Photo: K2025 / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
iPhone 4
A glass-and-steel redesign with the first Retina display.
Overview
The iPhone 4 was a complete redesign. The rounded plastic body gave way to a flat frame of stainless steel sandwiched between two panes of glass, and the steel band doubled as the phone's antenna system. At 9.3 mm it was far thinner than the model it replaced.
The Retina display packed four times as many pixels into the same 3.5-inch panel, reaching 326 pixels per inch with an IPS panel. Apple's own A4 chip drove it, and a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash could record 720p HD video. A front camera enabled FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi, and a gyroscope joined the accelerometer for better motion games.
The launch was marred by the so-called antennagate controversy, in which holding the phone a certain way could weaken the signal. Apple held a press conference and offered free cases, and sales stayed strong regardless.
Why it mattered
It set the template for the modern iPhone with the Retina display, front camera and Apple-designed silicon.
At a glance
- Announced
- June 7, 2010
- Released
- June 24, 2010
- Discontinued
- September 10, 2013
- Launch price
- $199
- Chip
- Apple A4, 1 GHz
- Display
- 3.5"
- Storage
- 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- First Retina display at 326 ppi
- Apple A4 chip
- FaceTime front camera
- Stainless steel antenna band
- 5MP camera with 720p video
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 3.5-inch
- Type
- Retina IPS LCD
- Resolution
- 960 x 640 pixels (326 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Contrast ratio
- 800:1
Chip
- Chip
- Apple A4, 1 GHz
- GPU
- PowerVR SGX535
Memory
- RAM
- 512MB
- Storage options
- 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Camera
- Rear cameras
- 5MP with LED flash
- Front camera
- VGA (0.3MP) for FaceTime
- Video recording
- 720p HD at 30 fps
Battery
- Video playback
- Up to 10 hours
- Charging
- Via 30-pin dock connector
- Talk time
- Up to 7 hours on 3G
Connectivity
- Cellular
- UMTS/HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.8 Mbps, GSM / EDGE
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
- Connector
- 30-pin dock connector
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- SIM
- Micro-SIM
Design
- Dimensions
- 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm
- Weight
- 137 g
- Materials
- Stainless steel frame, aluminosilicate glass front and back
- Water resistance
- None
Security
- Authentication
- Passcode (optional); hardware data encryption
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 4
- Final OS
- iOS 7.1.2
Sensors
- Sensors
- Three-axis gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity, ambient light, compass
