iPhone 4: What You Need To Know

Apple CEO Steve Jobs earlier today announced the iPhone 4, and it the specs are….well…rather impressive, once you cut through the Apple marketing speak.

The biggest change is the addition of a second, front facing camera allowing for video calling, or what Apple calls “FaceTime.” The rear camera also gets an upgrade to 5mpx and finally has a flash.

The iPhone screen has also undergone a transformation to what Apple calls “retina display.” In English, this means that it is sharper than previous versions, with “four times the pixel count of previous iPhone models.”

As long known, the new phone will also see the release of iPhone OS 4.0, which Apple has renamed iOS 4. Included with the new OS is (at long last) multitasking.

In what some are calling a “Flip killing” move, video recording on the new phone will be at the HD spec of 720p, and the camera flash also operated as a LED light for illuminating low light scenes. To accompany the upgraded video features, Apple is also releasing iMovie for iPhone, allowing users to extensively edit video from their phones.

Other new features include
– Folders for Apps, allowing you to better sort your applications
– iBooks for books
– a new mail app that includes a “unified” mailbox
– built in noise suppression for phone calls
– improved battery time, promising 7 hours talk on 3G, or 6 hours internet use

The official Apple iPhone 4 video as follows: