The iPhone 4 Is Coming Soon - Should You Buy One?

This week, Steve Jobs officially revealed the iPhone 4 which comes with a longer battery life, video chat/calling and a bunch of other stuff to make you look twice. Thinking about upgrading, or taking the iPhone plunge for the first time? Here's what you should know.

What will it cost, and when can I get it?

The iPhone 4 will be available on June 24 (pre-orders begin June 15). It comes in black and white, and if you sign a new contract, it's $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB version. MobileCrunch explains, "If your upgrade date is in 2011 (i.e. 1/1/11 or later) you can get the early update price, which is $399/$499. And of course you can always pay full price: $599/$699 with no contract at all. The 3G is being retired, and the 3GS will now be $99. The June 24th date is for the US, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK. The rest of the world will get it in July."

Runnin' Scared lays out a quick list of what's new with the iPhone 4. It has longer battery life, a better camera, higher-resolution display, and even a gyroscope ("so it knows not just directions, but the pitch, yaw, speed, and velocity with which you throw it at someone/a wall.") Geekosystem divides the upgrades into those that matter a little (it's the thinnest smartphone ever, it has iBooks, its retina display is crisper than the human eye can even see) and those that matter a lot (it has cameras on the front and back, it has a new, faster operating system, it lets you video chat and shoot HD video).

What's missing?

ReadWriteWeb points out that there are a few things Apple didn't announce yesterday and wishes the iPhone came with free navigation: "Google, meanwhile, offers Google Maps Navigation for free on all Android phones. Apple, either provide your own app or make nice with Google and use theirs, for goodness' sake." FaceTime, the iPhone's new video chat feature, only works over WiFi, and there's no 4G network yet. The Unofficial Apple Weblog complains that "as time goes by it's very clear that AT&T continues to hold the iPhone experience hostage. From killing FaceTime on 3G, to dropped calls, to spotty reception in big cities: AT&T just isn't ready for the iPhone, and don't even think about uploading those new HD movies over the 3G network."

What does it mean for tech and business?

"Almost every other upcoming or current phone is now a generation behind," says CenterNetworks. "Simply put: anyone else selling digital consumables should be very nervous about now." NewTeeVee wonders if the iPhone's HD video camera will kill the Flip: "everyone's favorite HD point-and-shoot camcorder could be in deep trouble." The iPhone is the smartphone to beat, says VentureBeat: "The revenue generated for the iPhone's developers has crossed $1 billion. Pretty soon, Apple will have sold its 100 millionth iPhone operating system device."

Do you want an iPhone 4?  What are the features make you want one - or not?