It’s the fourth iPhone launch in three years, and this one comes with the added bonus of all that juicy stolen-phone leakage back in April. So unusually, we know what this phone looks like before Steve’s Big Reveal at 6pm tonight.
If you’re too busy for the full colour prelude to Apple’s announcements, here’s the condensed guide to what you can probably expect.
• It looks like this:
Apple's fourth generation iPhone, iPhone HD, will be announced tonight
• Though the working title, at least for the press, has been iPhone 4G (as in fourth generation) this will probably be called iPhone HD.
• A smaller, lighter, slimmer handset.
• A five-megapixel camera with flash.
• A glass back that improves reception.
• Micro-Sim cards, like iPad.
• The same A4 processor as the iPad (that means a much faster phone).
• A larger, sharper screen at 960 x 640 pixels – increasing screen resolution by four times.
• Improved battery life.
• iChat software will enable video chat with other iPhones and desktop Macs.
• Two models: 32GB and 64GB.
• Available through the existing retailers: Orange, Vodafone and O2.
• iPhone HD will become as the premium phone in what will become a range of iPhones with iPhone 3GS repackaged as a cheaper, less featured handset with 8GB of memory.
• Other rumours for tonight’s announcement at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference include an anticipated cloud-based music streaming service for iTunes, a new and improved Apple TV (that would be one with a clearer, more sellable consumer proposition), new version of Mac’s operating system Mac OS X 10.7 (OS X Lion, perhaps?)
The latest iPhone 4.0 operating system - a reminder
iPhone 4.0 was announced in April and released in beta format for developers. Here’s the quick guide to the new features:
• Multitasking: the oft-requested feature has finally been added after Apple worked on how to balance multi-tasking without sucking battery life or performance. Multitasking has been organised through seven types of service, so music apps would be able to play while you make a VOIP call, for example.
• Folders: Something similar to that pretty stacking feature for folders on the latest OS for desktop Macs will be added, which will make it easier for those of us with loads of apps to organise them in folders.
• iBooks: The feature launched with the iPad will now work across iPhones an iPod Touch too.
• iAd: Apple’s fledgling mobile ads system is designed to deliver ads without taking the user away from the app or game they are using, and will give developers a 60% revenue share.
• Mail: Apple’s email client gets a unified inbox, so anyone with multiple accounts can see all the main in one view. Messages will be organised by thread and attachments open in third-party apps.
• Business: Apple has added email encryption and encryption for other apps to increase support for enterprise users, as well as improving mobile device management features, support for SSL VPN and wireless app distribution.
• Gaming: A major step-up in Apple’s competition to portable games consoles, like Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, Apple is adding a layer that unifies players’ social profiles across all games.
