Will the iPhone 4 replace my Flip MinoHD?
When Steve Jobs announced 720p, 30fps video recording on the iPhone 4 during the WWDC 2010 keynote, the first thing that popped into my head was: "Wow, now I don't have any use for my Flip MinoHD video camera!" I have since then done some thinking and researching about this very topic to determine if this is really case.
In order for the iPhone 4 to replace my Flip, it must do close to everything just as well as the Flip. By everything, I mean video and audio quality, storage capacity, battery life, portability, convenience, and ease of use. Let's take a look after the break.
Ease of use and convenience
Both the iPhone and Flip are very portable and easy to use. However, even though the Flip is small, it would be much more convenient to carry only an iPhone with me.
Lens quality
In the same category as video quality, we must also consider the lenses of both these devices. The Flip offers a fixed focus of 1.5m to infinity, f/2.4 aperture, and 2x digital zoom. Unfortunately, Apple hasn't provided us with the specifications of the lens on the iPhone 4. However, we do know that the tap to focus feature will be available when recording video. This is a huge advantage over the Flip because it allows for creativity. Apple has said that 5x digital zoom is available when taking photos, but it does not seem as though this feature is available when recording video.
Audio quality
One thing the Flip has been praised for is its sound quality. Quiet voices and sounds are easily picked up by the Flip and boosting volume in post editing is rarely a necessity. Will the iPhone 4 offer the same? I suspect it will be efficient enough. It may not be quite as good as the Flip, but it's a compromise I'm willing to make in order to carry one less device in my purse.
Storage capacity
The most storage available on the iPhone 4 is 32 GB and Flip's newest camera, the SlideHD, is available in 16 GB, which is approximately 4 hours of video. Even though the iPhone has more available space, it is safe to say that there is never a time when all 32 gigabytes are free to use. Basically, storage space is going to vary by user; for me, I have about 16 GB of free space on my iPhone now, so the two devices are comparable.
iPhone 4 vs. Flip MinoHD: Battery life
But what about battery? Flip claims to get 2 hours of battery life between charges. Once again, Apple has not provided us with this information. However, I remember that Dieter, our Editor in Chief, let his iPhone 3GS record video for about an hour during an iPhone live! episode and had battery life to spare. With the bigger battery in the iPhone 4, I expect to be able to record video for about 2 hours as well. However, draining the battery on the Flip is better than on the iPhone because it only renders the video camera useless, not an entire phone.
iPhone 4 vs. Flip MinoHD: On-device editing
The last thing I want to mention is editing. The Flip does not offer any way of editing on the device itself. It does come with free software for your computer, but it's clunky to say the least. With the iPhone, I can trim clips immediately after capturing footage and for under $5, I should be able to do some impressive editing with the upcoming iMovie for iPhone. I can then upload my finished project directly to YouTube. The ability to do this all with my iPhone is very impressive and a compelling argument to ditch the Flip. (No word yet on whether or not iPhone 4 will support the Camera Kit USB reader that shipped alongside the iPad, but that would certainly be even more interesting...)
iPhone 4 vs. Flip MinoHD: Conclusion
So what's the verdict? Will the iPhone 4 replace my Flip MinoHD? My answer is: usually. For day to day use of capturing quick memories of my dogs (and soon, my child) and other random instances, the iPhone 4 will easily replace my Flip and I look forward to removing the Flip from my purse. However, if I know I'm going to capture a lot of footage, I will make sure my Flip is with me so that I don't waste precious battery life on my iPhone. Also, if I'm planning to make a nicely edited video, I will use the Flip because of the 16:9 aspect ratio (unless and until Apple proves 16:9 on the iPhone 4).
Once the iPhone 4 is in my hand, I will be putting the unknowns (battery life, audio quality, lens quality) to the test and perform side-by-side comparisons. In the meantime, I can only base my conclusion on the facts we know and dream about about what video recording on the iPhone 4 will really be like.
What about you? Do you expect the iPhone 4 to replace your Flip video camera (or similar device)? Why or why not?
App and Photography Editor at iMore. Mother, wife, and math instructor. Follow her on Twitter @llofte and send her apps to consider for review at iosapps@imore.com
There are 43 comments. Add yours.
Yes, it will. In fact, my 3GS did that some 10 months ago.
P.S: of course 720p will be in 16:9! The 3GS shoots video in 4:3 using that silver bar in the camera app. There should be some black bars or somethinf like that.
It definitely will be in 16:9 ratio, so I wouldn't worry about that Leanna! I believe they just don't want letterboxing, so the far sides of the video are not visible while recording. Either that or there is letterboxing and they just don't want to show us in promo images.
Also you forgot one thing, the iPhone can upload your videos to the net after editing without a computer. This is a pretty awesome advantage.
No, the Flip still has a bigger and better lens than the iPhone. Also Digital ZOOM is awful on any phone. It greatly reduces quality. If your Flip has Optical than there is no question you'll need to keep the Flip.
