As you probably know by now, Apple has released a new version of its popular iPhone. The latest model, dubbed simply '4', is thinner, clearer and gives you the ability to do video calls, compared to the current 3GS model.
The biggest and most obvious addition to the iPhone 4 is a second, front-facing digital camera, which now powers video calls on an application that Apple calls FaceTime. While most 3G phones today support video calls, Apple has made it a simple click-and-use process, but only to other iPhone 4 users.
To support FaceTime, Apple added HSUPA, a technology that provides faster uploads of content, like the streaming image of yourself during a video call, to the iPhone 4. The other, less obvious, makeover is the phone's display, which has been boosted to 960 x 640 pixels - double that of the 3GS. With the integrated 5 megapixel (up from 3 megapixel in the 3GS) camera on the back, you can now record high-definition video footage.
For anyone using the existing 3GS, the upgrade should be pretty seamless, as the iPhone 4 will still run pretty much the same way. Apple did, however, upgrade the operating system, which now supports multi-tasking and folders, which let you group applications together.
The iPhone 4 is launching in the US for US$299 (or roughly HK$2,400) with a two-year plan by the end of this month. It is due in Hong Kong sometime this summer.
Pros: video calling, high-definition display and video recording, new operating system