[falconeye]

The new iPhone has a bigger sensor for the main camera. It's backlit and has bigger lenses too. Instead of having a higher resolution, however, the sensor maintains the same 5 megapixel count. They are bigger dots, however, so it has a higher ISO—or sensitivity to light. That means that you would be able to take better photos and video in low light conditions, and your pictures will look a lot better.

[gizmodo.com]

The sensor was said to be back-illuminated so probably is a Sony Exmor R type sensor. Job's said it's all about capturing photons. Sweet he has some understanding for camera technology and makes bigger rather than more pixels.

With a better lens and 720p 30fps HD video may be a serious P&S replacement now. It even auto focusses during video

I'm curious to see the exact specs and sample shots.


EDIT:
In post #9 below, I compile the following:
lens: 3.85mm f/2.8. crop factor: 7.64.

---

Last edited by falconeye; 06-08-2010 at 02:51 PM.

[falconeye]

I'm curious to see the exact specs and sample shots.

Exact specs still unknown. But out of camera sample shots are here:

Apple - iPhone 4 - Learn about the 5-megapixel camera with LED flash

e.g.,

original image link

[pingflood]

Cool. Camera phones are pretty impressive these days. Need to get a new phone and have been looking at the options; looks like you can actually make an acceptable 8x10 print from some of them...

[Unsinkable II]

Hopefully it's responsive.

The camera in my Sony Xperia X10 is soooo s-l-o-w. It's barely worth bothering with it.

[falconeye]

Hopefully it's responsive.

I find my iPhone 3G's camera responsive enough. Not like my Pentax, of course but usable. Moreover, animals don't run away if they see the large lens ...

E.g., this is neighbor's cat, a shot I would never get with my Pentax. My best SLR shots of her are 300mm ...

[Kai]

I certainly agree that having a phone with a good camera is convenient. The better they are make larger DSLR a bit more nelected for the day to day use. It is no replacement, of course. I am considering upgrading from iPhone 3g as well.

[aerodave]

It's features like this greatly improved camera that are making me break down and consider renewing an AT&T contract. I was all ready to jump carriers and get an Android phone, but since seeing the new iPhone yesterday, I'm ready to sell my soul again the way I did for an iPhone 3G two years ago.

*sigh* Resitance truly is futile...

[falconeye]

It's features like this greatly improved camera that are making me break down and consider renewing an AT&T contract.

It really is a pitty that in the US, the iPhone is bundled with such an obviously bad carrier.

I am probably lucky with T-Mobile being the carrier here in Germany. Really great service, almost flawless. Not the cheapest you can get but not more expensive than AT&T in the US.

Nevertheless, there really IS an alternative: For legal reasons, the iPhone is sold without a SIM-lock for any carrier in many EU countries, such like Italy. Buy your iPhone in any such country and use whatever US carrier you like. You may loose Visual Voicemail but that's it. And multiplied by 24, prices may be comparable in the end.

UPDATE: I just found this quotation of today from Siegel, AT&T:

Siegel: Yes, the phones are available without a contract and without a subsidy. The 16GB iPhone will cost $599 and the 32GB iPhone is $699.

So, seems like in the US too, you can finally buy at unsubsidized price and use whatever carrier you like ...

[falconeye]

I'm curious to see the exact specs and sample shots.

I think I saw more of the specs now ...

The pixels are 1.75µm (according to Job's presentation).

With 2592x1936 px (5.0 MP, 4.02:3) this makes a 4.54 x 3.39 mm^2 chip (5.67 mm diagonal) which corresponds to a

35mm crop factor of 7.64

In a P&S, this would be called a 1/3.2" sensor and P&S sensors range between 1/3.8" and 1/1.5" (crop factors between 8.6 and 3.9). So, it is an imaging sensor at the lower end of the P&S range, but it is in the P&S range and with a reasonable number of pixels and a back-illuminated sensor like the Sony Exmor R sensor.

Unfortunately, the sample images, claimed "unretouched", have been saved from Photoshop and have no EXIFs. So, I don't know yet the lens' focal length and aperture


UPDATE:
Gizmodo.de published EXIFs for the "Golden Gate Bridge behind Portrait" sample:

Aperture: 2.97
Color space: Uncalibrated
Date and time: 2010/05/07 15:14
Exposure: Auto exposure
Exposure time: 1/887
Flash: Flash did not fire, auto mode
FNumber: 2.8
Focal length: 3.85
ISO speed rating: 80
Metering mode: Spot
Sharpness: Hard
White balance: Auto

So, the lens is a 3.85mm f/2.8 lens which corresponds to a 35mm

equivalent lens of 30mm f/22

(29.4mm f/21.4 exactly).

The diffraction limit is at 1.88µm for a line pair (0.94µm for a pixel or 54% of pixel width). This is ok. But one really shouldn't stop down beyond f/4 Seems to be f/3 fixed aperture anyway


Will be interesting to compare DA21 images at f/16 scaled down to 5MP and iPhone 4 images

[Kai]

It really is a pitty that in the US, the iPhone is bundled with such an obviously bad carrier.

I am probably lucky with T-Mobile being the carrier here in Germany. Really great service, almost flawless. Not the cheapest you can get but not more expensive than AT&T in the US.

Nevertheless, there really IS an alternative: For legal reasons, the iPhone is sold without a SIM-lock for any carrier in many EU countries, such like Italy. Buy your iPhone in any such country and use whatever US carrier you like. You may loose Visual Voicemail but that's it. And multiplied by 24, prices may be comparable in the end.

