The WWDC, Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, was packed from beginning to end with important announcements. Some of these announcements are exciting shareholders and consumers, while others are in the process of revolutionizing the mobile media world. While a lot are blackberry smartphone users, it seems that the iPhone is still the most popular smartphone in the market. Here is a full breakdown of all the major 2010 WWDC announcements.
The iPad Update
Steve Jobs was glad to announce the statistics for the iPad thus far. More than two million iPads have been sold, with 10 countries already on the list and nine more coming on board by the end of 2010. Users have downloaded more than 35 million iPad applications, which works out to an average of over 17 apps per iPad. These purchases come from over 8,500 applications native to the iPad, with a total of 225,000 applications in the Apple App store.
There are some exciting software updates on the horizon for the iPad, primarily for its iBook store and PDF reader functionality. These improvements will let users make notes and mark pages on the virtual books, as well as stream audio in the background while reading ebooks.
Upcoming Applications
Beyond the 225,000 applications currently available in the app store, 15,000 new applications are submitted each week. Ninety-five percent of these are approved. A total of five billion applications have already been downloaded to desktops, laptops and iPads thus far.
Over the course of 2010, some special applications are coming to the iPhone. The iPhone will soon see a free Netflix application, Zynga will bring a selection of its games to the iPhone, including Farmville, and Activision has also joined in the mobile app war by pushing for the iPhone Guitar Hero.
iPhone 4 and OS 4.0 Announced
Apple’s current mobile market share has reached 58.2 percent. Android is its next highest competitor, sitting in Apple’s shadow at 22.7 percent market share. The iPhone 4.0 is designed to take even more of this market in the near future.
The iPhone 4 will be more durable and lighter. The picture quality, at 326 pixels per inch and 800:1 contrast ratio, should be crisper than ever before. Sound quality should be increased by the dual microphones. A 5x zoom camera, a more powerful camcorder, and new software to run it all, make the iPhone 4 the strongest media experience yet.
The iPhone 4 will be powered by the A4 chip, a battery that allows up to seven hours of talk time or 300 hours of standby time. It will also come with a brand new operating system. This new operating system adds massive functionality, and is coming to the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Notable additions for the OS 4 are multitasking capabilities, better data encryption, folders and increased organization ability, and a unified multi-account mail application.
Announcement of iAd Changes
The Apple ad server will be continuing in future editions of the iPhone and Apple operating systems. Major updates to these advertisements, including the induction of some major brands, increased customization capabilities, and faster hosting systems, will all be introduced in 2010.