iPhone 4 adds enhanced screen, second camera and HD video recording
Apple announced its new iteration of its smartphone, the iPhone 4, on Monday, and it brought some new features for photo and video enthusiasts.
The camera makes a small jump to 5 megapixels from the previous 3 megapixels, but Steve Jobs address the fact during his announcement that everyone seems to focus on the megapixels, but there are other issues that need addressing. Â The new iPhone didn’t really up the ante on its main cameras resolution, but at long last Apple did add an LED flash so at least some photos should turn out a bit better. Â It also has a new tap to zoom that will give you a 5X digital zoom.
The camera also has now been enabled to record HD video at up to 720P for 30 frames per second (fps). Â The phone does include built-in video editing tools, and an iMovie app will be available for for $4.99.
The biggest change came with the addition of a front facing camera for use with the new FaceTime video conferencing feature.  It is optimized for being held approximately 12-inches from you with an auto-focus, so it isn’t going to be used for anything other than video calls.  While it’s nice to finally see this feature come to the phone, it is currently restricted to only iPhone 4 devices.
The display received a major upgrade with a new technology called Retina Display.  This puts 16 pixels into the same space that used to be occupied by four, and pushes the resolution to 326 ppi (pixels per inch), or slightly above what the human eye can comprehend at a distance of 12 inches.  This now makes the 3.5-inch screen have a resolution of 960 x 640, and a contrast of 800:1.  This places the iPhone at 78% of the pixels of the much larger iPad.
While not a professional camera by any stretch of the imagination, it could be a nice addition to any photographer’s bag. Â The phone will run $199 for a 16 GB version and $299 for the 32 GB, both with a two-year contract.
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