The Leica, er, Apple iPhone 4

You’d forgive Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, when he launches into hyperbole, which he did yesterday when he introduced the [already leaked] beautiful and standards-setting iPhone 4.

“This is beyond the doubt the most precise thing and one of the most beautiful we’ve ever made,” he said. “Glass on the front and back, and steel around the sides. It’s like a beautiful old Leica camera.” Grzzzzz. Rewind. Replay. “It’s like a beautiful old Leica camera.”

Does he mean that the new Leica cameras are not beautiful. No, no, he is just laying claim to the legendary Leica badge for the iPhone 4.

[ via Steve’s Digicams ]
This should set all photographers’ heart a-flutter and reach for their pocketbook. But, really, Jobs, did you have to? Claim a spot for the iPhone 4 in the Museum of Modern Art, wink, wink?

But, why not? The iPhone 4 is a beautiful piece of machinery and Apple designers are to be saluted for a simple but intuitively practical design.

Apple iPhone 4 at a glance:

• Facetime. Video calling comes alive and done the right way. There are in fact 2 cameras: one on the back to take pictures with, and a second one on the front for video calling. If my boss gets an iPhone 4, I am not. I will not. Or maybe I will — but get a second no-frill phone and give that number out to the boss. Yes!
• Retina Display. If you’re going to do video calling, you should do it right! That’s what differentiates Apple from other wannabes. The latter just pile on the features but these don’t work together seamlessly and intuitively. The iPhone 4 has a screen resolution so detailed and clear as to delight the eyes.
• Multitasking. This feature will probably get everyone who has the last iPhone to switch. Simply put, now you can open and use different apps at the same time without having to exit the previous one.
• HD Video Recording. Again, one feature that will make the iPhone sell like hot cakes, especially to bloggers who like to film themselves. The front facing camera makes self-taping child-play.
• Camera. Self-portraits, tap to focus, 5MP resolution, 5x digital zoom. Does anyone need a separate camera/video for walk around and to record daily life events anymore? A look at the photo gallery of unretouched images should convince any photographer that there is an iPhone 4 out there with their name already engraved on the back.

What doesn’t the iPhone 4 have? Tethering, or the ability to use your phone to connect your laptop to the Internet using your phone’s network.

So, when Jobs was claiming the iPhone to be a Leica (not a Nikon or Canon, mind you, but the legendary Leica), he may well be forgiven because is there anything on the iPhone 4 you did not wish your cell phone had? And did you expect all these features to work so well together and to look so exquisitely beautiful?

Editor’s note: You can see that I am psyching myself to switch to Apple. My trusted PC fried [hard drive crash] two days ago and am now considering a MacBook Pro.