If you can work round the signal drop issue, the iPhone is a treasure trove of tech delights

Following all the hype and hysteria we have come to expect with the launch of Apple products, the iPhone 4 has landed in the UK, for the first time being launched simultaneously with the US.

The rollout of Apple handsets didn’t go quite as smoothly as the Cupertino company might have hoped however, with a troubling signal loss issue for anyone holding the iPhone 4 “incorrectly” who knew prior to June 24 that there was a “correct” way to hold mobiles?
Our findings so far are that when you hold the iPhone 4 with your hand covering the bottom left corner, there is a loss of signal. However, we have not found that this has caused us to drop calls or lose data connections when out and about actually using the handset. Whether this is because we’re subconsciously moving our hands to avoid the issue developing is hard to say.

That aside, there is no denying that the iPhone 4 is a stunning piece of tech. It’s 24 per cent slimmer than the 3GS at just 9.3mm thick, beautifully compact and elegantly designed with a stainless steel band separating the handset’s scratch-resistant glass covered front and back.

It’s this steel band, which is also the aerial, which seems to be causing the problems. Presumably it’s something to do with contact between the metal band and human skin causing conductivity issues as putting a casing on the iPhone seems to alleviate the problem.

Bizarre reception flaws aside, the iPhone 4 is a great showcase for Apple’s technological and design prowess. The combination of the new iOS 4 operating system and a noticeably faster processor than the 3GS make using it a very smooth and enjoyable experience.

The new 3.5-inch Retina Display is another big improvement over the 3GS – and all other mobile devices for that matter. With an 800:1 contrast ratio and 960x640p resolution – according to Apple, that’s more than the human eye can process at that size of screen – the Retina Display sets a new benchmark for mobile screens.

The Retina Display is a joy to use indoors and at most outdoor light levels, although it becomes reflective and difficult to admire when in direct, bright sunlight such as we’re having recently. Although adding a gratifying pop to images and videos, older applications and their icons can also appear dated and grainy on the new high-res screen – app developers will have to improve their wares for the iPhone 4. They’ll also have to adapt their apps to allow them to be part of the newly added multi-tasking in iOS 4.

Bringing the iPhone 4 to life is the same sprightly Apple A4 processor found in the iPad. You’d think that packing this hefty workhorse under the bonnet would drain the battery, but the new iPhone’s battery life is not noticeably diminished from the 3GS, and Apple claims it actually lasts longer.

As noted, iOS 4 brings multitasking to the new Apple handset. This feature is reliant on the compatibility of apps, but this should cease to be an issue pretty sharpish: iPhone purchasers are not likely to look kindly on app developers who don’t update to support multitasking.

iOS 4 is no one trick pony. The ability to create folders for your apps is another very welcome addition, as is the option to set homescreen images, scrapping the any-colour-as-long-as-it’s-black background of previous models.

iBooks makes the jump from iPad to iPhone with the arrival of iOS 4 and thanks to the iPhone 4’s Retina Display offers up text of impeccable clarity. Crystal-clear fonts similarly enhance web browsing, email and all other text-based functionality. The addition of iBooks will no doubt be a further cause to the iPhone’s success with the commuter market.

Following repeated cries from consumers, the iPhone 4 now offers flash. No, not the Adobe version for viewing web video – that’s just not gonna happen, so get used to it – but a scorchingly bright LED flash to accompany the improved camera.
Stills are not suddenly of compact camera quality, but they are undeniably better, and bigger at five megapixels. Video is much improved, with 720p HD video offers pristine and sharp detail on the Retina Display, though some detail seems to be lost when compressing for direct uploading to YouTube. In-camera editing is also straightforward, and you can add the iMovie app (£2.99) if you want more sophisticated editing of your clips.

