iPhone 4

Photo of a Black Apple iPhone 4 (black UMTS/GSM model)
Developer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Foxconn (UMTS/GSM model) Pegatron (CDMA model)[1]
Slogan(s)	This changes everything..again[2]
Form factor	Slate
Model	A1332 (GSM model) A1349 (CDMA model)[3]
Part Number	16 GB: MC318, MC603 32 GB: MC319, MC605[4]
Release date	GSM model (black): June 24, 2010[a] CDMA model (black): February 10, 2011[a] GSM and CDMA models (white): April 28, 2011
Operating system	iOS 5.1.1 Released May 7, 2012; 50 days ago  (2012-05-07)
Power	Built-in rechargeable li-ion battery 3.7 V at 1420 mAh[5]
SoC	Apple A4[6]
CPU	ARM Cortex-A8
GPU	PowerVR SGX 535[6]
Storage capacity	8, 16, or 32 GB flash memory
Memory	512 MB eDRAM[7]
Display	3.5 in (89 mm) diagonal 1.5:1 aspect ratio widescreen LED backlit IPS TFT LCD 640×960 resolution at 326 ppi (0.61 megapixels) 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back glass
Audio	Single loudspeaker 3.5 mm TRRS Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz[citation needed]
Input	Multi-touch touchscreen display Push-buttons Dual microphone 3-axis gyroscope 3-axis accelerometer Digital compass Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor
Rear camera	5 MP back-side illuminated sensor HD video (720p) at 30 frame/s 1.75 μm size pixels 5× digital zoom Tap to focus video or still images LED flash Photo and video geotagging
Front camera	0.3 MP (VGA) SD video (480p) at 30 frame/s 25.17 μm size pixels Tap to focus video or still images Photo and video geotagging
Connectivity	Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) (2.4 GHz only) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR GSM model: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (800 850 900 1800 1900 MHz) Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (800 850 900 1900 2100 MHz) (800 MHz not yet officially supported by Apple) CDMA model: dual-band CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A (800 1900 MHz)
Hearing aid compatibility	GSM 3G 850/1900 MHz M4, T4 2G 850 MHz M3, T3 2G 1900 MHz M2, T3 CDMA M4, T4
Online services	App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store, MobileMe
Dimensions	115.2 mm (4.54 in) H 58.66 mm (2.309 in) W 9.3 mm (0.37 in) D
Weight	137 g (4.8 oz)
Predecessor	iPhone 3GS
Successor	iPhone 4S
Related articles	iPad, iPod Touch (comparison)
Website	www.apple.com/iphone

The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate 3G smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling (marketed by Apple as FaceTime), consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail access. It was announced on June 7, 2010, at the WWDC 2010 held at the Moscone Center, San Francisco,^[8] and was released on June 24, 2010, in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.

The iPhone 4 runs Apple's iOS operating system, the same operating system as used on prior iPhones, the iPad, and the iPod Touch. It is mainly controlled by a user's fingertips on the multi-touch display, which is sensitive to fingertip contact.

The most noticeable difference between the iPhone 4 and its predecessors is the new design, which incorporates an uninsulated stainless steel frame that acts as the device's antenna. The internal components of the device are situated between two panels of chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass.^[9] It has an Apple A4 processor and 512 MB of eDRAM, twice that of its predecessor and four times that of the original iPhone. Its 3.5-inch (89 mm) LED backlit liquid crystal display with a 960×640 pixel resolution is marketed as the "Retina Display".

When released the iPhone 4 used iOS 4. The latest version available is iOS 5.1.1 (May 2012).

In October 2011, the iPhone 4S was announced, which retains the same form factor but includes some upgrades such as the A5 processor, iOS 5, and an improved camera.^[10]

History[link]

Prototypes[link]

Before the official unveiling of the iPhone 4 on June 7, 2010, two prototypes were brought to the attention of the media, breaching Apple's normally secretive development process. Many of the speculations regarding technical specifications proved accurate.

Gizmodo leak[link]

On April 19, 2010, gadget website Gizmodo reported that they had purchased an iPhone prototype for $5000, and furthermore, had conducted a product teardown of the device. The prototype is reported to have been lost by an Apple employee, Gray Powell, in Redwood City, California.^[11] Shortly after Gizmodo published detailed information about the prototype, Apple's legal associates formally requested for the phone to be returned to Apple, and Gizmodo responded with the intent to cooperate.^[12]

On April 22, officers from the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) task force of the California HTTAP Program raided the home of Jason Chen, the Gizmodo editor responsible for reviewing the prototype, seizing all of his computers and hard drives.^[13] The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the raid as violating journalist source protection laws that forbid the seizure of journalist computers as well as the suspicion that Apple had used its influence as a member of the steering committee which is charged with direction and oversight of the California REACT task force to push police into action in a way that would not normally be conducted for this type of incident. Apple had already received the iPhone prototype before the raid when it was returned by Gizmodo.^[14] The District Attorney has stated that the investigation has been suspended, and discontinued searching through the Gizmodo editor's belongings as they determine whether the shield laws are applicable, and cautioned that no charges have been issued at this point.^[15][16]

Taoviet leak[link]

Pictures and video of a second prototype were published on a Vietnamese website, Taoviet, on May 12, 2010.^[17] It was almost identical to the first, and used an A4 chip manufactured by Apple.^[18] The website purchased the prototype for $4,000.^[19] DigiTimes reported that the screen resolution of the new phone was 960-by-640, which was confirmed by Apple at the iPhone 4's official announcement.

Release[link]

Former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, holding a white iPhone 4. The white iPhone 4 was released in April 2011.

The iPhone 4 was made available for pre-order on June 15, 2010. Customers attempting to pre-order the iPhone 4 reported problems with the pre-order process on the U.S. and U.K. online Apple Stores which crashed due to the surge in traffic.^[20] The same issue was reported with AT&T and SoftBank, Apple's exclusive partners in the United States and Japan respectively, who suspended advance sales of the iPhone 4 as demand threatened to exceed supply.^[21] Retail stores were also unable to complete pre-order transactions due to the servers crashing.^[22]

Apple and its partner carriers received 600,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4 in the first 24 hours, the largest number of pre-orders Apple has received in a single day for any device.^[23] Engadget reported that at 20:30 UTC, all iPhone 4 pre-order suppliers had sold out.^[24] 1.7 million iPhone 4s were sold in its first three days of availability.^[25]

The iPhone 4 has also been released through Orange in Tunisia and was available in eight cities at the launch.^[26] In South Korea, it was released by KT on September 10. In Israel, it was released, too, on September 24, through Cellcom, Pelephone and Orange. It was launched in Thailand on September 23 by AIS, DTAC and True Move, and in Malaysia on September 26 in Kuala Lumpur, and nationwide on September 27 according to the website of Maxis.^[27]

The iPhone 4 was released in South Africa on September 22 on the Vodacom and MTN networks, in very limited quantities.^[28] The iPhone 4 was launched in Vietnam on September 30 by VinaPhone and Viettel, at first in 3 major cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city and Da Nang, and then all over the country by the end of October.^[29][30]

The iPhone 4 was launched in India on May 27, 2011 by Aircel and Airtel. Aircel is releasing the 16 GB iPhone 4 for 34,500 and the 32 GB one for 40,990. The smartphone will be available via contract from both service providers.^[31]

On January 11, 2011, Verizon announced during a media event that it had reached an agreement with Apple and would begin selling a CDMA iPhone 4 in the United States, ending Apple's exclusivity agreement with AT&T. The Verizon iPhone went on sale on February 10 and pre orders began on February 3.^[32][33][34] The Verizon iPhone includes the 'Personal Hotspot" feature which allows a user to use the iPhone as a wireless hotspot, with up to 5 devices connecting at one time. The February 3 presale of the iPhone 4 broke Verizon's first day sales records for a single device.^[35]

