APPLICATIONS OF IPHONE 4 WHITE

 
                                           

The back of the phone has a silver mirrored Apple on the back.  It also has the back camera and flash.  This camera takes 5MP still pictures or 720p HD video at up to 30 frames/sec with audio.  The back camera has digital zoom, but I found it makes the pictures blurry.  It shares a wonderful feature with the back camera on the iPad 2.  When taking still pictures, simply tap an area on the screen to have the camera focus on that area and adjust the exposure based on the lighting in that area.  The built-in flash, which the iPad 2 lacks, improves pictures taken in low lighting.

The iPhone 4′s back camera is also capable of taking HDR (high dynamic range) photos.  HDR imaging is a means of better representing the differences between the darker and lighter areas.  To create the HDR photo, the camera merges three exposures into a final image:  a standard exposure, one under-exposure, and one over-exposure.  In HDR mode, the camera saves two photos; one is the image as taken with standard exposure, and the other is the HDR image.  I have included two images that illustrate this.  The first photo shows the image taken by the camera in the automatic mode; the second is the HDR image taken at the same time.  Notice how much brighter the HDR image is and how much more detail you can see when compared to the standard image.

Of course, the iPhone 4 has Apple’s touted Retina Display.  I had never seen this display until I got my iPhone 4.  I said in the iPad 2 review that I didn’t care that the iPad 2 didn’t have Retina Display.  Foolish me!  The iPhone 4 screen is so incredibly sharp and clear that you have to see it yourself to appreciate it.  I cannot see the slightest hint of a pixel on that screen no matter how closely I look.  My aging eyes can read even the tiniest font in iBooks.  I can even see details and read words on the almost-microscopic icons that are in folders on the Home screen!  I picked up my iPad 2 after spending time playing with my iPhone 4, and I had a 2001: A Space Odyssey reaction:  “my god, it’s full of pixels!”  The iPad 2’s screen is a big letdown after seeing the Retina Display.

I don’t know how well you’ll be able to see it, but I’ve enclosed screen captures from the Emerald Chronometer app (an iPhone app) from my iPhone and my iPad 2.  I hope you’ll be able to see how much sharper the iPhone 4 image is.  The iPhone 4 capture hasn’t been edited; the iPad 2 was only cropped to removed most of the surrounding black screen area.

I still don’t want to put music on my phone, so my 16GB iPhone 4 has plenty of room for my apps.  I was able to easily set up the mail program with my Gmail account.  The calendar and contacts are synced with another Gmail account shared with my husband to keep the family calendar.  I haven’t had any problems using any apps.

The sound from the little speakers is clear.  It’s loud enough to make watching videos without earphones possible, and the speakers work well when using the iPhone 4 as a speakerphone.  I have found that some included ringtones aren’t loud enough for me to hear my phone in its case inside my purse.  That was just an excuse for me to make myself a couple of loud ringtones from songs, but it is something to be aware of when setting up your phone.

But this is a phone, so what about call quality?  I’ve always found that Verizon service is very reliable.  We very seldom have a dropped call, and I usually have strong signals in our area.  My calls often sounded a little muffled or static-y, though.  Since we got rid of our landline and use only our cell phones, I finally noticed I had a LOT of problems with delays during calls.  This resulted in one of us talking over the other during a call.  I found this very irritating; I hated looking so rude when I wasn’t trying to be.  I was almost to the point where I wanted to say “over” when I was through talking and ready to listen.  I don’t have this problem at all with the iPhone 4.  Calls are clear – no static, no muffling.  I don’t have the sound delay, either, so I’m not talking over everybody any more.  Obviously my old phone caused those problems.  I’m very pleased with call quality with the iPhone 4.

I tend to get about 3 days on a charge.  Most of the time, I’m connected to my home’s WiFi network, and I have location services on, Bluetooth off.  I have my screen set at a little below the middle of the brightness scale.  I’ve checked emails, surfed only a little, and played some Bejeweled.  However, I haven’t had one of my marathon calls with my friend Leah, yet.  I’m sure the battery will drain much more quickly during one of our standard 3-hour calls.  (Update:  I had a 4 hour, 3 minute call with Leah on a freshly charged iPhone with 100% charge.  After the call, I had a 39% charge left.)

Not being able to surf while talking is considered by many to be a big strike against the CDMA Verizon phone.  However, it IS possible to surf and talk simultaneously – under certain circumstances.  I have been able to successfully surf and talk on a call when I am connected to the internet via WiFi.  It works like a charm!   You still can’t do both when you connect to the internet via 3G, though.  This limitation isn’t a deal-breaker for me;  I’ve been a happy Verizon customer for many years and don’t want to change providers for this one thing.
                                  