Imovie has been getting a lot of press but there's an awesome video editting app out already called reeldirector. As far as I can see imovie doesn't do anything that reeldirector ( currently £2.39 in uk appstore ) doesn't do already.
I was planning on buying a Flip MinoHD this week, but decided to wait until after Jobs confirmed the new iPhone. Suffice to say, I didn't buy one. Need to see an epic battle between the two to decide.
I'm thinking the battery issue may be the killer... but then who's to say we couldn't just attach a battery pack to the iP4 for those lengthy recording sessions? Hmm...
In regards to audio quality, the flip will certainly retain the advantage there as the microphones are larger and it records in stereo.
I think it was Engadget that confirmed the iPhone 4 will record sound in mono, using only the tiny little voice microphone.
Something else you didn't cover is bit-rate (compression quality). This is a huge factor in the final video quality and the Flip is excellent in this regard. As another example the HTC Evo records in 720p, but the quality is awful due to over-compression (to keep the file size down). Hopefully the iPhone 4 is better in this regard, but we won't know until some real reviews hit the net.
About the lens quality section there are a few things I can add and correct:
I see the future of iPhone taking over a lot of devices. I already use my iPhone 3GS as EVERYTHING. I rarely use my laptop, my iPhone does it all. I can only imagine how my iPhone 4 will be. I simply can't wait. Of course iPhone 4 will be 16:9
All 720 is 16x9. Some standard definition can be 16x9.or 4x3 ..
The microphone in both are fair at best; it'd be like comparing rotten apples and rotten oranges- either way they're still pretty bad.
What you don't mention in the article is the size of the chip in both cases; I'm hopeing that the iPhone will be better in low light due to the sensor.
Replace? I highly doubt it, the flip doesn't have a crappy at&t network...lol
But to my point there is no way the iPhone will replace the flip. The flip is a dedicated video recorder, and thats its purpose. Let me rephrase that in English: 'iPhone', keyword PHONE.
No, because I take and shoot with my 1st Gen Flip down waterslides :)
Mr. Nelson:
So youre not using your iPhone it as audio player, game console, internet usage, email, camera etc. We got it. It is just phone for you...
But other people are using it that way, and replacing other products. Got it?
I was going to buy a Flip HD until the iPhone 4 was announced. I had already ditched my digital camera for my iPhone even at the 3 MP of the 3GS. Apple does a nice job of getting the most out of the cameras on these devices and the one platform solution that the iPhone gives you is great, the less things that I have to carry around the better.
@Adam, she mentioned video uploading in the second to last paragraph, "on-device editing."
I'm looking forward to recording HD videos with the iphone4. Especially with it finally having a led flash. Hope everyone is right about the 16:9 ratio.
-Sent from my tethered iPad while riding Amtrak :)
Immediately off the bat getting an iPhone 4 prevents me from buying a separate new GPS device, iPod, digital still camera or an HD video camcorder. All for $199.00 at least! I wasn't expecting HD video recording but it being in there makes me feel better about the purchase I am going to make. So, yes, I feel the iPhone 4 will replace the Flip MinoHD. Why would you carry another device in your pocket when you can get the truly all-in-one iPhone?
@kevlar,
It doesn't export in HD, and I doubt it will when the new hardware comes, also iMovie provides a MUCH more professional and high quality aesthetic. iMovie even does Ken Burns effect, and it allows you to use media from your iPod for videos, which ReelDirector does not.
On thing I should've probably mentioned is that if I didn't already own a Flip MinoHD, I would NOT be in the market to purchase one. The small benefits that the flip offers (like not draining my phone's battery) is not worth the extra cost.
@Mr. Nelson
What does Att's network have anything to do with recording video?
On a side note, one other benefit of the iPhone 4 is geotagging video and photos. Some may not care but geotagging but this feature could make a difference in whether or not someone
would buy a Flip.
Exclude "but this feature" from my last sentence.
Yes, iPhone 4 will record in 16:9, that's the standard for 720p video and at 1280x720 that is the only aspect ratio available.
You can also tell it's widescreen in the iMovie portion of the keynote, when they show the shot of the SF bridge, you can see the letterboxing on top and bottom, indicating the aspect ratio is less tall than the iPhone screens 3:2 ratio.
I have the Flip MinoHD. Great device. Love it!
Guess what, it's going on eBay as soon as I get my iPhone 4. Period.
if im not mistaken, 720p SHOULD NOT ever be 4:3. 4:3 would be 1280x1024 or around that, if i'm not mistaken. Jobs specified 720p meaning 1280x720 is what it is.
I currently carry an insignia 720p video camera in my purse. I'm going to compare the two and decide. I like the idea of being able to edit right on the phone because that's my biggest issue right now, I have to fire up the laptop to edit and send.
I think the biggest difference here is really the lens. While the flip doesn't necessarily have an amazing lens there is room for a much larger lens therefore increasing image quality. Also in general any phone takes worse pictures and video because the lens gets beat up and smudged in your pocket.