On June 24, 2010, Apple issued a statement that the white iPhone 4 models were proving more "challenging to manufacture" than expected, and initially pushed the release date back to the second half of July. There was a lot of speculation surrounding the delay of the white iPhone 4. Among the most popular rumors are those concerning the phone's internal camera being adversely affected by light leaking in due to the semi-translucent glass and the white paint. Other sources report that the problem relates to Apple's inability to match the white color of the front face plate with that of the home button.^[36] On April 27 Apple announced that it would be releasing the white iPhone 4 model on April 28, 2011 for both GSM and CDMA.^[37] The release of the white iPhone 4 was carried out on April 28, and is still available for purchase today.^[38][39]

During Apple's official unveiling of the iPhone 4S on October 4, 2011 it was announced that Sprint would begin carrying the reconfigured CDMA iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S in the US on October 14.^[40][41]

Hardware[link]

Display[link]

The display of the iPhone 4 is manufactured by LG under an exclusive contract with Apple. It features an LED backlit TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (ppi) on a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) (diagonally measured), 960×640 display. Each pixel is 78 micrometres in width. The display has a contrast ratio of 800:1. The screen is marketed by Apple as the "Retina Display", based on the assertion that a display of approximately 300 ppi at a distance of 12 inches (305 mm) from one's eye, or 57 arcseconds per pixel^[42] is the maximum amount of detail that the human retina can perceive.^[43] With the iPhone expected to be used at a distance of about 12 inches from the eyes, a higher resolution would allegedly have no effect on the image's apparent quality as the maximum potential of the human eye has already been met.

This claim has been disputed. Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies, said in an interview with Wired magazine, that the claims by Jobs are something of an exaggeration: "It is reasonably close to being a perfect display, but Steve pushed it a little too far". Soneira stated that the resolution of the human retina is higher than claimed by Apple, working out to 477 ppi at 12 inches (305 mm) from the eyes, or 36 arcseconds per pixel.^[44]

However, Phil Plait, author of Bad Astronomy, whose career includes a collaboration with NASA regarding the camera on the Hubble Space Telescope, responded to the criticism by stating that "if you have [better than 20/20] eyesight, then at one foot away the iPhone 4's pixels are resolved. The picture will look pixellated. If you have average eyesight, the picture will look just fine".^[45][46]

Camera[link]

The iPhone 4 is the first iPhone model to have two cameras. The LED flash for the rear-facing camera (top) and the forward-facing camera (bottom, left of speaker) are not present in older models.

The iPhone 4 features an additional front-facing VGA camera, and a backside-illuminated 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with a 3.85 mm f/2.8 lens^[47][1] and an LED flash. The rear-facing camera is capable of recording HD video in 720p at 30 frames per second. Both cameras make use of the tap to focus feature, part of iOS 4, for photo and video recording.^[48] The rear-facing camera has a 5× digital zoom.

Connectivity[link]

In contrast to Steve Jobs' announcement at WWDC 2010, recent Federal Communications Commission documentation has shown that the iPhone 4 contains a penta-band 3G UMTS antenna, not a quad-band 3G UMTS radio, as advertised by Apple. According to the FCC documentation filed by Apple, the radio inside the iPhone 4 supports 800, 850, 900, 1900, and 2100 MHz. The 800 MHz frequency, which is most commonly used in Japanese mobile phones, is not advertised as being supported by Apple.^[49] However, the 800 MHz band is a subset of the 850 MHz band, which probably explains why the device is advertised as quad-band.^{[citation needed]} The chip-sets were manufactured by Skyworks Solutions^[50] and Infineon for GSM version.

As with most of Apple's mobile products, the iPhone 4 also uses the 30 pin dock connector as its only external data port.

The iPhone 4 is the first generation of iPhone to have a second microphone used for noise cancellation. It is located on the top of the unit near the headphone jack; the main microphone is on the bottom left.^[51]

Gyroscope and accelerometer[link]

The iPhone 4 introduces a gyroscopic sensor that detects 3-axis angular acceleration around the X, Y and Z axes, enabling precise calculation of yaw, pitch, and roll. The gyroscope complements the accelerometer, a sensor that has been present since the original iPhone, which detects the device's acceleration, shake, vibration shock, or fall by detecting linear acceleration along one of three axes (X, Y and Z). The combined data from the accelerometer and the gyroscope provides detailed and precise information about the device's 6-axis movement in space. The 3 axes of the gyroscope combined with the 3 axes of the accelerometer enable the device to recognize approximately how far, fast, and in which direction it has moved in space.^[52]

Processor and memory[link]

The iPhone 4 is powered by the Apple A4 chip, which was designed by Intrinsity^{[citation needed]} and, like all prior iPhone models, manufactured by Samsung.^[53] This system-on-a-chip is composed of an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU integrated with a PowerVR SGX 535 GPU.^[54] The Apple A4 is also used in the iPad where it is clocked at its rated speed of 1 GHz. The clock speed in the iPhone 4 has not been disclosed. All prior models of the iPhone have underclocked the CPU, which typically extends battery life and lowers heat dissipation.

The iPhone 4 has 512 MB of eDRAM. The additional eDRAM supports increased performance and multi-tasking.^[55]

Storage and Micro-SIM[link]

The iPhone 4 uses a Micro-SIM card on iPhone 4 devices running on a GSM network, which is positioned in an ejectable tray, located on the right side of the device. On a CDMA network, however, the phone connects to the network using an ESN. All prior models have used regular Mini-SIM cards. Depending on the operator, Micro-SIM cards may not be available for all networks globally. As a technical workaround it is possible to trim a Mini-SIM card with a knife or scissors so that it fits into the Micro-SIM tray.^[56]

As on prior models, all data is stored in flash memory, 8, 16 or 32 GB, and not on the SIM. Unlike prior generations, the storage capacity is not printed on the back of the unit.

Design[link]

The iPhone 4 is constructed of glass faces and a metal rim.

The iPhone 4 features a redesigned structure, designed by Jonathan Ive. Most notably, the bulges of the back panel as well as the band between the front and back are gone and have been replaced with flattened surfaces. The redesign reflects the utilitarianism and uniformity of existing Apple products, such as the iPad and the iMac. The overall dimensions of the iPhone 4 have been reduced from its predecessor.^[57]

It is 4.53 inches (115 mm) high, 2.31 inches (59 mm) wide, and 0.37 inches (9.4 mm) deep, compared to the iPhone 3GS, which is 4.55 inches (116 mm) high, 2.44 inches (62 mm) wide, and 0.48 inches (12 mm) deep; making the iPhone 4.24% thinner than its predecessor, the iPhone 3GS. Steve Jobs claims that it is “the thinnest smartphone on the planet".^[57] The reduced size of the device is primarily due to the externally placed antenna.

The iPhone 4 is structured around a stainless steel frame that wraps around the edge of the phone, acting both as the primary structure for the device and as the iPhone 4's antennas. This metal band features two slits on the GSM version of the phone, one at the lower left, and one at the top (and a fake slit along the lower right, to cosmetically mirror the one at the lower left) that divide the band into two antenna sections: the left section of the band serves as the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS antenna, and the right and lower sections of the band act as the antenna for GSM and UMTS connectivity.

On the CDMA version of the phone there are four slits in the metal band. Two at the top (on the left and right) and two at the bottom. This divides the metal band into four different segments, which like the GSM version of the phone, serves as different antennas for connectivity. The top portion of the band (divided by the top left and right slits) is for connecting to the CDMA network. The left portion of the metal band is for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS just like the GSM version. The right side is not an antenna, but serves to cosmetically mirror the left side and also to create a similar look to the GSM version of the phone.

The internal components are situated between two panels of aluminosilicate glass, described by Apple as being "chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic," theoretically allowing it to be more scratch resistant and durable than the prior models.^[9]

In fall 2010, pentalobular screws started to replace the Philips screws used in post-repair units in the US and in production units in Japan.^[58]

Software[link]

FaceTime[link]

The iPhone 4 supports FaceTime, an embedded video calling application that is able to use either the front or back camera over a Wi-Fi connection to communicate with another camera-equipped iOS device or Macintosh computer running at least Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Accessories[link]

Bumper[link]

An iPhone 4 next to a Bumper.

