New iPhone 3GS on sale July 10, says Vodafone

Apple's new iPhone 3GS. Photo/AP

New Zealanders will be able to get their hands on the new iPhone 3GS on July 10, says Vodafone.

The 3GS is the new, faster version of Apple's popular iPhone, with a video camera, more memory and a slew of new features. The 'S' in the phone's title stands for speed.

Vodafone says the 16GB version of the phone will cost $1,179, while the 32GB is $1,379.

Contract prices and "handset subsidies" for people signing up to different data plans will be announced closer to the launch date, says the company.

The 32GB iPhone 3GS has twice as much memory as the current biggest iPhone and costs $US299 on a contract in the US, while the 16GB version sells for $US199.

It has the same design as iPhone 3G released last year. Messaging applications, games and attachments all load faster and there's a better built-in camera, with 3-megapixels, autofocus and video camera.

The release of an updated iPhone comes as Apple is facing tougher competition in the smartphone market. Its sales still trail those of the Blackberry, made by Canadian firm Research in Motion.

- NZ HERALD STAFF