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Posted on June 8th, 2010 by Barry Collins
Five things missing from the iPhone 4
Apple’s iPhone 4 includes a bevy of new features, including a massively improved screen, 720p video capture and video calling. But there were a few surprise omissions from last night’s announcement. Here are my top five:
1. 64GB model
For a device that doubles as an iPod, and is now encouraging people to capture and edit HD video, it’s more than a little surprising that Apple didn’t boost the storage capacity on the iPhone 4 to at least 64GB. Those with even moderately sized music collections and an appetite for apps may struggle with the 32GB storage capacity, let alone the entry-level 16GB model.
2. OLED display
Although Apple has clearly put a lot of work into the new “retina” display, which contains four times as many pixels as the iPhone 3GS, many people were predicting a super-bright OLED display would make an appearance in the iPhone 4.
3. iPad tethering
OK, nobody was seriously expecting Apple to shoot itself in the foot by allowing iPad owners to tether their device to the iPhone and give it a mobile internet connection. But is it really too much to ask for those who’ve invested in Apple products twice? I don’t think so.
4. Music streaming
Apple last year bought music streaming service, Lala, but we’re still waiting for streaming to arrive in iTunes or on the iPhone. In the meantime, the Spotify app looks set to benefit enormously from the multitasking facilities on offer in iOS 4, leaving Apple with even more ground to make up on its innovative rival.
5. Surprises
Steve Jobs may have quipped “believe me, you ain’t seen it,” when he first announced the iPhone 4, but the truth is, we had. The lost/stolen iPhone that found its way into Gizmodo’s hands earlier this year contained pretty much all the features that were announced last night, including the dual microphones, the front-facing camera and the bigger battery.
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June 8th, 2010 at 9:23 am
OLED, really? Did you miss the bit about the new display?
Apple has no ground to make up on Spotify. One makes money; the other doesn’t and never will.
Agree on capacity — though that might be down to the handset and battery size — and on iPad tethering.
Surprise was FaceTime. Truly groundbreaking.
June 8th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Well that list is about as desperate as they get. No question there are issues with iPhone 4 as there have been with every release so far. But the key I found when moving from SonyEricsson smartphones to the 3G was that I could easily use all the features available. Nothing was hidden in submenu’s and away in the corners of dialogue screens. iPhone these days is far more about the software than the hardware, IMO.
June 8th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Lack of Micro-USB is my main bugbear. Last year Apple signed an agreement to use that on all future phones.
I know they need to keep the dock connector because of accessories etc., but an additional Micro-USB port wouldn’t have needed much space, and wouldn’t have spoilt the pretty lines of the device….
June 8th, 2010 at 10:53 am
“Surprise was FaceTime. Truly groundbreaking.”
what? is this 2004 all over again?
June 8th, 2010 at 10:53 am
If it now has a front-facing camera, why can’t it make normal video calls, like normal 3G ‘phones? Surely that would make more sense than FaceTime?
The Micro-USB is a good point, although it would probably break compatibility with the existing dock connector.
64GB? Meh, my 32GB is nearly empty these days, 5GB for photos, 1.5GB for podcasts and audio books and a couple of GB for apps. Add in background streaming, what are you worrying about?
The lack of iPad tethering is a bit of an own-goal, considering you can tether just about any other device! But probably has more to do with AT&T (and possibly other providers) than anything else.
OLED is nice, but isn’t usually very good when you are outside…
June 8th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Amen to what what said.
As to the 64gb model, I’m surprised too. I have a 64gb iPod with only 20gb left, and I add probably 500mb a month.
I have no doubt that the iPhone4 will sell as succesfully as it’s predecessors and the iPad has. However, unlike it’s predecessors (not the iPad), I’m no longer sure why?
June 8th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Would have loved an OLED display but will hold final judgement until this RD screen has been tested in bright conditions.
As for Face Time. Well its been said already but I had it on my 3 phone back in 2005. The only difference being people might actually use this.
With a push towards cloud computer I am not sure about the ‘need’ for 64gb but as a geek we all want it.
