Introducing iPhone 4

Apple introduced on Monday iPhone 4, the latest iteration of the company’s super-popular smartphone. The company’s latest iPhone features a new front-facing camera, 5 mega-pixel rear-facing camera, HD video recording capability, a sharper display with 960 by 640 resolution, three-axis gyroscope, 40 percent longer talk time than the iPhone 3GS, and a brand new look. Apple CEO, Steve Jobs called iPhone 4 “the biggest leap since the original iPhone.”

Let’s take a closer look at Apple’s iPhone 4.

The new iPhone features a brand new, 3.5-inch 960-by-640 resolution LCD screen called a Retina display that boasts four times as many pixels as the iPhone 3GS. Apple says the new screen uses pixels that are just 78 micrometers wide, which is why it was able to pack so many more pixels into the iPhone 4 display than the iPhone 3GS. The new screen also features 326 pixels per inch, which Apple says is far denser than the human eye can distinguish.

In real terms, this means that when you hold iPhone 4 at a “normal distance” from your face images and video should look smoother and sharper than on previous versions of the iPhone. So with iPhone 4, expect less image distortion whether you are looking at a Web page, photo, or video. Apple claims the iPhone 4 has the highest resolution screen ever built into a smartphone.

The new Retina display also features LED backlighting, and the in-plane switching (IPS) technology used on the iPad. IPS makes it possible to have a wider viewing angle than on similar LCD screens, according to Apple.

Apple’s iPhone 4 has a 5-megapixel rear-facing autofocus camera with a 5x digital zoom. A new backside illuminator and LED flash are also built in, allowing you to take clearer pictures in low-light environments.

The new rear-facing camera will also capture 720p high-definition video, and the iPhone’s tap to focus feature will work with the iPhone 4’s video and still image functions. Apple will also be releasing an iPhone version of iMovie that will let you edit your video right on your iPhone. The iMovie app will be available in the App Store later this summer for $4.99.

The new iPhone comes with a front-facing camera that you can use for on-the-go video chat. The new video chat application is called FaceTime and will work only with other iPhone 4 devices using Wi-Fi.

FaceTime will also let you switch between the front- and rear-facing cameras, allowing you to show your FaceTime chat partners what you’re looking at. During the WWDC keynote, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company had been dreaming about this feature for decades.

In what should be a surprise to no one, Apple announced that the iPhone 4 will be using an Apple-branded A4 processor similar to the iPad.

Apple says the more efficient A4 processor, combined with a larger battery, will give the new iPhone 40 percent more talk time than the iPhone 3GS, up to ten hours of Wi-Fi Web browsing and up to ten hours of video playback.

Apple’s new iPhone device adds a 3-axis gyroscope to the iPhone’s accelerometer allowing for 6-axis motion sensing capabilities including up, down, forward, backward, pitch, and roll. The increased motion capabilities will improve gaming motions, and add an almost three-dimensional feel to gaming maneuvers.

The new iPhone 4 has a completely different look from previous iPhone models. The new device has a squarish design, but is the thinnest iPhone yet with a 0.37-inch profile (24 percent thinner than the iPhone 3GS).

The front and back of the device are made of aluminosilcate glass that has undergone a chemical strengthening process to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times stronger than plastic. On its website, Apple says this is the same type of glass used on the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains. The new iPhone 4 glass is also scratch- and oil-resistant.

Surrounding the iPhone is a stainless steel band made of a custom alloy that Apple claims is five times stronger than standard steel. The steel band also functions as the iPhone’s antennas for Wi-Fi, GPS and 3G connectivity. The iPhone 4 features 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity, and quad-band HSUPA with up to 7.2Mbps downlink and 5.8Mbps uplink data capability; uplink and downlink 3G data speeds are dependent on your carrier’s network capabilities.

The new iPhone 4 costs $199 for a 16GB model, and $299 for a 32GB version. Pre-orders for the device begin June 15 and general availability in the U.S. begins June 24.

The new iPhone will come preloaded with the new iPhone operating system, dubbed iOS4, that boasts 100 new features and 1500 application programming interfaces for developers. Apple’s iPhone 4 will be available in white and black colors.