An iPhone 4 Bumper is a ring of rubber and plastic that surrounds the edge of the iPhone 4, with the purpose of protecting the phone. The inner part is rubber with the external band made of plastic. The Bumper wraps around the edges of the device protecting the edges, and to a lesser extent, the screen. The Bumper does not cover the front or rear of the phone, though it does slightly raise the iPhone off whatever surface it is sitting on.^[59]

Additionally, the plastic band houses metallic buttons for the volume controls and sleep/wake button. The six holes in the Bumper enable access to the mute switch, dock connector, headphone jack, speaker, and microphones.^[59]

Technical issues[link]

Some users have reported a yellow discoloration of the screen when they first received the phone which disappeared after several days, which was attributed to the glass lamination glue that was used. It did not have time to dry fully before the unit reached consumers due to the speed of manufacturing.^[60] Another issue reported by some users within days of the iPhone 4 release was that during calls the proximity sensor can be insensitive, so that facial contact with the touchscreen can end calls, mute calls, and dial other numbers.^[61]

Antenna[link]

Shortly after the iPhone 4 was launched, some consumers reported that signal strength of the phone was reduced when touching the lower left edge of the phone, bridging one of the two locations which separates the two antennas, resulting in dropped calls in some areas with lower signal reception.^[62][63][64] In response, Apple issued a statement advising that customers should "avoid gripping [the phone] in the lower left corner" when making or receiving a call.^[65]

As a consequence of this problem, it was reported on July 2, 2010 that several iPhone 4 users were planning on suing Apple and AT&T for fraud by concealment, negligence, intentional misrepresentation and defective design. The legal challenge was started by California law firm Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, who set up a website to recruit disenchanted iPhone 4 buyers for a lawsuit against Apple.^[66][67] Later that day, Apple issued another statement stating that it had discovered the cause of the "dramatic drop in bars".^[68]

Apple explained how the formula it used to calculate the number of bars to display was "wrong". Apple promised to correct the issue and release a software update within a few weeks that would address the "mistake", which had been present since the original iPhone.^[68] The New York Times commented that "the failure to detect this longstanding problem earlier is astonishing."^[69]

Consumer Reports initially stated that the iPhone 4's signal issues are not "unique, and may not be serious" and it continued to mention that signal loss is a problem that is faced by the entire smartphone industry. It has been such a problem that Apple made a formal apology. The next day, the magazine altered their stance after encountering instances of dropped calls.^[70] The magazine rejected Apple's explanation after conducting tests in a controlled environment, and comparing the results against prior generations of iPhone. It sarcastically pointed out that using a piece of tape to cover the lower left antenna gap was one way to fix the problem, but recommended that consumers who "want an iPhone that works well without a masking-tape fix" purchase the iPhone 3GS instead.^[71] The magazine also tested the iPhone 4 while it was wearing a Bumper, a frame-like cover sold by Apple that prevents direct contact with the antenna, reporting that it did resolve the problem.^[72] CNN repeated Consumer Reports' statement that a small amount of duct tape had proven an effective fix to the iPhone 4's dropped call issue.^[73]

On July 16, 2010, at a press conference, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would provide all iPhone 4 owners with a free case to help solve the antenna issue and a refund to those users who had already purchased a Bumper. The free case offer would be valid until September 30, 2010, when Apple would re-evaluate the situation.^[74][75] To get a free case, owners were able to apply via an app installed on the phone found in the App Store from July 22, 2010 to September 30, 2010. Jobs also announced that Apple could not produce enough Bumpers for all owners of the phone, but would source a supply and offer a range of cases.^[76] Additionally, Jobs cited figures from AppleCare which showed that only 0.55 percent of all iPhone 4 users have complained to the company about the issue, while the number of phones returned to Apple was 1.7 percent – 4.3 percentage points less than the number of iPhone 3GS models that were returned in the first month of the phone's launch.^[76]

Consumer Reports noted that the solution was not permanent, though a good first step.^[77] However, because Jobs did not specify a time line for fixing the problem, and the offering for a free bumper only being a temporary solution, PC World decided to remove the iPhone 4 from its "Top 10 Cell Phones" chart and reassign it to a pending rating.^[78]

AnandTech researched iPhone 4 antenna and identified that its outer construction provides 5–9 dB (6.9–9 times) better sensitivity comparing to common internal antenna design of iPhone 3Gs (the phone keeps working connection with signal as low as −120/121 dB comparing to usual −113/115 dB).^[79]

Despite the negative media attention regarding the antenna issues, 72% of iPhone 4 users say that they are "very satisfied" with their iPhone 4 according to an August 2010 survey by ChangeWave Research.^[80]

Camera image fault[link]

Reports about iPhone 4 cameras being rendered useless by a peculiar fault started to show up on the Internet in September 2010. Under certain lighting conditions the back camera produces a large green 'halo' in the center of the image.^[81] This renders many of these images to be of much lower quality than what the iPhone 3GS is capable of producing under similar lighting conditions. Reports started surfacing on forums and have since been picked up by major media sources.^[82]

Critical reception[link]

Reaction to the announcement[link]

Media reaction to Steve Jobs' announcement of the iPhone 4 was generally positive.^[83] The announcement included information that had not been covered by Gizmodo. Fox News commented that "seeing it in action is far more informative than staring at Gizmodo's photos of a busted test unit".^[84] Rhodri Marsden of The Independent said that "aside from the introduction of face-to-face video calling, it's not a staggering feature set," instead focusing on how the device is "more powerful than its predecessor, speedier, easier to use and will make previously laborious tasks seem like a cinch".^[85]

CNET reacted to the announcement by explaining how it believes that iMovie for iOS was the "most exciting part of this year's WWDC Keynote". The article noted how the iPhone 4, unlike current cameras, can record HD content and then edit it from the same device, labeling it a "true mobile editing suite".^[86]

Reviews[link]

Reviews of the iPhone 4 have been generally favorable. Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal called the device "the best device in its class".^[87] Engadget named it the "best smartphone on the market" in June 2010.^[88] CNET gave the iPhone 4 a rating of 8.6 out of 10, one of the highest ratings it has given any smartphone.^[89] TechRadar gave the device 4.5/5 stars.^[90] Consumer Reports said the signal problem was the reason they did not rate it a "recommended" model, although the other tests ranked it highest among smart phones.^[71]

Joshua Topolsky of Engadget described the device's industrial design as being "more detailed and sophisticated" than its predecessor.^[88]

Timeline of models[link]

iPhones in space[link]

In 2011, two iPhone 4 with a special app were taken to the International Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle on the STS-135 mission.^[92] The devices were used in various experiments, utilizing sensors and a special app.^[92]

See also[link]

Apple Inc. portal

• List of iOS devices
• Comparison of smartphones

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: iPhone 4

Wikinews has related news: Apple unveils iPhone 4, iOS 4 at Worldwide Developers Conference 2010 Apple swamped by iPhone 4 pre-orders Apple to give free cases, refunds to iPhone 4 owners

• Official website
• Stress test of Apple iPhone 4 (16 Gb)
• Cool Mobiles Link

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It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2012.

An iPhone 4S, the most recent generation of the iPhone

The iPhone ( /ˈaɪfoʊn/ EYE-fohn) is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007,^[1] and released on June 29, 2007. The 5th generation iPhone, the iPhone 4S, was announced on October 4, 2011, and released 10 days later.

An iPhone can function as a video camera (video recording was not a standard feature until the iPhone 3GS was released), a camera phone, a portable media player, and an Internet client with email and web browsing capabilities, can send texts and receive visual voicemail, and has both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. The user interface is built around the device's multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard rather than a physical one.

Third-party as well as Apple application software is available from the App Store, which launched in mid-2008 and now^[when?] has over 500,000^[2] "apps" approved by Apple. These apps have diverse functions, including games, reference, GPS navigation, social networking, security, and advertising for television shows, films, and celebrities.

