Apple has finally lifted the lid on the highly anticipated 3G incarnation of its iPhone.
Apple co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs made the announcement on Monday morning at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco.
Known simply as 'iPhone 3G' the handset will feature a faster 3G wireless connection along with a new look and lower price tag.
Apple claims that the new 3G connection will be roughly 2.8 times as fast as the Edge wireless connection on the original iPhone.
The company also suggested that the new iPhone would run faster than other 3G handsets, claiming that it outperforms the Nokia N95 and Treo 750 by some 36 per cent.
The iPhone 3G will also feature support for GPS hardware, a curved all-plastic backing and a flush headphone jack rather than the recessed jack that limited accessory options with the original iPhone.
It will also add a new colour option, allowing users to purchase a white model rather than the classic black.
When Jobs first spoke of a 3G iPhone last summer, he cited battery life as a major hurdle. The company appears to have overcome that problem, packing a claimed 10 hours of 2G talk time and six hours of web browsing into the handset.
Apple plans to drop the price on the 16GB iPhone 3G to $299, while the 8GB iPhone will cost $199, roughly one third of the price for the handset on its release last June.
The iPhone will be released initially in 12 countries, including Hong Kong, India and Mexico for the first time. In later months, Apple plans to expand iPhone's reach to some 70 countries.
For the initial 12 countries, which includes the UK, Apple will make the iPhone 3G available on 11 July, slightly more than a year after the first iPhone debuted in the US.
"As we arrive at the iPhone's first birthday we are going to take it to the next level," Jobs proclaimed.
"We have taken everything we have learned and more, and we have created the iPhone 3G."
Analysts believe new device could boost mobile TV uptake 06 Jun 2008
Display module shipments expected to reach 833 million by 2013 20 May 2008
Hitwise figures show Apple's phone soaring up the search charts 19 Jun 2009
At a hefty price premium, however 20 Mar 2009
New handset and updated OS X Snow Leopard and Safari highlight opening keynote 08 Jun 2009Twice the storage, longer battery life, better camera and a new design, claim reports 20 May 2009
Apple's profits likely to come from carrier deals, say analysts 25 Jun 2009
Desert tortoise fears allayed? 19 Mar 2010
Cameron presents pre-election energy policy, promising greater investment certainty for low-carbon projects, green loans for households, and streamlining of planning system 19 Mar 2010
Joint statement from carbon exchange and Hungarian government aims to restore confidence in CER market 19 Mar 2010
More news
From climate change contrarians to the "KitKatastrophe" of Nestle's palm oil policy, we look at the best the green web has to offer this week 19 Mar 2010
"It needs the political enthusiasm that was behind the war on terror after 9/11" 19 Mar 2010
From the government's plans for a marine energy revolution to John Lewis' proposals for an off-grid supermarket 19 Mar 2010 More in-depth
Post your comment
Send an email to the Business Green editor at feedback@businessgreen.com
