Leanna and Chad go hands-on — and faces on! — with iPhone 4 FaceTime video calling

One of the big game-changers of the iPhone 4 is FaceTime, Apple’s version of video-calling. Chad and I were very excited to try it out and recorded our experience.

The first thing we noticed is that the quality of the video is extremely good – better than either of us was expecting. There was no lag or pixelation.

A fun discovery we made is that the small window of yourself can be moved to any corner you wish. A quick flick toward the corner you desire to be in is all you need to do.

We also tested out the audio with our headsets in and we both agreed that the quality was much crisper. This is probably because the headset mic is picking up the audio instead of the iPhone’s mic which we’re holding a couple feet away from our mouths.

Another thing we discovered is that you can press the home screen during a FaceTime call and use any other apps on the iPhone. However, this will pause the video for the other person and only audio will be heard. You can easily return to the FaceTime call by tapping the green bar that appears at the top of the screen, similar to browsing other apps when on a voice call.

In conclusion, Chad and I are very impressed with FaceTime on the iPhone and we can’t wait to use it as a method to speak to our Canadian TiPb-ers, Rene and Georgia!

Check out the video of us testing out FaceTime after the break!

iPhone 4 features: FaceTime hands-on is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

TiPb and the folks from Ringtone Expressions have teamed up to bring you yet another chance to win a shiny new iPhone 4. Sure, we just gave away not one, but TWO iPhone 4 devices just yesterday, but we loved doing it so much we simply had to do it again. Immediately.

Here’s the deal — Ringtone Expressions wants you to create ringtones for those special someone(s) in your life and doing so could win you the grand prize of an iPhone 4. 3 runners-up will receive a $50 store.tipb.com gift certificate as well. Head over to the full contest page for all the details. You can enter now and the contest ends June 28 at 7pm ET.

Full rules and Ringtone Expressions download link are available at ringtoneexpressions.com.

Good luck!

Win an iPhone 4 and more from Ringtone Expressions and TiPb! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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The iPhone 4 was officially launched today and after picking mine up, I was eager to test out the new cameras. The rear camera is 5 megapixels and features 5x digital zoom and 16:9, 720p HD video recording. It also has a built-in LED flash that can be used for photos or video. The front-facing camera is VGA quality and can be used for both 1.4 megapixel stills and 360p video as well.

So how do the iPhone 4 cameras perform? Find out after the break!

Photos

Photos taken with the rear camera are beautiful. They are very crisp and the iPhone 4 does an excellent job with exposure and focus. As with the 3GS, I am extremely impressed with the macro ability of the lens. Here’s a few pictures I took with the 5 megapixel camera.

The quality of the VGA front-facing camera also impressed me. The photos are, as expected, not as good as those taken with the 5 megapixel camera, but they are still very nice. This self-portrait was taken with the front-facing VGA-quality camera:

The LED flash is much better than expected. I have not been able to test it while recording video because it’s still daylight, but photos taken with the flash look great. Here’s a sample of a photo taken with and without flash.

I will admit to being a skeptic about the 5x digital zoom. Optical zoom is so superior to digital zoom that I expected it to look horrible. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that software behind the digital zoom does a great job with the photos. Clearly, they are not as good as they would be without the the zoom, but not too bad. Here’s a series of photos I took in increments of 1/4 of the full 5x digital zoom.

Video

HD video recording on the iPhone 4 is a dream come true. The ability to record 720p video with my iPhone feels like such a luxury. The video comes out crisp and beautiful and is so easy to edit with iMovie directly on the device. My only complaint is that the tap to focus feature can be a bit touchy (pun intended!). When standing still while recording, tap to focus works wonderfully. However, if you’ve walked around for a bit and then decided to tap to focus, the iPhone sometimes struggles to grab a good focus. I demonstrate this in the the video below.

The VGA-quality front-facing camera also captures video, and although it’s not HD, the quality is still pretty good.

Here’s a video I put together with iMovie for iPhone with video and photo samples. What do you think? If you’ve put your iPhone 4’s video recording to the test, we want to know your experience and thoughts as well. Sound off in the comments below!

iPhone 4 features: Hands-on with 5 megapixel, front-facing, and 720p video camera is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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So you have your shiny new iPhone 4 and are wondering how sturdy the Gorilla Glass really is? Well, the people at iFixYouri have done yet another test and this time with a real, functioning iPhone 4 — and they’ve captured it on video.