There are five generations of iPhone models, each accompanied by one of the five major releases of iOS (formerly iPhone OS). The original iPhone was a GSM phone, and established design precedents, such as screen size and button placement, that have persisted through all models. The iPhone 3G added 3G cellular network capabilities and A-GPS location. The iPhone 3GS added a compass, faster processor, and higher resolution camera, including video recording at 480p.

The iPhone 4 has a rear-facing camera (720p video) and a front facing camera (at a lower resolution) for FaceTime video calling and for use in other apps like Skype. The iPhone 4 featured a higher-resolution 960 × 640 display; it was released on June 24, 2010. In the U.S., AT&T was the only authorized carrier until February 10, 2011, when a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 launched for Verizon. On October 4, 2011, Apple announced the iPhone 4S.^[3]

The iPhone 4S added a higher resolution camera (8 megapixel) with 1080p video recording, face detection, and video stabilization, a faster, dual core processor, support for both GSM/UMTS and CDMA on one chip, GLONASS support and a natural language voice control system called Siri.^[4] It is available in 16 GB and 32 GB, as well as a new 64 GB capacity. In the United States, it was announced that two new carriers, Sprint and C Spire, would begin carrying the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in October and November 2011, respectively.^[5] On April 20, 2012, six more regional US carriers (Cellcom, Appalachian Wireless, Alaska Communications, GCI, MTA Solutions, and nTelos) were added in to the list of iPhone service providers.^[6]

History and availability[link]

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bar:Q1_2008 from:start till:2.315000 text:2.315 million
bar:Q2_2008 from:start till:1.703000 text:1.703 million
bar:Q3_2008 from:start till:0.717000 text:0.717 million
bar:Q4_2008 from:start till:6.890000 text:6.89 million
bar:Q1_2009 from:start till:4.363000 text:4.363 million
bar:Q2_2009 from:start till:3.793000 text:3.793 million
bar:Q3_2009 from:start till:5.208000 text:5.208 million
bar:Q4_2009 from:start till:7.367000 text:7.367 million
bar:Q1_2010 from:start till:8.737000 text:8.737 million
bar:Q2_2010 from:start till:8.752000 text:8.752 million
bar:Q3_2010 from:start till:8.398000 text:8.398 million
bar:Q4_2010 from:start till:14.102000 text:14.102 million
bar:Q1_2011 from:start till:16.240000 text:16.240 million
bar:Q2_2011 from:start till:18.650000 text:18.65 million
bar:Q3_2011 from:start till:20.340000 text:20.34 million
bar:Q4_2011 from:start till:17.070000 text:17.07 million
bar:Q1_2012 from:start till:37.040000 text:37.04 million
bar:Q2_2012 from:start till:35.100000 text:35.10 million

pos:(70,20) textcolor:gray fontsize:S text:Worldwide iPhone sales by Apple's fiscal

pos:(70,5) textcolor:gray fontsize:S text:quarters (Q1 2012 = Oct–Dec 2011).

Development of the iPhone began in 2005 with Apple CEO Steve Jobs' direction that Apple engineers investigate touchscreens.^[7] He also steered the original focus away from a tablet, like the iPad, and towards a phone.^[8] Apple created the device during a secretive collaboration with AT&T Mobility—Cingular Wireless at the time—at an estimated development cost of US$150 million over thirty months.^[9]

Apple rejected the "design by committee" approach that had yielded the Motorola ROKR E1, a largely unsuccessful^[10] collaboration with Motorola. Instead, Cingular gave Apple the liberty to develop the iPhone's hardware and software in-house^[11][12] and even paid Apple a fraction of its monthly service revenue (until the iPhone 3G),^[13] in exchange for four years of exclusive U.S. sales, until 2011.

Jobs unveiled the iPhone to the public on January 9, 2007, at the Macworld 2007 convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The iPhone went on sale in the United States on June 29, 2007, at 6:00 pm local time, while hundreds of customers lined up outside the stores nationwide.^[14] The passionate reaction to the launch of the iPhone resulted in sections of the media christening it the 'Jesus phone'.^[15][16] The original iPhone was made available in the UK, France, and Germany in November 2007, and Ireland and Austria in the spring of 2008.

Worldwide iPhone availability:

  iPhone was available since its original release

  iPhone was available since the release of iPhone 3G

  Coming soon

On July 11, 2008, Apple released the iPhone 3G in twenty-two countries, including the original six.^[17] Apple released the iPhone 3G in upwards of eighty countries and territories.^[18] Apple announced the iPhone 3GS on June 8, 2009, along with plans to release it later in June, July, and August, starting with the U.S., Canada and major European countries on June 19. Many would-be users objected to the iPhone's cost,^[19] and 40% of users have household incomes over US$100,000.^[20]

In an attempt to gain a wider market, Apple retained the 8 GB iPhone 3G at a lower price. When Apple introduced the iPhone 4, the 3GS became the less expensive model. Apple reduced the price several times since the iPhone's release in 2007, at which time an 8 GB iPhone sold for $599. An iPhone 3GS with the same capacity now has no cost to the customer, as of the release of the iPhone 4S. However, these numbers are misleading, since all iPhone units sold through AT&T require a two-year contract costing several thousand dollars, including an early termination fee,^[21] and a SIM lock.

Apple sold 6.1 million original iPhone units over five quarters.^[22] Recorded sales have been growing steadily thereafter, and by the end of fiscal year 2010, a total of 73.5 million iPhones were sold.^[23] By 2010/2011, the iPhone had a market share of barely 4% of all cellphones, but Apple still pulls in more than 50% of the total profit that global cellphone sales generate.^[24] Sales in Q4 2008 surpassed temporarily those of RIM's BlackBerry sales of 5.2 million units, which made Apple briefly the third largest mobile phone manufacturer by revenue, after Nokia and Samsung.^[25] Approximately 6.4 million iPhones are active in the U.S. alone.^[20] While iPhone sales constitute a significant portion of Apple's revenue, some of this income is deferred.^[26]

Three generations of iPhone, shown from behind. Left to right: original, white 3G, black 4.

The back of the original iPhone was made of aluminum with a black plastic accent. The iPhone 3G and 3GS feature a full plastic back to increase the strength of the GSM signal.^[27] The iPhone 3G was available in an 8 GB black model, or a black or white option for the 16 GB model. They both are now discontinued. The iPhone 3GS was available in both colors, regardless of storage capacity.

The white model was discontinued in favor of a black 8 GB low-end model. The iPhone 4 has an aluminosilicate glass front and back with a stainless steel edge that serves as the antennas. It was at first available in black; the white version was announced, but not released until April 2011, 10 months later.

The iPhone has garnered positive reviews from such critics as David Pogue^[28] and Walter Mossberg.^[29][30] The iPhone attracts users of all ages,^[20] and, besides consumer use, the iPhone has also been adopted for business purposes.^[31]

Users of the iPhone 4 reported dropped/disconnected telephone calls when holding their phones in a certain way. This became known as antennagate. ^[32]

On January 11, 2011, Verizon announced during a media event that it had reached an agreement with Apple and would begin selling a CDMA2000 iPhone 4. Verizon said it would be available for pre-order on February 3, with a release set for February 10.^[33][34] In February 2011, the Verizon iPhone accounted for 4.5 percent of all iPhone ad impressions^[vague] in the U.S. on Millennial Media's mobile ad network.^[35] On March 2, 2011, at the iPad 2 event, Apple announced that they have sold 100 million iPhones worldwide.^[36]

On Tuesday, September 27, Apple sent invitations for a press event to be held October 4, 2011 at 10:00 am at the Cupertino Headquarters to announce details of the next generation iPhone, which turned out to be iPhone 4S. Over 1 million 4S models were sold in the first 24 hours after its release in October 2011.^[37] Due to large volumes of the iPhone being manufactured and the its high selling price, Apple became the largest mobile handset vendor in the world by revenue, in 2011, surpassing long-time leader Nokia;^[38] however, later that year, it was surpassed by Samsung, a major manufacturer of Android phones.^[39] American carrier C Spire Wireless announced that it would be carrying the iPhone 4S on October 19, 2011.^[5] In February 2012, ComScore reported that 12.4% of US mobile subscribers use an iPhone.^[40] The iPhone 4S launch was also the biggest launch^[41] for any smartphone in the history of mobile device market.

