New 3G iPhone Introduced Today

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. unveiled an upgraded iPhone Monday with a faster Internet connection and GPS capabilities _ and priced $200 lower than current models.

Analysts have said Apple needed to slash the multimedia gadget's price and upgrade it to work over so-called 3G, or third-generation, wireless networks to hit the company's target of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008.

An 8 gigabyte model is to sell for $199 starting July 11. A 16 gigabyte model will cost $299. They'll come in a black case with a white case optional on one model. The devices are to roll out initially in 22 countries.

Apple has inked deals for wireless carriers in a total of 70 countries to carry the new iPhone.

Apple's participation in the cell phone market has been hurt by complaints about the year-old iPhone's data download speeds, which can make simple tasks like sending pictures over e-mail or downloading Internet videos painfully slow.

The original iPhones operate on so-called 2.5G networks. The upgrade in performance from those networks to 3G will be similar to the difference between a dial-up Internet connection and a high-speed broadband connection.

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said the computer chips used on the faster network sapped too much battery life and were too bulky when the iPhone was being designed so the company decided to wait to improve the device until better chip technology emerged that could fit the iPhone's slim design.

The addition of global-positioning technology improves the iPhone's accuracy in locating users. Current versions use a combination of cell phone towers and Wi-Fi locations to help users figure out where they are.

Jobs showed off the phone at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. His announcements were widely expected.

Comments

[ccpostman]

I think any reporter that writes a review about the IPhone should declare if they own a RIM device.

So far EVERY negative review of the IPhone has ben written by some yahoo who owns a RIM device.

They bash it for anything they can.

However, they no longer can bash it on price or 3G.

What now folks??? I saw a couple bashing it on higher fees. What are the user fees on the Blackberry? I think they still way higher than the IPhone.
I guess the only thing left to rag on is the keyboard. But the RIM keyboard does not have the new character draw.

Face it folks. The IPhone is going to slowly push RIM aside with all the zillion new Apps, price, and new features.

[Rockwell]

The reason Uncle Steve can roll out his cheap iPhone is because ATT is paying a big fat subsidy to Apple for every phone sold. They plan to get the money back through their outrageous fees on their monopoly iPhone service.

So Jobs isn't such a genious. He's just playing a shell game with the $$. You're going to pay for your iPhone one way or the other.

[macbabe]

Thanks Uncle Steve... stock is moving well today!!!!!
Love ALL my Apple toys!

[southafrica4obama]

Half-naked women sell products, not Steve (blow)Jobs in those old levis. Start marketing with women.

[eXcommunicate]

When are we going to get the TRICORDER?!?! Are you listening Steve Jobs?!?! Where's my TRICORDER? ;)

[Obamican7]

The new one had better be flash-ready. I hate having to watch The Onion and Digital Funtown feeds at home or office only.

[falgiano]

agree with this. although i'm stuck for a while since i aint buying another one anytime soon. i still love my iphone. i would make love to it if i could.

[skahimself]

Ok - so its faster and lighter and cheaper and has a bigger memory. F'ing great.

Does anyone kow the following:
1) Does it have an upgraded camera? 3+ Megapixels?
2) Will it have video conferencing?
3) Does it have tactile touch? Meanign when you touch a number/letter key you get a vibrating response - much similiar to the LG Voyager?

Can anyone answer these questions because Steve sure as fuck didn't.

[NickfromCali]

Hey Steve...what about Beatles on iTunes?

[macbabe]

Very Nice Steve, NOW MOVE MY STOCK please :)
GOOOOOOO Apple!!!

[InofTouch]

and yet the GB is only eight or even sixteen...all that good but this coming from the Ipod that has a 120 GB

[torrrep]

I have a 60 Gb ipod with over 200 cd's loaded. 120 GB for music is overkill. My 8GB iphone is plenty big enough.

[gnostic19]

Doesn't the iphone a use a flash drive...hence limited space?
Glad i'm not one of the schmucks that forked over $400 for the POS 1st gen model.

[EggZacktly]

You cannot put a hard drive in a cell phone, the microwaves that carry the signal would destroy the HD. just get a phone with gps and a separate device for vids and music and games etc.

compare the i-touch to the Archos 605 wifi.
Apple ripped Archos off for their entire i-pod line, but on the cheap. CNET did a comparison-Archos blows Apple out of the water. The 605 comes with a 160 gig HD, and with twice the vid resolution, check it out.

[arunachala]

about the iphone 3g: http://img409.imageshack.us/my.php?image=attiphone3gsv1.jpg

[GBartrem]

I like Apple Products, and this I Phone looks like a winner. To bad the ISP's for it are so high priced.

[CaptainHowdy]

Yawn... this is the leading business news on HuffPo?

How much is Apple paying for these ads disguised as news stories?

[yesyesyes]

$200 for a pretty phone: pretty pictures, pretty music, games, many other apps commin down the pike - sounds great. My wife wants one for our 15 anniversary and she'd gonna git it. I'll wait for the next touch. They're back jack and their doing it again. I'm ready to jump att too.

[Amishguy]

The new slogan should be... "iphone, now cheaper than a tank of gas!"

[KarateKid]

You know, sadly, you're not that far off. Filling up a Suburban costs $125 in some places for full fill up.

[KillTheMessenger]

One can drive 2200 miles in a Prius for the price of the phone and the average commuter spends less on gas a month than they have to for the ATT contract.

It's just not a good deal.