WIth a sunny Florida backdrop, they held the iPhone 4 at about 3 ft from the ground and dropped it at an angle. They choose to drop the iPhone 4 on concrete — which is probably one of the rougher surfaces — but did choose a spot that was devoid of pebbles and debris.

On the first drop, the iPhone 4 still functioned normally and only had some slight scratches on it. On the second drop, the iPhone 4 was more scratched and no longer turned on (which may be a greater cause for concern than the glass breaking or chipping). The third drop gave the phone a chip on the edge. It was on the fourth drop that the iPhone 4 screen completely cracked.

Depending on your point of view, this may show great durability or perhaps shockingly weak performance. I was quite saddened by the lack of durability and scratch-resistance. I would have at least expected the iPhone 4’s Gorilla Glass to endure a good 10 drops at 3 feet without shattering. What do you think?

Video after the break. (Warning: Extreme iPhone brutality. May be extremely painful for those who do not yet have the iPhone 4 — like me.)

[Via iFixyouri]

iPhone 4 drop test is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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You didn’t really think we’d let you get through a day without setting the iPhone 4 down next to the iPhone 3GS, did you?

The verdict? Well obviously we prefer the iPhone 4, but we will say that the lack of a curved back has us flipping the device around quite a bit post-pocket-pull. But the iPhone 4 is thinner, feels nicer to our hands, and… well there are a lot of “ands,” the last of which is …and you’ll have to wait for our full review for our full opinion.

Ok, we’ll let one thing out now: while you may have pooh-poohed the Retina display from what you’ve seen before, when it comes to viewing text there’s just plain nothing else like it out there. We’ve included a detail shot of the Retina Display up against the iPhone 3GS’s display after the break (along with the rest of the gallery) and we’re pretty sure it’ll put most arguments to rest. Yes, it’s not necessary to read web pages or ebooks, but seeing electronic text at this level of refinement changes you, deep down, and suddenly all other electronic text looks like amateur-hour.

iPhone 4 vs iPhone 3GS in Pictures is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Pictures of iPhone 4 and Test Photos / Video

So truth: we spent way too much time taking these shots of the iPhone 4. But the device, she is pretty; and glossy, so it took awhile. Truthfully, though, don’t blame us or our camera’s adoring eye, we just couldn’t help ourselves.

We also too a trip to the park to bring you some sample images from the iPhone 4’s 5 megapixel camera and shot some video from both the front and the back – with a loud fountain in the background to see how the microphone could handle it.

We include all of the above after the break. You’re definitely going to want to take a look at the (completely unedited) shots of a water fountain we took. We’re including an extra close-up crop so you can see the level of detail the camera can pull off.

iPhone 4 gallery is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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TiPb unboxes iPhone 4, gets some FaceTime

We had to unbox the iPhone 4 for you all even though it’s moved beyond “exciting tech blog event” to “necessary ritual.” We left the burning incense out, though, and replaced it with some quick comparisons to the EVO 4G and the Nexus One. Toss in a quick FaceTime video chat and feature discussion and a quick look at the Bumper accessory and you’re looking at an unboxing extravaganza.

We’ll be bringing you more iPhone 4 impressions, pictures, videos, and thoughts from the entire TiPb team for the rest of the day, week, and – heck – year. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, video after the break!

iPhone 4 unboxing with FaceTime, Bumper is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Pre-order iPhone 4 cases, chargers, and other accessories and save 10%

The TiPb iPhone 4 Accessory Store is launching alongside the iPhone 4 itself, and we’re adding new iPhone 4 cases, iPhone 4 chargers and cables, and other accessories every day. Want to skip the lines and pre-order? Use coupon code iphone4 and save 10% on your order as well.

Keep that new iPhone 4 protected and powered, and save some cash — pre-order now!

Pre-order iPhone 4 cases, chargers, and other accessories and save 10% is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Today's top 5 is directed towards iPhone 4 users who want to take full advantage of their new hardware and software. From shooting zombies, to finding your way around town, to keeping yourself entertained on the go, iPhone 4 really does have plenty of apps for all of that. Just like our other top 5 must-have iPhone app posts, all of these applications are available in the App Store. For the full run down, follow us after the break!

Twitter for iPhone

What would this top 5 list be without a great social networking application, so of course our top honor would have to go to Twitter for iPhone [Free - iTunes Link]. Discover what's happening right now in the Twitter universe from all over the world with this application. With a killer UI you get all of the top notch features such as realtime search, top tweets, trending topics and maps. Tweet, send DMs, share photos, videos and links to your friends and the rest of us. And it’s now multitasking friendly.