UPDATE: I just found this quotation of today from Siegel, AT&T:

So, seems like in the US too, you can finally buy at unsubsidized price and use whatever carrier you like ...

Yes, you can buy one but you're at the mercy of the dev-team to hack the unlock program. AT&T and Apple have the exclusive deal so they don't care to make any unlock code available to their customers! I called AT&T and they blamed Apple and you guessed it, Apple blamed At&t. The apple tech told me to "Google this unlock program" myself on my 3g. At least they can say they won't give it out due to the exclusivity instead of giving their customer a run-around.

[falconeye]

Yes, you can buy one but you're at the mercy of the dev-team to hack the unlock program. AT&T and Apple have the exclusive deal so they don't care to make any unlock code available to their customers! I called AT&T and they blamed Apple and you guessed it, Apple blamed At&t.

Ah, finally something I can contribute insight

What you talk about is jailbreaking and simlock hacking. I talked about iPhones being officially free of any SIM lock. The one has nothing to do with the other!

FIRST, there is NO unlock program or unlock code involved. Apple runs a central database of iPhones having a SIM lock or not.

SECOND, if you buy an unlocked iPhone, it simply is registered as being a free one and you can use it with whatever carrier, in whatever country and never have to worry about hacking it.

THIRD (at least in Germany and with T-Mobile), after two years of subsidized contract you can apply for a removal of the SIM lock on your iPhone. T-Mobile will then tell Apple and they will update their unlock database. And the next time you sync with iTunes it will unlock your iPhone the same way which iPhones bought unlocked are. The entire process takes a couple of days. There is no unlock code like with other phones.

FOURTH, more and more officially unlocked iPhones (2G and 3G) emerge on ebay 'cause of this. Everybody here in Germany asks for official unlocking before selling it as otherwise, resale value is lower. The new owner can ask for unlocking too but the original owner would have to agree during the process. So, better buy an unlocked one in the first place.

FIFTH, the statements by AT&T's Siegel mean that you can buy (in the US) an iPhone 4 which is officially free of any SIM lock and w/o a contract, for $599 / $699 which is exactly $400 more than a subsidized phone. Or $16.67 more per month.

SIXTH, so, find whatever carrier and plan suits your needs, add $17 and decide for yourself if it is a better deal. No need to be with AT&T.

SEVENTH, maybe, Europe has researched this due to the scattered legal situation in its dozens of countries. And now the US just has to be taught about its new iPhone freedom?

Here is a bit more about this for the 3GS: Apple begins selling unlocked iPhone 3GS | The Loop
It's a bit confusing. Reminds me of the early days when free iPhones started selling in the EU

[Kai]

Yes, I am quite certain you have contributed a lot around here. I am just very glad to be chatting with you. (I read your beta testing back then prior to my purchase!)

Yes, I understand the goodness of having the official unlock in the EU. In the USA, we were able to buy an iPhone without a contract on and off since the first generation. The phone has always been locked to At&t. You would pay the full price of the phone like $499 and $599. There has never been an official unlock from Apple or At&t. It does not seem like it would ever happen. Official unlock will definitely be the preffered one just like in the EU.

However, the link you provided has a few updates that states "(Updated: Not unlocked)." In addition, "Siegel: Yes, the phones are available without a contract and without a subsidy." would imply that it is the full price of the phone without a contract. I don't interpret it as having subsidy unlocked.

Again, I am very bad in English so I hope that it will be unlocked at full price without a contract. It would be ground breaking if it this year is the first. If this is the case, tourists will definitely come here and buy them in a boat load to sell else where since they don't get released at the same time or in coutries that don't have them at all. When will it be availble in the EU?

[Mortus]

I found this on the AT&T site and I am affraid it will be the same story with iPhone 4

Question:
What is the unlock code for my iPhone?
How do I unlock my iPhone?
What is the subsidy unlock code for my iPhone?
What is the subsidy password for my iPhone?
Answer:
iPhone cannot be unlocked, even if you are out of contract. If you are traveling internationally, iPhone is a quad-band phone and will work in many countries across the globe. Stay connected while traveling to over 215 countries, plus get discounted rates in over 80 of those countries when you sign up for AT&T World Traveler

[falconeye]

I found this on the AT&T site and I am affraid it will be the same story with iPhone 4

Well, if this is true then you can always buy a Simlock-free iPhone from Europe. BTW, if true, AT&T's business practice would be illegal in the EU.

But AT&T says:
Demystifying AT&T's iPhone upgrade policies (FAQ) | Signal Strength - CNET News

Is it possible to buy the new iPhone 4 from Apple at full price and not sign up for a data plan?
No, that's not possible. All iPhones purchased from AT&T or Apple in the U.S. must be activated with a data plan. But subscribers can pay full price for the phone and not be tied to a contract. They can simply pay for their service month to month. And they are free to cancel the service at any time if they have paid full price for the phone.

So, just buy your iPhone 4 from AT&T with a prepaid card ("the data plan") and let it expire. Once an iPhone is registered as Simlock-free, it'll stay so

[falconeye]

When will it be availble in the EU?

Same day
(in its three core countries UK, F, D).

As for official vs. unofficial unlock ... still seems to be a gray zone indeed. Maybe, the US legislation allows to lock somebody's property to a carrier even without a contract. I didn't consider this exotic possibility

Locking an unsubsidized phone to a carrier rather than the owner is considered theft in the EU. Where are all your US lawyers if you need them?