Just shy of a year since the original iPhone went on sale, Apple Inc has announced a fresh upgrade to its popular mobile phone unit. The iPhone 2.0 software includes several new end-user features as well. Very handy tools like contact search, and full iWork support (including Pages and Keynote presentations) complements the already available Microsoft Office file format support, with the phone also being able to open PowerPoint presentations. With iPhone 2.0 you can also bulk-delete messages from apps like Mail, and parental controls have been added to control the spending and viewing habits of the younger audience. The software update will be available next month for all iPhones and iPod Touches, with the Touch requiring a $9.95 update fee.

From the hardware perspective, one of the most anticipated enhancements to the platform is 3G data access, which gives the new iPhone its name – simply the iPhone 3G. Despite
the higher drain of 3G data, the battery life of the iPhone 3G remains solid – up to 5 hours of 3G talk time and 300 hours standby is achievable. On GSM networks the iPhone 3G is rated for 10 hours of talk time. Apple's Steve Jobs claimed that the device was also capable of 7 hours of video playback or a whopping 24 hours of music playback.

In terms of band support, the new iPhone 3G is still a quad-band GSM/EDGE device like its predecessor, but now supports the 850, 1900, and 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA bands as well. Another new feature is the built-in GPS module, which adds real-time position tracking to the Google Maps application. Lastly, the new iPhone has a non-recessed 3.5mm headphone jack, so no adapter is required to use non-Apple headsets.

The Apple iPhone 3G brings only mild physical changes, being thinner at the edges and now with a black or white plastic back, with white reserved for the 16GB version. The front of the device remains identical to the original. The iPhone 3G will be available in 70 countries by the end of the year, priced in the US at $199 for the 8GB version, and $299 for the 16GB model. The street date for most countries, including the United States, will be July 11.

Thought bubble: I wonder if the ZiPhone iPhone unlocker will work on this one. It reportedly works on any iPhone model. If it doesn't, I'm sure another version of the Ziphone will come out soon.

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3G Apple iPhone is coming!

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