The iPhone 4S box. All iPhones have come in boxes.

Hardware[link]

Screen and input[link]

The touchscreen on all models is a 9 cm (3.5 in) liquid crystal display with scratch-resistant glass.^[42] The capacitive touchscreen is designed for a bare finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing. The screens on the first three generations have a resolution of 320 × 480 (HVGA) at 163 ppi, while those on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S have a resolution of 640 × 960 at 326 ppi.

The touch and gesture features of the iPhone are based on technology originally developed by FingerWorks.^[43] Most gloves and styli prevent the necessary electrical conductivity;^{[44][45][46][47]} however, capacitive styli can be used with iPhone's finger-touch screen. The iPhone 3GS and later also feature a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.^[48]

The top and side of an iPhone 3GS, externally identical to the iPhone 3G. From left to right, sides: wake/sleep button, SIM card slot, headphone jack, silence switch, volume controls. The switches were black plastic on the original iPhone. Top: earpiece, screen.

The iPhone has a minimal hardware user interface, featuring only four or five buttons, depending on the generation. The only physical menu button is situated directly below the display, and is called the "Home button" because it closes the active app and navigates to the home screen of the interface. The home button is denoted not by a house, as on many other similar devices, but a rounded square, reminiscent of the shape of icons on the home screen.

A multifunction sleep/wake button is located on the top of the device. It serves as the unit's power button, and also controls phone calls. When a call is received, pressing the sleep/wake button once silences the ringtone, and when pressed twice transfers the call to voicemail. Situated on the left spine are the volume adjustment controls. The iPhone 4 has two separate circular buttons to increase and decrease the volume; all earlier models house two switches under a single plastic panel, known as a rocker switch, which could reasonably be counted as either one or two buttons.

Directly above the volume controls is a ring/silent switch that when engaged mutes telephone ringing, alert sounds from new & sent emails, text messages, and other push notifications, camera shutter sounds, Voice Memo sound effects, phone lock/unlock sounds, keyboard clicks, and spoken autocorrections. This switch does not mute alarm sounds from the Clock application, and in some countries or regions it will not mute the camera shutter or Voice Memo sound effects.^[49] All buttons except Home were made of plastic on the original iPhone and metal on all later models. The touchscreen furnishes the remainder of the user interface.

The display responds to three sensors (four on the iPhone 4). A proximity sensor deactivates the display and touchscreen when the device is brought near the face during a call. This is done to save battery power and to prevent inadvertent inputs from the user's face and ears. An ambient light sensor adjusts the display brightness which in turn saves battery power. A 3-axis accelerometer senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly, allowing the user to easily switch between portrait and landscape mode.^[50] Photo browsing, web browsing, and music playing support both upright and left or right widescreen orientations.^[51]

Unlike the iPad, the iPhone does not rotate the screen when turned upside-down, with the Home button above the screen, unless the running program has been specifically designed to do so. The 3.0 update added landscape support for still other applications, such as email, and introduced shaking the unit as a form of input.^[52][53] The accelerometer can also be used to control third-party apps, notably games. The iPhone 4 also includes a gyroscopic sensor, enhancing its perception of how it is moved.

A software update in January 2008^[54] allowed the first-generation iPhone to use cell tower and Wi-Fi network locations trilateration,^[55] despite lacking GPS hardware. The iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 employ A-GPS, and the iPhone 3GS and 4 also have a digital compass.^[56] iPhone 4S supports GLONASS global positioning system in addition to GPS.

Audio and output[link]

One of two speakers (left) and the microphone (right) surround the dock connector on the base of the original iPhone. If a headset is plugged in, sound is played through it instead.

On the bottom of the iPhone there is a speaker to the left of the dock connector and a microphone to the right. There is an additional loudspeaker above the screen that serves as an earpiece during phone calls. The iPhone 4 includes an additional microphone at the top of the unit for noise cancellation, and switches the placement of the microphone and speaker on the base on the unit—the speaker is on the right.^[57] Volume controls are located on the left side of all iPhone models and as a slider in the iPod application.

The 3.5 mm TRRS connector for the headphones is located on the top left corner of the device.^[58] The headphone socket on the original iPhone is recessed into the casing, making it incompatible with most headsets without the use of an adapter.^[59][60] Subsequent generations eliminated the issue by using a flush-mounted headphone socket. Cars equipped with an auxiliary jack allow for handsfree use of the iPhone while driving as a substitute for Bluetooth.

While the iPhone is compatible with normal headphones, Apple provides a headset with additional functionality. A multipurpose button near the microphone can be used to play or pause music, skip tracks, and answer or end phone calls without touching the iPhone. A small number of third-party headsets specifically designed for the iPhone also include the microphone and control button.^[61] The current headsets also provide volume controls, which are only compatible with more recent models.^[62] These features are achieved by a fourth ring in the audio jack that carries this extra information.

The built-in Bluetooth 2.x+EDR supports wireless earpieces and headphones, which requires the HSP profile. Stereo audio was added in the 3.0 update for hardware that supports A2DP.^[52][53] While non-sanctioned third-party solutions exist, the iPhone does not officially support the OBEX file transfer protocol.^[63] The lack of these profiles prevents iPhone users from exchanging multimedia files, such as pictures, music and videos, with other bluetooth-enabled cell phones.

Composite^[64] or component^[65] video at up to 576i and stereo audio can be output from the dock connector using an adapter sold by Apple. iPhone 4 also supports 1024 × 768 VGA output^[66] without audio, and HDMI output,^[67] with stereo audio, via dock adapters. The iPhone did not support voice recording until the 3.0 software update.^[52][53]

Battery[link]

Replacing the battery requires disassembling the iPhone unit and exposing the internal hardware

The iPhone features an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Like an iPod, but unlike most other mobile phones, the battery is not user-replaceable.^[59][68] The iPhone can be charged when connected to a computer for syncing across the included USB to dock connector cable, similar to charging an iPod. Alternatively, a USB to AC adapter (or "wall charger," also included) can be connected to the cable to charge directly from an AC outlet. A number of third-party accessories (car chargers, portable chargers, battery cases, stereo dock chargers, and even solar chargers) are also available.^{[citation needed]}

Apple runs tests on preproduction units to determine battery life. Apple's website says that the battery life "is designed to retain up to 80 percent of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles",^[69] which is comparable to iPod batteries.

The battery life of early models of the iPhone has been criticized by several technology journalists as insufficient and less than Apple's claims.^{[70][71][72][73]} This is also reflected by a J. D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction survey, which gave the "battery aspects" of the iPhone 3G its lowest rating of 2 out of 5 stars.^[74][75]

If the battery malfunctions or dies prematurely, the phone can be returned to Apple and replaced for free while still under warranty.^[76] The warranty lasts one year from purchase and can be extended to two years with AppleCare. The battery replacement service and its pricing was not made known to buyers until the day the product was launched,^[77][78] it is similar to how Apple (and third parties) replace batteries for iPods. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer advocate group, has sent a complaint to Apple and AT&T over the fee that consumers have to pay to have the battery replaced.^[77]

Since July 2007, third-party battery replacement kits have been available^[79] at a much lower price than Apple's own battery replacement program. These kits often include a small screwdriver and an instruction leaflet, but as with many newer iPod models the battery in the original iPhone has been soldered in. Therefore a soldering iron is required to install the new battery. The iPhone 3G uses a different battery fitted with a connector that is easier to replace.^[80]

The iPhone 4 is the first generation to have two cameras. The LED flash for the rear-facing camera (top) and the forward-facing camera (bottom) are both unique to that model.

Camera[link]

The original iPhone and iPhone 3G feature a built-in fixed focus 2.0 megapixel camera located on the back for still digital photos. It has no optical zoom, flash or autofocus, and does not support video recording (iPhone 3G does support video recording via third-party App available on the App Store), however jailbreaking allows users to do so. Version 2.0 of iPhone OS introduced the capability to embed location data in the pictures, producing geocoded photographs.

