KOMPAS.com - Apple has tonight unveiled the fourth generation of its iPhone which is thinner, more powerful and lighter than any of its previous incarnations.
The firm's boss Steve Jobs took to the stage at the Apple developer's conference in San Francisco tonight to officially unveil the worst-kept secret in technology - the iPhone 4.
Coated in glass front and back, the iPhone 4 has a high definition screen and will give new life to a handset that has achieved 50million sales in three years despite its high cost.
Jobs said the new-look device was the 'biggest leap' it had taken since the launch of the first iPhone.
'This is one of the most beautiful designs you've ever seen,' said Jobs. 'This is beyond a doubt one of the most precise and beautiful things we've ever made.'
The fourth generation iPhone will allow users to multi-task, operating a series of applications at the same time, which is something rival devices already have.
It also has a powerful 5 mega-pixel camera with built-in LED flash and is able to record high definition video.
And it has a front-facing video camera whixh enables users to video-conference for the first time on an iPhone. This feature will be know as FaceTime, said Jobs.
Jobs also announced that the new iPhone's resolution is far superior to any other smartphone screen currently available.
Unveiling the gadget's so-called 'retinal display' of 326 pixels per inch (ppi) Jobs said this was better than the magic number of of 300 ppi.
Above 300 pixels per inch the naked eye is unable to differentiate between digital screens or a printed book. The technology will be crucial if Apple hopes to dominate the eBook market.
iPhone 4 also has a much longer battery life, overcoming complaints that earlier versions burn through the power supply too quickly.
Other extras include a gyroscope which, when coupled with the existing accelerometer and compass, gives it six axis motion sensing.
And in a warning to Google, Jobs also announced that Microsoft's Bing and Yahoo will both now come as search options on the iPhone as well.
Jobs also announced the introduction of iBooks for the iPhone which will synch across all Apple devices including the iPad and the iPod Touch.
Another innovation is the introduction of iAds, specially designed adverts that will tie in with apps.
iPhone users will also be able to play hugely popular social media game Farmville, which is played by 35million people worldwide via Facebook.
The developers have written a version of the game which does not require Adobe's Flash, which Apple refuses to carry.
Apple faces a major challenge to its dominance from a raft of new smart phones from rival manufacturers that are powered by the Android software system developed by Google.
Historically, Apple has thrown up a wall of steel around its new products, keeping all details secret until the official announcement. However, that has failed on this occasion.
An Apple executive apparently left a disguised example of the latest iPhone in a bar in Redwood City, California, where it was found and passed on to the gadget website Gizmodo.
Gizmodo said the new design is sleeker, flatter and squarer than the iPhone 3GS that it will replace.
Apple's fury at the website's decision to publicise its findings has seen its staff banned from the San Francisco event.
The arrival of the new iPhone is expected to lead to Apple discontinuing supply of the original 3G version, while the price of the 3GS is expected to come down.
Currently, the UK's biggest mobile network, Orange, offers a 16GB iPhone 3GS for £189 for those who take out a £25 a month contract for two years. That is a total cost comes to £789.
The same phone can be bought for £450 for those who want a pay as you go deal.
Analyst at technology research firm Gartner, Carolina Milanesi, said: 'The iPhone 4.0 will keep it (Apple) ahead of the game.
'Is it as easy as last year to stay ahead? No. I think Android has made huge progress.'
Rodman & Renshaw analyst, Ashok Kumar, said: 'Android is the only real contender to the throne.'
He said other rival smartphone manufacturers including Nokia, the BlackBerry company RIM and Microsoft are struggling to land a blow on the iPhone.
Samsung has just released two new premium smartphones powered by the Android system, the ‘Wave’ and the ‘Galaxy S’.
Like the latest iPhone, The Wave, has what it calls a hyper definition screen giving superb image quality.
Samsung claims the technology built into The Wave provides superfast download speed and the quickest access to the internet over WiFi to date.
Historically, Apple has scored because of the tens of thousands of applications - Apps - available from its download store, including iTunes, games, maps, videos and many more. However, the Android Apps store is beginning to catch up.
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