Calls are clear, and I haven’t had a single dropped call since I got the iPhone 4 – not that I had many before, though.  The Retina Display is fabulous for tired, old eyes.  Apps run well, and I’ve been able to easily sync the calendar, contacts, and mail programs with my Gmail accounts.  I’m a happy camper!

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IMPORTANCE OF IPHONE 4 WHITE

                                       

On the day Apple debuted the oft-delayed white-colored iPhone 4, the company's marketing department gave a nod to the product's troubled history. "Finally," read the big headline Thursday above a picture of the elusive white phone on the homepage of Apple.com. The white model was supposed to ship alongside the black one at the iPhone 4's launch last June. But design and manufacturing complications delayed the process by 10 months, catching Apple off guard, executives say.

As CNN reported last month, earlier test models of the white iPhone 4 produced blurry photos, especially when the flash was used. Its whiteness confused the proximity sensor, which detects when the phone is held next to someone's head and turns off the touchscreen to preserve battery life and prevent apps from being opened accidentally.

These issues weren't present in older iPhones that came in white because they didn't have flash photography; the proximity sensor was unaffected because the front side of previous models was black. The iPad 2 also lacks a flash, and few people attempt to hold a tablet up to their heads.

Philip Schiller, Apple's chief marketing executive, described the white iPhone 4's development as "challenging" in an interview this week with the website All Things Digital. "We thought we were there a year ago, or less than that, when we launched the iPhone 4, and we weren't," Schiller said in that interview. "It's not as simple as making something white. There's a lot more that goes into both the material science of it -- how it holds up over time...but also in how it all works with the sensors."

In an Apple statement this week, Schiller said: "We appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we've worked to get every detail right." Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White predicts that the white model could help drive sales of Apple's phones. He says Apple could sell 1 million to 1.5 million every three months until the next iPhone model is unveiled, which is expected to be this fall.
                                     
"This delay has created a certain mystique and scarcity value around the 'white' iPhone 4," White wrote in a report. "The purchase of consumer electronic devices is not always a completely rational decision, and people buy Apple products for many different reasons, including status, aesthetics, functionality, quality and the 'cool factor.'"

Even Apple CEO Steve Jobs appears to be aware of the fuss surrounding white models of his company's gadgets. Last month Jobs made a subtle joke when he unveiled the iPad 2, which comes in both white and black. For the iPad 2, "we'll be shipping white from Day One," he said with emphasis, to laughs from the audience.

Forty-five people were lined up at Apple's flagship New York store Thursday morning to buy white iPhones, according to a CNNMoney report. They joined the others who were waiting for a shot at the limited supply of iPad 2s, a product that's still drawing morning crowds seven weeks after its release. Our long, national nightmare is finally over. After months of delay, the white iPhone 4 is finally on sale. The iPad 2 is also now available in Japan.

The white version of the popular Apple smartphone is now available via Apple.com, Apple retail stores, AT&T and Verizon, as well as retailers like Target and Best Buy.
The white iPhone 4 was supposed to be available last year when its black counterpart was released, but it was vaporware until today. Apple acknowledged the delay on its Web site with a simple note. "Finally. The amazing white iPhone 4. Now available in white," reads the tagline above an image of the device. Customers can now place orders online. There is a slightly longer wait for the white one: it will ship in 3 to 5 business days, whereas the black one will ship within 24 hours.

In a FAQ on its Web site, Best Buy said it is now accepting pre-orders for the white iPhone 4. Buyers will have to put down a $50 deposit, which will be applied to a Best Buy gift card, though that gift card does not have to be used to buy the iPhone. Pre-ordering at Best Buy reserves a person's place in line. "While most pre-orders will be fulfilled on launch day, some will not be able to be fulfilled until additional inventory is received," the store said.

If you bought a black iPhone 4 in the last 30 days at Best Buy, you can exchange it for a white one; Reward Zone Premier Silver members have 45 days. Target Mobile centers, meanwhile, are also selling the white iPhone 4 starting today. Those with an iPhone 3GS can trade in their device and receive up to a $150 credit toward the purchase of a white iPhone 4 or other Target merchandise. See Target's trade-in site for an instant quote about the value of your smartphone.

Apple's Phil Schiller, meanwhile, spoke to All Things D this week about the challenges involved in making the white iPhone 4. "It's not as simple as making something white. There's a lot more that goes into both the material science of it–how it holds up over time ... but also in how it all works with the sensors," he said. White iPhones also need protection from UV rays, Schiller said.

The iPad 2, meanwhile, is now on sale in Japan. The tablet made its debut in the U.S. on March 11 and Apple expanded distribution to 25 additional countries on March 25. That was supposed to include Japan, but after the devastating earthquake and tsunamis, Apple decided to delay the launch. "We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," Apple said at the time. According to the Wall Street Journal, fans are already lined up in Japan in the hopes of nabbing an iPad 2. Starting on Friday, the iPad 2 will also be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, India, Israel, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, and UAE.

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