@smithsocksimon: Spotify are making a killing, don’t believe everything you read.
June 8th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
My old Sony Ericsson K700i had a 5mb camera and front facing camera 4 years ago (though admittedly there was no one to use it with)
Have to say that I really like the look of iphone 4, question is whether to wait and see what HTC etc come up with in response as that’s likely to be the same monthly tariff, but without the £200- £300 up front cost on top….
June 8th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
There needs to be a ban on words such as ‘ground-breaking’, ‘magical’ etc…
It’s not remotely ground-breaking.
The original was but this is just an evolution.
The iPad isn’t groundbreaking etiher it’s just an evolution of the iPod.
That’s not to say they aren’t good, or great maybe, but just stop pretending that every single model iteration that Apple produce is some kind of ‘revolution’ (there’s another word that needs to be banned!).
If everything is magical, then magical becomes mediocre!
June 8th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
It’s not about the box, it’s about the content! Apart from a nice slim new box with a bigger battery, there’s nothing really new here. I dont see iOS4 as having anything to give me upgraditis. Folders? Please… But heart rules head in matters such as these, and I still like it! Having said that, I’m a Nokia user looking on in envy at almost all other phone users these days!
June 8th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
I’m sorry smithsocksimon but that is really quite funny. Video calling is ground breaking – even though it is limited to WiFi? My wife’s £20 SonyEricsson does video calling and it can do it over 3G. I made my first 3G video call 8-9 years ago!
“OLED, really? Did you miss the bit about the new display?” No, he mentioned the display but OLED is the new tech everyone else is using. Using an old tech but giving it a condescendingly childish new name doesn’t stop it being 2-3 year old tech.
And as for iTunes making money, really? Because Apple themselves claim it is at best a break-even and more usually a loss-leader to drive hardware sales.
June 8th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
11 comments so far (unless someone has just overtaken me) and nobody mentioned the big opening wi-fi snafu. Guys, do I NEED to call your parents?
June 8th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Well I suppose Steve won’t be publicly laughing at Microsoft’s blue screen of death demo anymore..
Nice one Steve, blaming the crowd of the iPhone’s crappy wifi performance!
June 8th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
This definitely is a great evolution for the iPhone but I’m not convinced that I would prefer the new chunkier design over my 3gs with it’s sexy curves. Can’t wait for iOS4. My apps desperately need organising and multitasking will be very welcome (especially if using Spotify). I used Spotify as a virtual jukebox at a party last weekend. But I then couldn’t do anything else on my phone without killing the music which went down like a lead balloon.
June 10th, 2010 at 2:53 am
I have to agree I am stumped as to why they did not increase the memory to 64GB, everyone thought that was a given. As for the camera Apple seems to be always 1 step behind their competitors, but wait until next years 4GS for the 8 Megapixel upgrade. Sigh.
Apple iPhone 4 Reviews – Not Just Rumour:
http://www.aneesoft.com/tutorials/iphone/apple-iphone-4g-reviews.html
June 10th, 2010 at 9:13 am
I would have liked to see UMA on the new model. Unless the reception on the new model has been significantly improved the biggest downside of the iPhone has not been resolved. That is is has poor reception compared to so many other phones and becomes unuseable in borderline reception areas, (this includes my office and my home) so for now I look on in envy and make do with my Blackberry Bold2.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:26 am
For those who will have both iPhone 4 & iPad, why are they bothered about tethering. It’s already been mentioned in several places on the net that cutting down your iPhone 3G SIM to micro SIM size enables free data usage on the iPad. Now that the iPhone 4 uses a Micro SIM, it’s just a matter of swapping the sim over for UNLIMITED data use. Well at least until O2 & other mobile networks wake up to what’s happening.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I can’t seem to find any news but I assume it will still not support rSAP bluetooth profile, which will continue to make it incompatible with VW and others car kits.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:46 am
iPhone is no more a surprise for me as I have used the same functions and features in previous iPhones too. The bottom line is I am not gonna buy it.
