This year’s World Wide Developers Conference in San Fransisco *officially* introduced the world to the next super phone from Apple dubbed iPhone 4.  Want all the details from the Steve Jobs hosted keynote?  Read on.

Jobs ignited the introduction of the next phone with this choice quote: “It’s the biggest leap since the original iPhone.”  It packs over 100 new features, but per usual, Jobs offers a glimpse into arguably the nine most exciting new features.

(1) All new design

Jobs compares iPhone 4’s design to a “beautiful old Leica camera.”  The phone features a glass surface front and back for optical quality & scratch resistance (plus it’s 30x harder than plastic) and a stainless steel band around the perimeter for strength and antenna integration (plus it provides for extraordinary build quality).  The band is “the primary structural element of the phone.”  It’s used as part of the phone’s antenna system.  Jobs says this is all part of “brilliant engineering.”  There are three slits in the band; one piece is for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS, and the other piece for UMTS & GSM.  Now here’s what buttons and levers you’ll find on the phone.  Left side: volume +, volume -, mute; Right side: micro SIM tray; Front: home button, receiver, front-facing camera; Back: camera w/ LED flash; Top: 3.5mm headset jack, second mic for noise cancellation, sleep/wake button; Bottom: mic, 30-pin connector, speaker.  iPhone 4 is just 9.3mm thick, that’s 24% thinner than iPhone 3GS.  Jobs is happy to say “it is the thinnest smartphone on the planet.”

(2) Retina display

That’s the name for Apple’s latest display technology.  iPhone 4’s display contains packs four times the number of pixels into the same 3.5-inch screen found on older iPhone models.  At 326 pixels per inch, Jobs claims that 300ppi is the limit of the human retina and so iPhone 4’s display is “comfortably over that limit.”  This results in incredibly sharp and precise text, images, and video.  Jobs compares it to how text looks in a fine-printed book.  He also throws out this stat: “the retina display has got 78% of the pixels on the iPad, right in the palm of your hand.”

iPhone OS 4 (renamed iOS 4) makes it so that your apps automatically run full size on the retina display.  Apps will look even better on an iOS 4 device because the software automatically renders text and controls in the higher resolution.  So in other words, developers do not have to do any work on their apps to make them look better for the new display.  However, Jobs points out, if devs choose to open up the hood of their apps and add higher resolution artwork “then they will look stunning.”

Here’s some hard specs for you.  iPhone 4 features a 3.5 inch display, 940 x 640 resolution (4x more than iPhone 3GS), 800:1 contrast ratio (4x more than 3GS), and IPS technology for “superb color and wide viewing angle.”  Jobs: “The display is your window into the Internet, into your apps, into your media, into your software. .. We’ve got something here that’s the best window in the planet.”

(3) The Apple A4 processor

iPhone 4 is powered by the same processor that’s found in the iPad, Apple’s custom silicon called the Apple A4 chip.  The chip went on a diet (it’s 25% thinner) to make room for the biggest single component in the phone–the battery.  And due to its increase in size, battery life is improved.  3G talk time up from 5 hours to 7 hours;  6 hours for 3G browsing; 10 hours of WiFi browsing; 10 hours of video playback; 40 hours of music playback; and 300 hours of standby.  And here’s a listing of the internals: Apple A4 chip, up to 32GB of Flash storage; quad-band HSDPA/HSUPA (7.2Mbps down, 5.8 Mbps up), dual mic noise suppression, 802.11n WiFi, GPS + accelerometer + compass + gyroscope (more on the gyro below).

(4) Gyroscope

The gyro joins the four other sensors that come bundled in every phone: the accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor.  It’s a 3-axis gyro (angular velocity) bringing with it pitch, roll & yaw and it rotates about gravity.  In combination with the accelerometer it provides 6-axis motion sensing (think Sony’s six-axis gaming controller).  Apple is providing devs with new CoreMotion APIs, so the addition of a gyro will certainly result in some exciting gaming apps.

(5) Camera

iPhone 4 packs a 5 megapixel camera (up from 3 megapixels), 5x digital zoom, tap to focus, and LED flash.  A backside illuminated sensor allows for better low-light photography.  Say hello HD video recording at 720p at 30 fps, with tap to focus for video, LED flash for video, built-in video editing, and one click sharing (email, MMS, MobileMe, YouTube).

Also introduced was the iMovie for iPhone app.  If you’re one of those creative types who demands more than basic video editing by trimming, the iMovie app will suffice.  It allows for a bit more advanced video editing right on the phone.  You can put together a video project using your own video, photos, and music.  A number of themes, titles, and transitions are at your disposal.  It can extract geo-location information from videos and photos.  You can export video in three different sizes (360p, 540p, 720p)  It’ll be made available later this summer in the App Store for $4.99.