The iPhone 3GS has a 3.2 megapixel camera, manufactured by OmniVision, featuring autofocus, auto white balance, and auto macro (up to 10 cm). It is also capable of capturing 640 × 480 (VGA resolution) video at 30 frames per second,^[81] although compared to higher-end CCD based video cameras it does exhibit the rolling shutter effect.^[82] The video can then be cropped on the device itself and directly uploaded to YouTube, MobileMe, or other services.

The iPhone 4 introduced a 5.0 megapixel camera (2592 × 1936 pixels), also located on the back, which is equipped with a backside illuminated sensor capable of capturing pictures in low-light conditions, as well as an LED flash capable of staying lit for video recording at 720p resolution, considered high-definition.^[83] iPhone 4 is the first iPhone that has the high dynamic range photography feature.^[84] In addition the iPhone 4 has a second camera on the front capable of VGA photos and SD video recording.

Regardless of the source, saved recordings may be synced to the host computer, attached to email, or (where supported) sent by MMS. Videos may be uploaded to YouTube directly.

The camera on the iPhone 4S is capable of shooting 8MP stills and recording 1080p videos. The camera can now be accessed directly from the lock screen, and the volume up button as a shutter trigger. The built-in gyroscope is able to stabilize the camera while recording video.

Beta code pulled from iOS 5 suggests that the next feature to be released will allow users to capture a panoramic photo on their iPhone.^[85]

On all five model generations, the phone can be configured to bring up the camera app by quickly pressing the home key twice.^[86] On all iPhones running iOS 5 it can also be accessed from the lock screen directly.

Storage and SIM[link]

An iPhone 3G with the SIM slot open. The SIM ejector tool is still placed in the eject hole.

The iPhone was initially released with two options for internal storage size: 4 GB or 8 GB. On September 5, 2007, Apple discontinued the 4 GB models.^[87] On February 5, 2008, Apple added a 16 GB model.^[88] The iPhone 3G was available in 16 GB and 8 GB. The iPhone 3GS came in 16 GB and 32 GB variants and still is available in 8 GB.

The iPhone 4 is available in 16 GB and 32 GB variants, as well as a newly introduced 8 GB variant to be sold along side the iPhone 4S at a reduced price point. The iPhone 4S is available in three sizes: 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. All data is stored on the internal flash drive; the iPhone does not support expanded storage through a memory card slot, or the SIM card.

GSM models of the iPhone use a SIM card to identify themselves to the GSM network. The SIM sits in a tray, which is inserted into a slot at the top of the device. The SIM tray can be ejected with a paperclip or the "SIM ejector tool" (a simple piece of die-cut sheet metal) included with the iPhone 3G and 3GS.^[89][90] Some iPhone models shipped with a SIM ejector tool which was fabricated from an alloy dubbed "Liquidmetal".^[91] In most countries, the iPhone is usually sold with a SIM lock, which prevents the iPhone from being used on a different mobile network.^[92]

The GSM iPhone 4 features a MicroSIM card that is located in a slot on the right side of the device.^[93]

The CDMA model of the iPhone, like all CDMA phones, does not use a SIM.

Liquid contact indicators[link]

The iPhone is equipped with liquid contact indicators which change from white to red in color when they come in contact with water. These suggest whether water damage has affected the device. The indicators on the iPhone include a small disc which is located at the bottom of the headphone jack and with the iPhone 3G and all later models an additional one is located at the bottom of the dock connector.^[94]

The indicators are often used by Apple employees to determine whether the device qualifies for a warranty repair or replacement. If the indicators show that the device was exposed to water, they may determine that the device is not covered by Apple. However, the liquid contact indicators may be triggered through routine use, and if a device is worn while exercising, the sweat from an owner may dampen the indicators enough to indicate water damage.^[95]

On many other mobile phones from different manufacturers, the liquid contact indicators are located in a protected location, such as beneath the battery behind a battery cover, but the indicators on an iPhone are directly exposed to the environment. This has led to criticism of the placement of the indicators, which may also be affected by steam in a bathroom or other light environmental moisture.^[96] In response to these criticisms, Apple made a silent change to their water damage policy for iPhones and similar products. This new policy allows the customer to request further internal inspection of the phone to verify if internal liquid damage sensors were triggered.^[97]

Included items[link]

The contents of the box of an iPhone 4. From left to right: iPhone 4 in plastic holder, written documentation, and (top to bottom) headset, USB cable, wall charger.

All iPhone models include written documentation, and a dock connector to USB cable. The original and 3G iPhones also came with a cleaning cloth. The original iPhone included stereo headset (earbuds and a microphone) and a plastic dock to hold the unit upright while charging and syncing. The iPhone 3G includes a similar headset plus a SIM eject tool (the original model requires a paperclip). The iPhone 3GS includes the SIM eject tool and a revised headset, which adds volume buttons (not functional with previous iPhone versions).^[62][98]

The iPhone 3G and 3GS are compatible with the same dock, sold separately, but not the original model's dock.^[99] All versions include a USB power adapter, or "wall charger," which allows the iPhone to charge from an AC outlet. The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS sold in North America, Japan, Colombia, Ecuador, or Peru^[100][101] include an ultracompact USB power adapter.

Model comparison[link]

This table highlights key differences between "generations" of the iPhone.

Software[link]

The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad run an operating system known as iOS (formerly iPhone OS). It is a variant of the same Darwin operating system core that is found in Mac OS X. Also included is the "Core Animation" software component from Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard. Together with the PowerVR hardware (and on the iPhone 3GS, OpenGL ES 2.0), it is responsible for the interface's motion graphics. The operating system takes up less than half a gigabyte.^[121]

It is capable of supporting bundled and future applications from Apple, as well as from third-party developers. Software applications cannot be copied directly from Mac OS X but must be written and compiled specifically for iOS.

Like the iPod, the iPhone is managed from a computer using iTunes. The earliest versions of the OS required version 7.3 or later, which is compatible with Mac OS X version 10.3.9 Panther or later, and 32-bit Windows XP or Vista.^[122] The release of iTunes 7.6 expanded this support to include 64-bit versions of XP and Vista,^[123] and a workaround has been discovered for previous 64-bit Windows operating systems.^[124]

Apple provides free updates to the OS for the iPhone through iTunes,^[121] and major updates have historically accompanied new models.^[125] Such updates often require a newer version of iTunes — for example, the 3.0 update requires iTunes 8.2 — but the iTunes system requirements have stayed the same. Updates include both security patches and new features.^[126] For example, iPhone 3G users initially experienced dropped calls until an update was issued.^[127][128]

Version 3.1 required iTunes 9.0, and iOS 4 required iTunes 9.2. iTunes 10.5, which is required to sync and activate iOS 5, the current version of iTunes, Requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or Leopard on G4 or G5 computers on 800 MHz or higher; versions 10.3 and 10.4 and 10.5–10.5.7 are no longer supported.

Interface[link]

The interface is based around the home screen, a graphical list of available applications. iPhone applications normally run one at a time (not including iOS 4 and iOS 5, which includes running applications in the background),^[129] although most functionality is still available when making a call or listening to music. The home screen can be accessed at any time by a hardware button below the screen, closing the open application in the process.^[130]

By default, the Home screen contains the following icons: Messages (SMS and MMS messaging), Calendar, Photos, Camera, YouTube, Stocks, Maps (Google Maps), Weather, Voice Memos, Notes, Clock, Calculator, Settings, iTunes (store), App Store, and (on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4) Compass. Docked at the base of the screen, four icons for Phone, Mail, Safari (Internet), and iPod (multimedia) delineate the iPhone's main purposes.^[131] On January 15, 2008, Apple released software update 1.1.3, allowing users to create "Web Clips", home screen icons that resemble apps that open a user-defined page in Safari. After the update, iPhone users can rearrange and place icons on up to nine other adjacent home screens, accessed by a horizontal swipe.^[54]

Users can also add and delete icons from the dock, which is the same on every home screen. Each home screen holds up to sixteen icons, and the dock holds up to four icons. Users can delete Web Clips and third-party applications at any time, and may select only certain applications for transfer from iTunes. Apple's default programs, however, may not be removed. The 3.0 update adds a system-wide search, known as Spotlight, to the left of the first home screen.^[52][53]

Almost all input is given through the touch screen, which understands complex gestures using multi-touch. The iPhone's interaction techniques enable the user to move the content up or down by a touch-drag motion of the finger. For example, zooming in and out of web pages and photos is done by placing two fingers on the screen and spreading them farther apart or bringing them closer together, a gesture known as "pinching".