June 10th, 2010 at 10:09 am
As always with Apple, over-hyped, over-priced, over-loved. Jobs is as predatory as business man as anyone. Apple are not particualrly nice people, just good at packaging. Plenty of better phones and computers out there.
June 10th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Video calling – yes, I had this on an old Sony Ericsson as well, even tried to use it once, and got the usual ‘not enabled on your network’ message. The point about facetalk, facetime , whatever, is that it’s simple – like Skype on a phone, but with no setup, no login, no computer. Maybe we’ll see iChat disappear in favour of OSX or Windows FaceTime clients?? I spend a couple of hours a week talking to my elderly parents on Skype – it’d be great to do this on a ‘phone, whenever I have 10 minutes spare… Apple’s particular skill is in taking existing tech and improving it to be workable by non-techie humans – I’m thinking of my parents here, though my old Sony-Ericsson also had a calculator I could never use ‘cos it was buried about 5 menu’s deep…
But yes, 64Gb before Christmas, please!
Pete
June 11th, 2010 at 6:39 am
These functions can be found in any other mobile too. Then it is quite unintelligible to me that what is special in this iPhone 4.
June 11th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Five things missing from iphone owners:
Humility
Personality
Significance
Coolness
£35 a month for two years.
Don’t think it’s fair to say the ipad has sold well either, it’s primarily marketing bullshit sales have fallen far short of expectations. Sad, lonley, single, obese middle aged men in well paid IT jobs seem to be the only purchasers (See PC Pro’s own article).
June 11th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Typically, when Apple omit a crucial feature, fanboys will clamour to deny its usefulness. Cut in paste was useless, until it was introduced, then it was a breakthrough. Front Camera not necessary, now FaceTime is “groundbreaking”.
64GB Capacity, don’t need it.
Anyone with any technical objectivity would avoid Apple like the plague, for their overpriced, over restricted devices and the rabid cult which surrounds them.
June 12th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I appreciate the concern which is been rose. The things need to be
sorted out because it is about the individual but it can be with
everyone.The initiative taken for the concern is very serious and need an
attention of every one. This is the concern which exists in the
society and needs to be eliminated from the society as soon as
possible.
==================================
Holiday Travel Bureau
June 12th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Apple apple apple. 5mp?Videocalling (only on wifi)?£20 per month left on your contract to buy out?Wifi break down on presentation?OS4 upgrades available but no multitasking?Cap on internet usage on most uk providers?32GB capacity?
Toooo many factors,but you know what. I still feel like having one. I have a Blackberry at the moment,it does what a phone needs to,but i think I will be running both,one for business and the other for pleasure.
Well it all depends on how much the tarifs are going to be and what they offer.
June 13th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Dee, you are an utterly vacuous, vain, faddist moron, the brain washing has worked perfectly on you. Despite having a phone that does what you need it to, you want an iphone as well. Even though you list numerous faults, any of which would be reason enough for a sensible human to not rent one, even worse you come here bragging about it. I bet you’re massively in debt, live somewhere and drive something you can’t afford the monthly payments on. You are everything that is wrong with the world. If it wasn’t for people like you the massive corporations like apple wouldn’t be in the society dominating position they are. You should be ashamed.
August 6th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
64gb or 128gb iphone the more memory the better….. video calling has been around for years with three in the UK so whats ground breaking with face fuking time??? a bigger screen would have been better…. and colours black and white looks bland…. the nokia n series range in 5 colours looks pretty cool….. and what’s with the iphone selling faulty phones and giving a free rubber rubbish band to go around the phone….. and iphone mugs lap it up!!! suck the gusset on steve jobs underpants
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:13 pm
OLED if i rmember correctly the retina dispal is better than OLED but yes it would help to have 64gb and technically this is four as the last one is just saying how there was a stolen iphone and who anybody whos remotely intrested in apple has heard
December 15th, 2010 at 10:44 am
no rsap the new iphone it’s a merde
April 3rd, 2011 at 10:36 pm
OLED can’t produce enough pixels for the Retina Display.