Look at this video, at 3:45 in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETPQDQKvomM
It shows an unedited clip, in 16:9 format.
The main problem I have with the iPhone 4, and someone already mentioned it, is that it does not have HDMI out. SO you can't just hook it up to your hi-def TV and watch your cool videos you made. Does anyone have any more info on this?
@Sboj Evets: Couldn't you use the Apple Component AV Cable?
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB128LL/B?fnode=MTY1NDAzOQ&mco=MTM3NTM...
Most TV's have component inputs these days. (someone correct me if I'm wrong)
50 bucks for a component cord. Highway robbery. I'm a iPhone fan but seriously I'd rather buy a 4 dollar hdmi cord
Yeah it's a crazy price. You can get 3rd party ones much cheaper, but you'll need to install a certain jailbreak app to make it compatible. A $4 HDMI cord isn't going to do much good though...
Apple has only released one video taken with the iPhone 4:here. The video is clearly 4:3 and is surprisingly low quality. It may be 720p, but it's so compressed that you lose much of the detail.
@twentw: Wow, you're right, that's disappointing. Quality is really not very impressive. Compression is something that they could adjust with a patch though right?
I would love to see the iPhone 4 compared not to a flip, but to the Kodak Zi8. The Zi8, in my opinion, is better than the Flip because it can do 1080p (although I have suspicion that 720p is native and 1080p is upres), records to SD card (so you can swap out media), and it has an audio input jack if you get a wired lav. Only drawback is that it doesn't do low-light well at all, which gives the iPhone a leg up because you can turn on the LED lamp for video shooting.
@Jwwpua: Flat panels tend to have component, so you are SOL if you have an older TV. Also, even though it is greater resolution because the colors are separated better, component is still analog. HDMI is digital and you don't risk losing signal due to interference.
And yes, compression is changed with a software update. It would still be H.264 (obviously), but they could increase the bitrate to artifact less, which results in taking up more drive space. I doubt they are expecting pros (whom are generally the only ones who know this stuff) to use the iPhone 4 for video acquisition, though. At best, we've got YouTubers and the ones who have been around a while have nicer cameras already.
Yeah, sure I my 3GS has a camera and video but only use it for quick posts to facebook, send to friends, or if I can't get my cam out fast enough. As a Canon compact and DSLR camera enthusiast, nothing beats the quality of a great camera or video recorder if you're even somewhat serious about creating lasting memories.
@ Leanna - "On thing I should’ve probably mentioned is that if I didn’t already own a Flip MinoHD, I would NOT be in the market to purchase one."
I knew there was a reason why I didn't buy a Flip MinoHD. And I've only got an iPhone 3G with no video at all. But only until the 24th...
@twentw - That video has been resized to fit Apple's web page, and also to avoid any lengthy downloads. They correctly anticipated that the iPhone 4 pages would get lots of traffic, and forcing visitors to wait for a real 720p video to download would be unacceptable. (Almost as bad as forcing visitors to wait for a gaudy Flash splash page to load and gyrate while everyone frantically looks for the "skip intro" button. But I digress...)
Just take a look at apple.com/trailers to see how long it takes to download even a 2 minute 720p trailer.
@Ivoryplum - "It shows an unedited clip, in 16:9 format." Yes, but there's no indication that the clip was actually shot with an iPhone 4. We won't really know the horizontal pixel resolution until Apple announces it officially or we are able to actually get empirical proof by shooting video on iPhone 4 and editing it on desktop machines.
But, if Apple's definition of "720p" means "the 720p HDTV broadcast format," then iPhone 4 video native resolution would, in fact, be 1280x720 pixels. I'm sincerely hoping this is true.
Man that Golden Gate video is TERRIBLE. It doesn;t even look close to SD 480p quality. Please Apple let the user adjust the bit-rate and aspect ratio! It would be so easy to have basic settings under the camera app to switch between small, medium and large file size and 4x3/16x9.
Unfortunately Apple have a habit of keeping things very simplified and I have a bad feeling that there will be only 3 video controls. Record, stop and focus.
Looking at that video again, it only has a resolution of 462x308. Even SD is 720x480. In addition it has a maximum bit-rate of under 1mbps so I don't think it's at all indicative of the quality we can expect. Still it's strange that Apple would put such a lower quality clip up. Talk about turning people away..
It better I took back my Canon camcorder to Best Buy last week!
For their size, they will both create amazing video. In the end, convergence will trump whatever differences there are. So, for me, it will be iPhone 4 only.
Okay, your arguments are true but unreasonable. If you are planning on videoing all this stuff on a regular basis, and are so worried about quality, just buy a dang video camera. thats what they're for.
Have an awesome day!!!
RTR
One thing I havent seen mentioned that the Flip Mino Hd does not have a replaceable battery! I think this is insane!!!! I am extremely disappointed in a product that was up unitl now, great. Basically, they told me is was a disposible camera. Got 18 months use out of it, but no where near the 500 charge cycles they claim in has.