Scrolling through a long list or menu is achieved by sliding a finger over the display from bottom to top, or vice versa to go back. In either case, the list moves as if it is pasted on the outer surface of a wheel, slowly decelerating as if affected by friction. In this way, the interface simulates the physics of a real object.

Other user-centered interactive effects include horizontally sliding sub-selection, the vertically sliding keyboard and bookmarks menu, and widgets that turn around to allow settings to be configured on the other side. Menu bars are found at the top and bottom of the screen when necessary. Their options vary by program, but always follow a consistent style motif. In menu hierarchies, a "back" button in the top-left corner of the screen displays the name of the parent folder.

Phone[link]

The iPhone allows audio conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions. For example, if music is playing when a call is received, the music fades out, and fades back in when the call has ended.

The proximity sensor shuts off the screen and touch-sensitive circuitry when the iPhone is brought close to the face, both to save battery and prevent unintentional touches. The iPhone does not support video calling or videoconferencing on versions prior to the fourth generation, as there is only one camera on the opposite side of the screen.^[132]

The iPhone 4 supports video calling using either the front or back camera over Wi-Fi, a feature Apple calls FaceTime.^[133] The first two models only support voice dialing through third-party applications.^[134] Voice control, available only on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, allows users to say a contact's name or number and the iPhone will dial.^[135]

The iPhone includes a visual voicemail (in some countries)^[136] feature allowing users to view a list of current voicemail messages on-screen without having to call into their voicemail. Unlike most other systems, messages can be listened to and deleted in a non-chronological order by choosing any message from an on-screen list.

A music ringtone feature was introduced in the United States on September 5, 2007. Users can create custom ringtones from songs purchased from the iTunes Store for a small additional fee. The ringtones can be 3 to 30 seconds long from any part of a song, can fade in and out, pause from half a second to five seconds when looped, or loop continuously. All customizing can be done in iTunes,^[137] or alternatively with Apple's GarageBand software 4.1.1 or later (available only on Mac OS X)^[138] or third-party tools.^[139]

Multimedia[link]

The layout of the music library is similar to that of an iPod or current Symbian S60 phones. The iPhone can sort its media library by songs, artists, albums, videos, playlists, genres, composers, podcasts, audiobooks, and compilations. Options are always presented alphabetically, except in playlists, which retain their order from iTunes. The iPhone uses a large font that allows users plenty of room to touch their selection.

Users can rotate their device horizontally to landscape mode to access Cover Flow. Like on iTunes, this feature shows the different album covers in a scroll-through photo library. Scrolling is achieved by swiping a finger across the screen. Alternatively, headset controls can be used to pause, play, skip, and repeat tracks. On the iPhone 3GS, the volume can be changed with the included Apple Earphones, and the Voice Control feature can be used to identify a track, play songs in a playlist or by a specific artist, or create a Genius playlist.^[135]

The iPhone supports gapless playback.^[140] Like the fifth-generation iPods introduced in 2005, the iPhone can play digital video, allowing users to watch TV shows and movies in widescreen. Double-tapping switches between widescreen and fullscreen video playback.

The iPhone allows users to purchase and download songs from the iTunes Store directly to their iPhone. The feature originally required a Wi-Fi network, but now^[when?] can use the cellular data network if one is not available.^[141]

The iPhone includes software that allows the user to upload, view, and email photos taken with the camera. The user zooms in and out of photos by sliding two fingers further apart or closer together, much like Safari. The Camera application also lets users view the camera roll, the pictures that have been taken with the iPhone's camera. Those pictures are also available in the Photos application, along with any transferred from iPhoto or Aperture on a Mac, or Photoshop on a Windows PC.

Internet connectivity[link]

Internet access is available when the iPhone is connected to a local area Wi-Fi or a wide area GSM or EDGE network, both second-generation (2G) wireless data standards. The iPhone 3G introduced support for third-generation UMTS and HSDPA 3.6,^[142] only the iPhone 4S supports HSUPA networks (14.4 Mbit/s), and only the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 support HSDPA 7.2.^[143]

AT&T introduced 3G in July 2004,^[144] but as late as 2007, Steve Jobs stated that it was still not widespread enough in the US, and the chipsets not energy efficient enough, to be included in the iPhone.^[45][145] Support for 802.1X, an authentication system commonly used by university and corporate Wi-Fi networks, was added in the 2.0 version update.^[146]

By default, the iPhone will ask to join newly discovered Wi-Fi networks and prompt for the password when required. Alternatively, it can join closed Wi-Fi networks manually.^[147] The iPhone will automatically choose the strongest network, connecting to Wi-Fi instead of EDGE when it is available.^[148] Similarly, the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 prefer 3G to 2G, and Wi-Fi to either.^[149]

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G (on the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S) can all be deactivated individually. Airplane mode disables all wireless connections at once, overriding other preferences. However, once in Airplane mode, one can explicitly enable Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth modes to join and continue to operate over one or both of those networks while the cellular network transceivers remain off.

The iPhone 3GS has a maximum download rate of 7.2 Mbit/s.^[150] Furthermore, email attachments as well as apps and media from Apple's various stores must be smaller than 20 MB to be downloaded over a cellular network.^[151] Larger files, often email attachments or podcasts, must be downloaded over Wi-Fi (which has no file size limits). If Wi-Fi is unavailable, one workaround is to open the files directly in Safari.^[152]

Safari is the iPhone's native web browser, and it displays pages similar to its Mac and Windows counterparts. Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and the device supports automatic zooming by pinching together or spreading apart fingertips on the screen, or by double-tapping text or images.^[153][154] It is worth mentioning that Safari doesn't allow file downloads except for predefined extensions. The iPhone supports neither Flash^[155] nor Java.^{[156][unreliable source?]}

Consequently, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority adjudicated that an advertisement claiming the iPhone could access "all parts of the internet" should be withdrawn in its current form, on grounds of false advertising.^[157] In a rare public letter in April 2010, Apple CEO Steve Jobs outlined the reasoning behind the absence of Flash on the iPhone (and iPad).^[158] The iPhone supports SVG, CSS, HTML Canvas, and Bonjour.^[159][160]

The maps application can access Google Maps in map, satellite, or hybrid form. It can also generate directions between two locations, while providing optional real-time traffic information. During the iPhone's announcement, Jobs demonstrated this feature by searching for nearby Starbucks locations and then placing a prank call to one with a single tap.^[7][161] Support for walking directions, public transit, and street view was added in the version 2.2 software update, but no voice-guided navigation.^[162]

The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 can orient the map with its digital compass.^[56] Apple also developed a separate application to view YouTube videos on the iPhone, which streams videos after encoding them using the H.264 codec. Simple weather and stock quotes applications also tap in to the Internet.

iPhone users can and do access the Internet frequently, and in a variety of places. According to Google, in 2008, the iPhone generated 50 times more search requests than any other mobile handset.^[163] According to Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann, "The average Internet usage for an iPhone customer is more than 100 megabytes. This is 30 times the use for our average contract-based consumer customers."^[164] Nielsen found that 98% of iPhone users use data services, and 88% use the internet.^[20] In China, the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS were built and distributed without Wi-fi.^[165]

With the introduction of the Verizon iPhone in January 2011, the issue of using internet while on the phone has been brought to the public's attention. Under the two US carriers, internet and phone could be used simultaneously on AT&T networks, whereas the Verizon networks only support for the use of each separately.^[166]

Text input[link]

For text input, the iPhone implements a virtual keyboard on the touchscreen. It has automatic spell checking and correction, predictive word capabilities, and a dynamic dictionary that learns new words. The keyboard can predict what word the user is typing and complete it, and correct for the accidental pressing of keys near the presumed desired key.^[167]

The keys are somewhat larger and spaced farther apart when in landscape mode, which is supported by only a limited number of applications. Touching a section of text for a brief time brings up a magnifying glass, allowing users to place the cursor in the middle of existing text. The virtual keyboard can accommodate 21 languages, including character recognition for Chinese.^[168]

Alternate characters with accents can be typed from the keyboard by pressing the letter for 2 seconds and selecting the alternate character from the popup.^[169] The 3.0 update brought support for cut, copy, or pasting text, as well as landscape keyboards in more applications.^[52][53] On iPhone 4S, Siri allows dictation.

