklist and add-on packs, is now after the break. %Gallery-94573% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
Netflix app headed for the iPhone
After two months of burning up the iPad, Netflix is ready to devour its latest platform: the iPhone. Just like the iPad app -- where it reigns as the number one downloaded entertainment app, Netflix will have you know -- it's free, and you can pick up your playback from the last spot, as with all Netflix players. Unlike the iPad, the UI actually looks fairly optimized for the platform, including an app-optimized search of your instant queue. It also features "seamless" switching between networks, with 3G streaming apparently a go. It launches this summer. %Gallery-94571% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPad corners 22 percent of ebook market, iBooks gets iPhone version and PDF reader
Apple has just announced that the iPad has collected 22 percent of ebook sales since its launch and is about to get new features too. A PDF viewer is going to be thrown into the iBooks app later this month, and will be accompanied by new bookmarking and note-taking functionality. Yeah, they're basic enhancements at best, but we're still trying to wrap our minds around this idea that Apple is already responsible for nearly a quarter of all ebook sales. Then again, as Steve points out, a cool five million of the darn things have been downloaded in the first 65 days of the iPad's availability. Update: Seems like even five mill ain't gonna be enough for Apple, which is set to massively expand its iBooks user base by bringing the app to iPhone and iPod touch users. You'll be getting the same note-taking, same bookmarking -- same everything -- just on a smaller screen, and at no extra charge. Users will be able to purchase a book on one device and then consume it across the full range of iDevices, with bookmarks and progress getting synced across the ether.%Gallery-94570%%Gallery-94595% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
Developers speak up on the 2010 ADAs
Developers are talking, debating and speculating about the exclusion of Mac desktop apps from this year's Apple Design Awards. We contacted some of our friends in Mac development (and several former ADA winners), and gathered their responses for you. Some are outright disappointed, some portend that this belies good things to come, and some are pretty understanding of the way Apple is handling the current drive toward mobile development. Here's the first batch of responses: Aaron Hillegass, Big Nerd Ranch "It seems likely that in the future everyone will be using mobile devices to access data in the cloud. At the moment, however, the applications that we use all day, every day are desktop applications. Eliminating the Apple Design Awards for desktop applications in 2010 is premature and an insult to the thousands of programmers who devote their days to making the Mac desktop a fun and productive environment." Oliver Breidenbach, Boinx Software "We are very proud that Boinx Software, together with TheCodingMonkeys, won what may turn out to be the last ever Apple Design Award for a Mac application with BoinxTV. Of course it is sad that Apple turns away from Mac desktop developers in what seems like a brutal fashion, but it is understandable that they focus their limited resources on the winning horse. At least, the momentum of the success of iPhone OS seems to fuel a growth in Mac sales, so keeping the momentum going is a smart thing and probably also benefits Mac developers. However, it would be nice if Apple could spend a little of the vast profits on additional staff for the developer relations team so that they could go on supporting the Mac developers as well as they do iPhone developers these days."
Apple's WWDC kicks off on June 7th this year
Sure, you might hear the words "Worldwide Developers Conference" and start to yawn, but in Apple parlance we're looking at a likely announcement of a new iPhone (the 3GS was shown at last year's event) and maybe a sneak peak at a new version of OS X. Whatever else Apple might have in store for all of us is anyone's guess, but suffice it to say that we expect to be bringing you the meat from the opening keynote just like always, though specifics on that keynote have yet to be announced. PR is after the break, full of non-revelatory software development topics that will be covered at the conference.
Anticipating WWDC
It's March. It's the month where beer turns green, where the road repair crews start taking over the midwest of the United States, and when Apple usually announces its Worldwide Developers' Conference dates. With the hotly anticipated iPad introduction this year, more devs than ever are looking forward to seeing what WWDC will have on offer. Will WWDC bring the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement and the hardware refresh that we've speculated about? Or will the iPhone OS family remain in the 3.x generation for the foreseeable future? (The current release for the iPhone and iPod touch are at 3.1.3. The iPad will ship with firmware 3.2.) That's the question that has a lot of devs scratching their head. In the past two years, March has been the time when new iPhone SDKs were provided to developers, with the actual firmware released a few months later, somewhat in sync with WWDC. This year, with the iPad release due for the first week of April, the iPhone refresh seems to have been pushed out, or even to the side. Will Apple's WWDC announcement help clarify where we stand in the iPhone lifecycle? That's hard to say. I know a lot of devs are hoping that a new beta SDK will debut sometime in April, once the iPad has been released; with the new version focusing on the iPhone, WWDC sessions would follow up on that build. It would make sense to bring the iPhone up to at least 3.2, so that firmware releases remain in sync across all iPhone OS devices; however, by Jim Dalrymple's estimation we won't see a unified firmware version for both families until the autumn. What about iPhone OS 4.0? With the WWDC keynote being the only remaining scheduled event keynote in the Apple yearly cycle, it would make sense for Apple to use that platform to announce major a iPhone OS update, or a major Mac OS update for that matter. However, the bottom line is this: Apple keeps its secrets. We'll know when they tell us. That can make third-party planning challenging -- whether you want to schedule flights to California for WWDC, or prepare your applications for major firmware updates. We've emailed Apple for clarification on WWDC timing, and have yet to hear back. Here's a quick run-down of past TUAW WWDC announcement posts for your reference. WWDC '09 Details Posted Spring is in the air, although we're in the midst of a blizzard here in the Denver area. That means one thing -- the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is coming soon!Eric over at... Apple announces WWDC 08 dates With the iPhone SDK announcement last week, some of us here at TUAW were expecting a Worldwide Developer Conference date to be announced. Thankfully, the world has been put to rights, as Apple has... AppleInsider: WWDC to take place June 11th - 15th Take this with a grain of sodium chloride, but AI is reporting that "people familiar with conference planning" have tipped them off to the dates of this year's World Wide Developers Conference.... Also of interest: Apple's WWDC dates announced Rumor: Moscone schedule + "corporate event" = Verizon iPhone?
