Get ready for the iPhone 4

What makes the iPhone 4 hot?

If you’re debating whether to empty your bank account on this latest smart phone, here are a few things to consider.

Design

The iPhone 4 is noticeably thinner – by 3 millimeters – than the 3GS. However, it is still weighing in at 136 grams. It may take a little time to get used to the new model’s lack of a rounded back.

The guts have changed too. Apple has moved from the Samsung-built ARM Cortex-A8 CPU to the custom A4 chip used in the iPad. This speeds up graphic rendering and overall responsiveness.

GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are integrated on the CPU. The phone ships with either 16 GB or 32 GB of storage space.

Display

The display is one of the most attractive changes. Apple is calling the backlit, 960-by-640 dot IPS screen the “Retina Display” because of its high resolution and pixel density. The new display fits 326 pixels per inch with an 800:1 contrast ratio.

Steve Jobs says the resolution of the screen essentially tops what is perceivable by the human eye.

Of course, that claim is shaky at best. However, tech reviewers like Engadget agreed there has never been a clearer screen on a mobile device.

Speakers

Many still remember the connection woes of the early iPhone. This time Apple has spent some serious time improving call quality and speakerphone mode. The iPhone 4 is both louder and clearer than its predecessors.

New OS

The new iOS 4 adds loads of features like video calls, folders for apps and enhanced e-mail. Apple also ported one of the most popular programs on the iPad, iBooks, to the phone and created a new iMovie for iPhone 4.

The new OS also brings multitasking. Users can pause an application and leave it to run another app. Double tapping the home button brings up a list of recent and running applications for when it is time to switch back. Music can now play while writing text messages. This also protects the GPS software from sudden shutdowns.