iPhone Features and Applications

The front surface of the Apple iPhone has only one button -- the Home button. Pressing the Home button takes you to the main screen of the iPhone's graphical user interface. There, you can choose from the device's four primary functions using icons at the bottom of the phone:

• Phone: GSM or EDGE cellular phone service as well as a visual voice mail menu
• Mail: POP and IMAP e-mail access, including in-line pictures, HTML capabilities and push e-mail from Yahoo mail
• Web: Safari Web browser
• iPod: Music and videos

Photo courtesy Apple

You can open the iPhone's other applications from the upper portion of the Home screen. These include a calendar, calculator, notepad, and widgets, or mini-applications made specifically for the iPhone. The iPhone includes a 2.0-megapixel camera and software you can use to organize your pictures. You can also use an iPhone to check weather reports and stock quotes. Even though the iPhone doesn't support Flash, which the YouTube site relies on, you can watch YouTube videos using the corresponding application. The keys and buttons you need to navigate each application appear only when you need them.

The shape of the screen changes when you need it to as well -- you can shift the perspective from vertical to horizontal by tilting the phone. An accelerometer inside the iPhone lets the operating system know to change the orientation of the image on the screen. This means that you can scroll through long lists of music files on a long, narrow screen, and you can watch movies in a widescreen format. You can learn more about accelerometers in How the Nike + iPod Works and How the Nintendo Wii Works.

These features sound impressive, but many of them already exist on other smartphones. We'll explore the iPhone's competition and its pros and cons in the next section.

iPhone Specs Apple is fairly secretive about the exact processors and circuitry found in the iPhone. Here's a glimpse of what it takes to keep the device running: 3.5-inch, 160 ppi screen with a glass protective covering Battery with up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback, 24 hours of audio playback and 250 hours of standby time [source: Apple] Macintosh OS X operating system Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Radio transmitters for Bluetooth, WiFi and cellular (GSM and EDGE) signals Proximity sensor, which likely produces near-infrared light and measures its reflection from nearby objects 8 GB of storage space Check out Apple's lists of specs for more.