Alternatives: Facebook for your friends, [iTunes Link - Free], LinkedIn for your colleagues [iTunes link - Free].

Angry Birds

Angry Birds [iTunes Line - $.99 - Free version] is currently the number one paid application in the whole App Store and deservingly so. Angry Birds features hours of gameplay, challenging physics-based castle demolition, and a lot of replay value. Each of the 120 levels requires logic, skill, and some enemy destruction. If you like physics-based games and puzzles do yourself a favor and spend the $.99.

Alternatives: If sending birds through the air to destroy things is not your cup of tea then by all means try Farmville [iTunes Link - Free], Flight Control [iTunes link - $0.99], or Plants vs Zombies [iTunes link - $2.99].

Pandora Radio

If you are a avid Pandora user than look no further than the official Pandora Radio application for iPhone [iTunes Link - Free]. The latest update takes full advantage of iOS 4 with the ability to stream music in the background while using your iPhone 4. Simply create a free account if you do not have one already and log in. In no time you’ll be streaming your existing stations or ones you create on your own.

Alternatives: Slacker Radio offers service in the US and Canada [iTunes link - free]. Anyone know what happened to the Spotify update for our EU friends?

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies

Call of Duty and shooting zombies, does it get much better than that? Not really so it was a no brainer to include a little first person shooter title – Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies [iTunes Link - $9.99] Sure this title is a bit on the expensive side for a iOS game title but it’s brings a lot to the table. With this game you will be able to witness some of the best graphics, sounds, and controls available today for your iPhone 4. Fans of the FPS genre will not be disappointed.

Alternative: Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies 2 [iTunes Link - $9.99] If you own part one you can purchase part two at a discounted price with a in-app purchase. If cars are more your scene, try Real Racing [iTunes link - $4.99]

TomTom Navigation

Last but not least your iPhone 4 is in need of a top of the line GPS navigation application such as TomTom [iTunes Link - US version - $49.99]. With a slew of options and full and up-to-date map is stored on your iPhone 4. This means no cellular signal or data plan is needed to navigate to your destination or even look at maps. Now throw in TomTom’s advanced lane guidance and IQ Routes technology and you have yourself one sweet GPS application. Advanced lane guidance shows you which lane to take at confusing junctions so you don't miss your turn and IQ Routes technology is what TomTom uses to collect actual speed data from the millions of users to calculate the fastest routes at that particular point in time. So factors such as rush hour, traffic lights, school crossing, train tracks, etc all come into play to calculate the fastest route to get to your destination.

Alternative: Navigon North America [iTunes Link - $79.99] is still waiting on its update, but you can also purchase US maps in 3 different sections – each costing $29.99. If online maps and lower-cost monthly subscriptions are more your thing, try TeleNav powered AT&T Navigator [iTunes link].

Conclusion

Well there you have them, our top 5 iPhone 4 apps to get you started. Be sure to check out our iPhone App and Games Forum for more of our members' recommendations, and leave yours in the thread — or in the comments below!

Top 5 apps for your iPhone 4 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Today Apple’s iPhone finally went on sale which means a bunch of you either just got one or are just about to get one. Unboxing done, device powered up, new features explored, you’re looking at it and trying to figure out what you need to do next. Don’t worry, TiPb’s got your back:

• Get up to speed. We have a complete iOS 4 feature walkthrough up and waiting to help you figure out all the new stuff Apple has jam-packed into their latest OS. Save yourself some time and check it out.

• Get apps and games. There are 225,000 iPhone apps in the iTunes App Store and while not all of them have been updated to really show off that new Retina Display, more and more are all the time. We’re keeping track of iOS 4 optimized apps for you, and review iPhone apps on a weekly basis. Check them out.

• Get accessories. The TiPb Store has just started offering iPhone 4 accessories for pre-order. If you want to protect that big, beautiful screen or wrap something over that stainless steel antenna band, be sure to check them out!

• Get talking. If you just want to talk about your new iPhone 4 and all those apps and accessories, or if you need help getting started (or to trouble-shoot bugs), or advice and recommendations, we have the best dang community on the web waiting for you: iPhone Device and Help Forum and iPhone Apps and Games Forum.

Just get an iPhone 4? Here’s what you need next! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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