Email and text messages[link]

The iPhone also features an email program that supports HTML email, which enables the user to embed photos in an email message. PDF, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint attachments to mail messages can be viewed on the phone.^[115] Apple's MobileMe platform offers push email, which emulates the functionality of the popular BlackBerry email solution, for an annual subscription. Yahoo! offers a free push-email service for the iPhone. IMAP (although not Push-IMAP) and POP3 mail standards are also supported, including Microsoft Exchange^[170] and Kerio Connect.^[171]

In the first versions of the iPhone firmware, this was accomplished by opening up IMAP on the Exchange server. Apple has also licensed Microsoft ActiveSync and now^[when?] supports the platform (including push email) with the release of iPhone 2.0 firmware.^[172][173] The iPhone will sync email account settings over from Apple's own Mail application, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Entourage, or it can be manually configured on the device itself. With the correct settings, the email program can access almost any IMAP or POP3 account.^[174]

Text messages are presented chronologically in a mailbox format similar to Mail, which places all text from recipients together with replies. Text messages are displayed in speech bubbles (similar to iChat) under each recipient's name. The iPhone has built-in support for emailmessage forwarding, drafts, and direct internal camera-to-email picture sending. Support for multi-recipient SMS was added in the 1.1.3 software update.^[175] Support for MMS was added in the 3.0 update, but not for the original iPhone^[52][53] and not in the U.S. until September 25, 2009.^[176][177]

Third-party applications[link]

See also: iOS SDK and App Store

At WWDC 2007 on June 11, 2007, Apple announced that the iPhone would support third-party "web applications" written in Ajax that share the look and feel of the iPhone interface.^[178] On October 17, 2007, Steve Jobs, in an open letter posted to Apple's "Hot News" weblog, announced that a software development kit (SDK) would be made available to third-party developers in February 2008. The iPhone SDK was officially announced and released on March 6, 2008, at the Apple Town Hall facility.^[179]

It is a free download, with an Apple registration, that allows developers to develop native applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, then test them in an "iPhone simulator". However, loading an application onto a real device is only possible after paying an Apple Developer Connection membership fee. Developers are free to set any price for their applications to be distributed through the App Store, of which they will receive a 70% share.^[180]

Developers can also opt to release the application for free and will not pay any costs to release or distribute the application beyond the membership fee. The App Store was launched with the release of iOS 2.0, on July 11, 2008.^[173] The update was free for iPhone users; owners of older iPod Touches were required to pay US$10 for it.^[181]

Once a developer has submitted an application to the App Store, Apple holds firm control over its distribution. Apple can halt the distribution of applications it deems inappropriate, for example, I Am Rich, a US$1000 program that simply demonstrated the wealth of its user.^[182] Apple has been criticized for banning third-party applications that enable a functionality that Apple does not want the iPhone to have: In 2008, Apple rejected Podcaster, which allowed iPhone users to download podcasts directly to the iPhone claiming it duplicated the functionality of iTunes.^[183] Apple has since released a software update that grants this capability.^[162]

NetShare, another rejected app, would have enabled users to tether their iPhone to a laptop or desktop, using its cellular network to load data for the computer.^[184] Many carriers of the iPhone later globally allowed tethering before Apple officially supported it with the upgrade to the iOS 3.0, with AT&T Mobility being a relative latecomer in the United States.^[185] In most cases, the carrier charges extra for tethering an iPhone.

Before the SDK was released, third-parties were permitted to design "Web Apps" that would run through Safari.^[186] Unsigned native applications are also available for "jailbroken" phones.^[187] The ability to install native applications onto the iPhone outside of the App Store is not supported by Apple, the stated reason being that such native applications could be broken by any software update, but Apple has stated it will not design software updates specifically to break native applications other than those that perform SIM unlocking.^[188]

As of January 2011^[update], Apple has passed 10 billion app downloads.^[189]

Accessibility[link]

The iPhone can enlarge text to make it more accessible for vision-impaired users,^[190] and can accommodate hearing-impaired users with closed captioning and external TTY devices.^[191] The iPhone 3GS also features white on black mode, VoiceOver (a screen reader), and zooming for impaired vision, and mono audio for limited hearing in one ear.^[192] Apple regularly publishes Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates which explicitly state compliance with the US regulation "Section 508".^[193]

Vulnerability[link]

In 2007, 2010, and 2011, developers released a series of tools called JailbreakMe that used security vulnerabilities in Mobile Safari rendering in order to jailbreak the device (which allows users to install any compatible software on the device instead of only App Store apps).^{[194][195][196]} These exploits were each soon fixed by iOS updates from Apple. Theoretically these flaws could have also been used for malicious purposes.^[197]

In July 2011, Apple released iOS 4.3.5 (4.2.10 for CDMA iPhone) to fix a security vulnerability with certificate validation.

Intellectual property[link]

Apple has filed more than 200 patent applications related to the technology behind the iPhone.^[198][199]

LG Electronics claimed the design of the iPhone was copied from the LG Prada. Woo-Young Kwak, head of LG Mobile Handset R&D Center, said at a press conference: "we consider that Apple copied Prada phone after the design was unveiled when it was presented in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006."^[200]

On September 3, 1993, Infogear filed for the U.S. trademark "I PHONE"^[201] and on March 20, 1996, applied for the trademark "IPhone".^[202] "I Phone" was registered in March 1998,^[201] and "IPhone" was registered in 1999.^[202] Since then, the I PHONE mark had been abandoned.^[201] Infogear trademarks cover "communications terminals comprising computer hardware and software providing integrated telephone, data communications and personal computer functions" (1993 filing),^[201] and "computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks" (1996 filing).^[203]

Infogear released a telephone with an integrated web browser under the name iPhone in 1998.^[204] In 2000, Infogear won an infringement claim against the owners of the iphones.com domain name.^[205] In June 2000, Cisco Systems acquired Infogear, including the iPhone trademark.^[206] On December 18, 2006, they released a range of re-branded Voice over IP (VoIP) sets under the name iPhone.^[207]

In October 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and the European Union. A Canadian application followed in October 2004, and a New Zealand application in September 2006. As of October 2006^[update], only the Singapore and Australian applications had been granted. In September 2006, a company called Ocean Telecom Services applied for an "iPhone" trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and Hong Kong, following a filing in Trinidad and Tobago.^[208]

As the Ocean Telecom trademark applications use exactly the same wording as the New Zealand application of Apple, it is assumed that Ocean Telecom is applying on behalf of Apple.^[209] The Canadian application was opposed in August 2005, by a Canadian company called Comwave who themselves applied for the trademark three months later. Comwave has been selling VoIP devices called iPhone since 2004.^[206]

Shortly after Steve Jobs' January 9, 2007, announcement that Apple would be selling a product called iPhone in June 2007, Cisco issued a statement that it had been negotiating trademark licensing with Apple and expected Apple to agree to the final documents that had been submitted the night before.^[210] On January 10, 2007, Cisco announced it had filed a lawsuit against Apple over the infringement of the trademark iPhone, seeking an injunction in federal court to prohibit Apple from using the name.^[211] More recently,^[when?] Cisco claimed that the trademark lawsuit was a "minor skirmish" that was not about money, but about interoperability.^[212]