Today Apple has announced a new multifunction quad-band GSM+EDGE hand-held phone, incorporating Wi-Fi, a wide-screen video player, with MP3 and AAC music player. It automatically senses whether it is held in portrait or landscape mode. The phone itself sports a 3.5-inch screen with 160 pixels per inch (ppi). The entire face is LCD, so all but one “home” button are in software. Apple claims the device is thinner than any other phone at 11.6 mm. (Photos included) The new phone sports a 2 megapixel camera on back, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a speaker, microphone, and iPod connector on bottom. Proxmity sensor to turn off screen and touch sensor when you put it close your head. Ambient light sensor to turn down/screen. This is a *killer* product.
The phone is quad band GSM+EDGE, and sports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0! It runs Mac OS X too, sporting SMS, calendar, visual voicemail, and other features. The device sports Safari web browser, an email client support POP/IMAP that is very reminiscent of the current Apple Mail.app that ships with Mac OS X, and Google maps. The email client is pretty smart, as it automatically parses out phone numbers, allowing you to easily dial those contained in an email message. A photo viewing app allows you to scale photos by pinching or expanding two fingers. Web pages can be resized in a similar manner. The phone also runs Widgets, similar to those in the desktop version of Mac OS X. Google Maps supports full satellite imagery that can be zoomed in/out via the now-familiar two finger pinch or spread.
When listening to a song and a phone call comes in, the song fades out.
Apple claims 16 hours of audio playback, and five hours of phone use.
Pricing is $499 for 4 GB model, and $599 for 8 GB model. The phone is exclusively available on Cingular, and will ship in June. Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, explains that FCC certification will take approximately two months.
Images courtesy of MacRumors.com:
Widescreen mode:
With over 200 patents in the device, it is a technological marvel. If it works like it did in the introduction, it’s a sure-fire hit that will send Apple’s earnings and stock price into the stratosphere. Yay!