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iPhone 4 and Other Highlights from the WWDC

Apples’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference has traditionally served as a platform to showcase the latest innovations the company has developed, and this year was no different. Steve Jobs, Apple’s Chief Executive, provided the main attraction via his keynote speech, which featured the new iPhone 4 that will be going on sale later this month. As one of Apple’s marquee products, the media, software developers and consumers have anxiously been awaiting an opportunity to see the latest edition of the iPhone in action.

The iPhone 4 will retail for $199 and is slimmer than previous models while boasting twice the picture quality. In a somewhat ironic moment, Jobs was unable to show off the clarity of web pages on the new phone due to too many Wi-Fi devices—likely iPads—using up bandwidth. One of the main advancements for the new iPhone is the addition of the A4 processor, which will allow users to video chat.

Many new applications will now be made available for the iPhone, including a Bing search feature and Netflix. For those obsessed with the Facebook game Farmville, there’s good news: Zynga, the company who makes many of the game, announced they will be releasing a new version that is compatible with the iPhone. At the conference, Jobs was predictably optimistic about the new product.

“It’s one of the most beautiful designs you’ve ever seen,” Jobs said. “It’s beyond a doubt the most precise things and one of the most beautiful things we’ve ever made.”

Despite the enthusiasm and unbridled praise Jobs showered upon the iPhone, many are skeptical that the

“This is more evolutionary than revolutionary—it doesn’t completely change the paradigm for the iPhone,” said Daniel Ernst, an analyst at Hudson Square Research. “Expectations get so high for these product launches and announcements that a lot of times, by the time it comes out it’s already in the stock.”

 During his speech, Jobs also commented on the success of the iPad, which sold over two million units in the first two months of its release. The application for the iPad have also seen remarkable success, with 35 million apps being downloaded and over 5 million books sold through the iBookstore—which will be available with the new iPhone as well—in the first 65 days.