(6) iOS 4

iPhone OS 4 has been renamed to iOS 4 because the mobile operating system runs on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.  It brings over 1500 new developer APIs and over 100 new user features.  At the keynote Jobs demoed some of the big features including multitasking, folders, and unified inbox & threaded conversations in Mail and he talked up deeper enterprise support.  He also noted that Bing joins Google and Yahoo as default search option in Safari.  The iOS 4 Golden Master Candidate is available today for developers and will release later this month for consumers.  Fun (and extraordinary) fact: This month Apple will sell the 100 millionth iOS device (again, that includes iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads).

(7) iBooks

iBooks and the iBookstore are coming to the iPhone with iOS 4.  iBooks will work cross-platform between the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch wirelessly.  For example, if you purchase and download a book on an iPad, you can download that same book to all your iOS 4 devices at no extra charge.  Also, iBooks will automatically and wirelessly sync your current place, bookmarks, and notes across all iOS 4 devices.

(8) iAds

The goal with iAds for Apple is to “help developers earn money so they continue to create free and low-cost apps.”  They attempt to “combine emotion of video with interactivity of the web.”  iAds keep you in your app; they also act like apps in that they allow you to exit them at any time via a small white ‘x’ located in the top left corner of each ad.  Apple sells and hosts the ads and developers get 60% of the revenues with payment via iTunes Connect.  The following brands signed up to create iAds so far: Nissan, Citi, Unilever, AT&T, Chanel, GE, Liberty Mutual, State Farm Insurance, Geico, Campbell’s, Sears, JCPenny, Target, Best Buy, Direct TV, TBS, and Disney.  These brands committed over $60 million for the second half of this year towards the iAd initiative.  The iAds program begins July 1 and the ads will only be accessable on iOS 4 devices.

(9) FaceTime video calling

Video calling was the “one more thing…”  Here’s the facts: iPhone 4 to iPhone 4, over WiFi, no set up required.  To initiate a video call you just make a standard phone call and hit the new FaceTime button–that’s it.  FaceTime can access the front and rear cameras; with a push of a button you can switch between talking face to face and showing the caller what you’re seeing.  It supports portrait and landscape orientations.  Though it’s based on a bunch of open standards including H.264, AAC, SIP, STUN, TURN, ICE, RTP, and SRTP, Apple is making FaceTime itself an open industry standard.  According to Jobs video calls will only work over WiFi in 2010, but it sounds like it’ll function over 3G sometime in the future depending carriers support, of course.

Price and availability: iPhone 4 will sell in two capacities: 16GB ($199) and 32GB ($299). And you have a choice between black and white models.  They sell on June 24 and preorders begin June 15.  It’s been confirmed that iPhone 4 will go on sale at the following locations: Apple Retail Stores, Apple Store online, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and Walmart.  And look who decided to play nice with customers.  Read AT&T’s upgrade eligibility offer: If you’re contract expires anytime during 2010, you are immediately eligible for iPhone 4 at these discounted prices (with a new 2 year agreement, of course).

iPhone 3G is officially discontinued and the iPhone 3GS takes fills its vacancy at the low $99 price point.  Accessories for iPhone 4 include a dock ($29) and an Apple designed case called Bumper ($29).  The case protects just the outside rim of phone and leaves the front & back are open.  It comes in six colors (white, pink, orange, green, blue, and black).

Want to upgrade your iOS 4 device to the latest software revision?  iOS 4 will come to iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G (not all features are supported, including multitasking), and iPod touch (excludes first-gen iPod touch, and not all features supported on all models).  And check this–Apple finally found a way to make these firmware upgrades free for all users!

And for you international folk: On June 24 iPhone 4 will ship in US, France, Germany, UK, and Japan.  In July, it will ship in 18 more countries.  In August it will ship in 20 more countries, and in September 40 more.  By the end of September, iPhone 4 will ship in 88 countries.  Jobs calls this their “fastest rollout ever” with a new iPhone release.

And that’s everything you wanted to know about the new iPhone 4.  Over the course of the nearly two hour keynote address Jobs managed to fit in some news concerning iBooks enhancements and a handful of new apps coming to the App Store.  The iBooks update brings the ability to make notes and post them on pages, bookmark pages by tapping the top corner of a page, and read/view PDF files.  PDFs will reside in their own bookshelf alongside the iBooks bookshelf.  These welcome enhancements will be rolled out later this month.

Three new apps coming to the App Store are Netflix for iPhone, Farmville, and Guitar Hero.  Netflix allows you to access your Instant Queue and watch movies & TV shows right on the iPhone.  You can resume playback on the iPhone if you happened to have started a movie on your computer, TV, or any other Netflix supported device.  Though it has yet to be confirmed, it sounds like it will run over WiFi and 3G when it releases later this summer for free.  Farmville lets you bring your Facebook farm on the go and supports in-app purchases and gifting.  It will also be made available later this month.  Guitar Hero for iPhone, developed by Vicarious Visions, is available today for $2.99.  Artists include Queen, Vampire Weekend, The White Stripes, and The Rolling Stones.

And that’s it people!  Are you excited for iPhone 4?  Be sure to look in the galleries (above & below) to see official press and feature shots of the drop-dead-gorgeous device.  And watch the two video featurettes (one is an iPhone 4 overview, the other focuses on FaceTime).

[Via Apple]

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