Apple iPhone 3G Hits AT&T Stores July 11, Starts at $199

Apple today unveiled its iPhone 3G with a faster Internet connection and GPS capabilities. The new quad-band device gives users fast Internet access over tri-band HSDPA. Automatically switches between 3G, Wi-Fi and EDGE, the iPhone 3G makes it easy to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications.
The iPhone 3G supports Exchange enterprise and secure VPNs. Built-in GPS expands location-based mobile services for tracking applications. Further refinements include improved audio, a flush headphone jack, an integrated camera and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Featuring iPhone 2.0 software, the handheld supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs third party applications built with the iPhone SDK.

Additional features include the ability to do real-time mapping and tracking with GPS technology, mass move and delete of email messages, search for contacts, turn on parental control restrictions or save images directly from a web page.

The iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe, an Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars to applications on the iPhone, iPod touch, Macs and PCs. Items pushed to the iPhone are kept continuously up-to-date.

With the iPhone, users can even snap a photo and post it directly to a MobileMe Gallery.

The iPhone 3G delivers 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.

"Just one year after launching the iPhone, we're launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price," said Steve Jobs, Apple CEO. "iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year."

Jobs showed off the iPhone 3G at the Worldwide Developers Conference one year after the original iPhone went on sale. He also said that Apple wanted a piece of the business market for its iPhone, a market that is now dominated by Research in Motion's BlackBerry.

Apple entered the smartphone market last June for the first time and had made the iPhone second only to the BlackBerry in the category. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, has sold about six million phones, Jobs said.

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

The devices are to roll out initially for AT&T on July 11, with simuntaneous launches in 21 other countries - Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK - that same day.

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