4 is Apple’s magic number, The real and rumored
Photo Credit: Gizmodo.com
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June 1, 2010 • David Utt
Filed under Student Life
The month of April has been one of the biggest so far for Apple Inc. over the globally acclaimed iPhone. In April, two new pieces to the iPhone line were revealed; the iPhone 4.0 operating system and the brand new Phone 4G.
Part 1: THE UPDATE
The 4.0 operating system update does not include any dramatic improvements, but has some minor changes that have been highly anticipated since the iPhone first came out, with multitasking topping the list.
Multitasking allows the iPhone to run various applications simultaneously. The beloved Pandora application is a perfect example of this. Pandora allows you to make your own personal radio stations and it finds songs that might fit your musical interests. However, Pandora only plays music while you have the application running, so you cannot do anything else while using it. With the new multitasking feature, you can now use Pandora, surf the Internet, text, etc. all at the same time.
The update also brings another feature called “Folders.” “Folders” allows you to place applications in folders; previously, applications were randomly placed on the home screens of the iPhone. One interesting aspect to this addition is that the folders are automatically named based on the apps that are contained in them; so if you got tons of games in one folder, the folder will automatically be named “games.”
The 4.0 OS update it contains some fun new features, many of which were included do to popular demand. The changes include: camera zoom, an improved contacts screen, Spellcheck, the ability to make playlists, and multiple keyboard layouts. I feel that the feature Game Center has great potential for iPhone users. Apple has said that it will keep track of all your game achievements, possess a social system in which you can add your friends, and compete with those friends in the thousands of games found in the app store. This feature could be expanded through the ideas of Apple and the thousands of app developers.
However, some of the features included in the update, such as multitasking, can only be used on the 3GS model and not on the 3G or older model. The update comes out for the iPhone and iPod Touch this summer. The iPad update will be released in the fall.
Part 2: THE PHONE
For once, we the people have beaten Apple Inc. to the punch and got hold of a new product. One of my favorite technology blogs, GIZMODO, attained the brand new iPhone, calling it the iPhone 4G. This iPhone comes with a new look, a new feel, and a historical story. The iPhone 4G has many new features, including: a front-facing video camera, a larger/improved back camera, a secondary microphone for noise cancelation, and a micro-Sim.
The physical changes to the new iPhone are fairly dramatic. At first glance, the iPhone 4G has a blocky, industrial appearance due to the lack of the tapering and curves. I believe that the fresh look is good choice because it keeps it tighter and leaves no space for anything but electronics in it. The back of the device now has a glass-like covering that is intended to make it more scratch proof compared to the current 3GS. The volume buttons have also been separated and made circular and less emphasized on the overall apparatus. According to Jason Chen of GIZMODO, the new iPhone’s design is “freaking amazing…the sleeker, flatter, squarer design is super welcome. It feels sturdier than the 3GS, and much less plasticky. The metal buttons give it a heftier feel—less of a toy—than all previous generations.”
If you want to read the whole story behind the lost and found next generation iPhone, visit Gizmodo on the story of the lost iphone.
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