In addition to the main, rear camera there’s a second, front-facing one. This offers decent picture quality, but it’s there for more than just vanity’s sake. Apple, you see, is attempting to transform video calling from its current status as the forgotten starlet of the tech world into a must-have feature. To this end, it’s included the Skype-style Face Time app. Given that this works only over Wi-Fi and only between one iPhone 4 and another, we can’t see it reviving video calling’s fortunes, somehow, but it does work nicely enough, with much better video quality than on earlier mobile systems.

The Apple iPhone 4 is another classic slice of Apple. In just 12 months Steve Jobs and his band have again redefined mobile handsets. From the simply beautiful Retina Display to the addition of HD video, and from the idiot-proof UI to the attempted reinvention of video calling, the Apple iPhone 4 is a majestic piece of kit that will no doubt steal hearts. As long as that signal-loss issue doesn’t prove to be a killer, anyway…

By Luke Peters

So we can finally put the rumours to bed – Apple’s tablet is here, and it’s called the iPad.

With a 9.7in LED screen and an accompanying iBooks store, the iPad is effectively is a giant (but 13.4mm thick) iPhone that's here to replace netbooks and e-readers as your mobile media weapon of choice.

Wireless options
The iPad will be available in surprisingly affordable 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599) and 64GB ($699) flavours, with Wi-Fi only models ready to ship worldwide in 60 days, and 3G-capable versions available in the UK from June. Apple has thrashed out two 3G deals in the US - $15 a month for 250MB data and $30 a month for unlimited data – but a carrier has yet to be announced for the UK.

Contrary to optimistic rumours, the iPad's glossy 1024x768 pixel screen is a backlit LED number rather than OLED, using the same IPS tech as iMac displays. It also has over a thousand sensors to help create an experience as slick and snappy as the iPhone.

Also lending a hand in that department is the Apple-made 1Ghz processor, which from the early demos appears capable of churning through games like Need for Speed: Shift and Nova at an impressive rate.

New iBooks store
While we're not convinced that the iPad's form factor will be worrying the Sony PSP or Nintendo DS Lite, it clearly has other gadgets in its sights – most obviously the Amazon Kindle.

Apple has announced the much-rumoured iBooks store, which is effectively the iTunes of books and stores hundreds of titles in the standard ePub format. Newspapers will also be releasing apps – the New York Times was demoed – which feature embedded video. Very nice.

The screen may not be of the e-ink variety – so will be more fatiguing on the eyes than current e-readers – but Apple is claiming a 10-hour battery life under standard use, and a month in standby. Combined with the iBooks store, it's all a very worrying prospect for the Kindle et al.

App happy
Although it's not capable of phone calls, the iPad also looks a tempting prospect for iPhone owners. All current IPhone apps will work on the iPad out of the box thanks to a nifty doubling of their resolution, and with a new SDK released today developers will soon be beavering away on versions made specifically for its 9.7in screen.

Like the iPhone, the iPad also has stereo Bluetooth, a built-in digital compass and A-GPS for maps (on the 3G versions), although without a camera it won't be able to do augmented reality, which could be a big miss.

Still, there are naturally some spanking accessories for Apple's latest golden boy. A basic dock means you can charge it on your desktop, the keyboard dock turns it into well, a desktop, and a rather smart carry case is the perfect way to attract covetous glances (and muggers).

So has the iPad lived up to the hype? It's certainly a gorgeous object and the iBooks store is big news for digital books, but the lack of multitasking or a camera for video Skyping could limit its appeal.

Technical Specifications

Display

• 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
• 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Processor

• 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip

Capacity³

• 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive

Battery and power⁴

• Built-in 25 Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
• Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
• Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

Wireless and cellular

Wi-Fi model

• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Wi-Fi + 3G model

• UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• Data only²
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Audio playback

• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and video

• Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite Cable
• H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Mail attachment support

• Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Languages

• Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian
• Keyboard support for English (U.S.) English (UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian
• Dictionary support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French, French (Canadian), French (Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian

Accessibility

• Support for playback of closed-captioned content
• VoiceOver screen reader
• Full-screen zoom magnification
• White on black display
• Mono audio

Reference