iGame Radio

This is the second of a multi-issue expose about the iPhone 4, iOS4, and the impact both may have on gaming on Apple mobile electronics (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad). Today I’m going to see how the iPhone 4 hardware can affect your gaming habits.

The iPhone 4 has gone through several hardware changes from previous iPhone versions, thus earning it the moniker “This changes everything. Again.” But do the hardware modifications really change everything for the better for gaming?

First there is the new chip inside, the A4. Earlier iPhone versions sported a Samsung chip (the 32-bit RISC ARM in the original and 3G, and ARM Cortex-A8 for the 3GS). But Apple decided to enter the chip-design business themselves in 2008 when they purchased P.A. Semi and began the design of the PowerVR SGX 535, the GPU portion of the A4 within the iPhone 4.

The A4 has already seen its release in the wild on the iPad, to stunning results. The A4 provides an ideal balance between battery life and CPU speed, while providing a faster animation pace without the feared overheating element. One expects the iPhone 4 to have the same marriage between speed and battery life as well. For a gamer who wants to play graphics heavy games, this is a marriage made in heaven.

Steve Jobs also introduced at the WWDC 2010 the retina display. The display for the iPhone 4 is still the same as previous iPhones, at 3.5 inches. But the resolution and contrast ratio are not. With a 960 x 640 pixel resolution at 326 ppi, it beats all previous iPhones in one huge leap. I really don’t have to say much more than this…just look at the difference between a screenshot from a 3GS and a 4. ‘Nuff said.

But you have to look at that display through a new kind of glass, which Jobs insists is pretty darn tough. Not if you drop it on concrete four times. Seriously, though, there are rumors that even after only a week’s worth of use, scratches are starting to show up on users’ iPhone 4 screens. Will those scratches, if confirmed, impact serious gaming habits that rely on your screen being in top shape to accurately record your finger pad on the top layer? You betcha. We’ll all hope that if these screen problems become an issue that Apple will provide a suitable replacement program for them.

I’m sure that you have heard more than enough about the antenna issues with the iPhone 4. Held in a particular way, the rumor is that you will lose WiFi access or access to the AT&T network. Speculation abounds as to whether that problem is hardware or software. If hardware, the theory goes that when one grasps the iPhone, especially in one’s left hand, such that both parts of the antenna embedded in the metal band that goes around the rim of the iPhone are touched, you lose network access.

But the software theory is more compelling, especially because it would only mean an update to the iOS4. I watched the video linked above and found that I was able to recreate this on my 3GS which has iOS4 installed on it. Note to self: don’t hold the iPhone that way.

Hopefully this issue will be resolved soon, as no one wants to find out that they consistently lose network access while in the middle of an intense session of We Rule.

Another aspect of the iPhone 4 hardware is the physical design. Because Apple decided to change the design of the iPhone in this version, we now have a decidedly box-like form rather than the more sleek curves of previous iPhones. Whereas before you could hold your iPhone in your hand in a variety of ways and it would also feel conformed to your hand, the new iPhone 4…not so much. The edges are not curved and look from a distance like they might even be a bit harsh on the hand, and the phone itself feels and looks more boxy.

However, after having held an iPhone 4 in my own hands, I’m left with a bit of an ambivalent feeling. On the one hand, the iPhone 4 is not very heavy…certainly not heavier than my 3GS. Despite the harsher looking edges, they don’t feel sharp at all, smoothly integrating with the glass screen on both sides. The power button, mute button, and volume buttons don’t feel that much more pronounced than on the 3GS.

But the curve from the 3GS, 3G, and original iPhone is gone, and that is probably the most pronounced absence that you will feel holding it in your hand. Will prolonged gaming start to wear on your palm with this kind of straight backing? What about the edge of the phone itself? Despite how smooth the sides feel, they are still slightly more pronounced than previous iPhones. Will that distinction cause problems for hands and fingers holding an iPhone 4 for extended periods of gaming time? It’s still too early to tell.

All in all the hardware changes result in a mixed bag, with what would be considered to be downsides too early to tell in most cases. Best case scenario is that everything will turn out all right, with some software updates and minor changes to the way we interact physically with our iPhone 4 while gaming. Worst case…Apple should buff up their lawyer app.