KEY POINTS:
Kiwis keen to get their hands on Apple's new iPhone 3G will be able to pre-register online later today.
The next generation iPhone will be released here on July 11 - and is cheaper and faster than its predecessor.
Apple boss Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPhone 3G at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco this morning.
"Just one year after launching the iPhone, we're launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price," he told the conference.
The new version will be available through Vodafone in New Zealand, and will roll out in 22 countries on July 11. By the end of 2008 it will be on the market in 70 countries. Registration is not yet active but will be today here.
Vodafone is yet to announce pricing plans, but promised "great value data plans" in a press release this morning. AT&T offered 'all you can eat' data plans with its iPhone contracts when the gen-one version was released.
Jobs said that the new, thinner iPhone would be "more affordable" for consumers, at US$199 for an 8-gigabyte model, and $299 for a 16GB version. The original, which has now sold out, launched last June at $599 and was reduced to $399.
There will be a choice of black or white for the flagship version, although the entry-level 8GB will only be available in black.
The original iPhone, built to run on slower, so-called 2.5G networks, is currently only available as a hacked parallel import in New Zealand.
As expected, the new iPhone will be 3G network capable, meaning higher speed web browsing than the current model.
This will make it more competitive in the smartphone market against Research In Motion's BlackBerry and Nokia's N95.
Currently Apple enjoys a 20 percent share of the US smartphone market, but only 5 per cent in the rest of the world.
The iPhone's slow internet browsing speed has been widely criticised - but it was originally designed with a firm focus on the American market, and 'official carrier' AT&T did not, at that time, have a network that was up to speed with 3G.
Other countries, like New Zealand, have been 3G capable for some time.
The new iPhone also comes with GPS satellite navigation built in for location-based services, whereas the previous model used a combination of Wi-Fi and cell tower responses to determine a users' location.
In true iTunes Store style, the new App Store - available in 62 countries at launch - will let users download applications directly to their phones. Most will need to be purchased, but Apple promises some free content.
iPhone 3G addresses numerous issues with the original, adding a flush-mounted headphone jack and, importantly, increasing battery life.
Apple now claims a standby time of 300 hours, with 10 hours talktime on a 2G network or 5 on a 3G network. Enthusiastic web browsers will get five to six hours of surfing, and the battery will play audio for up to 24 hours.
iPhone 3G is compatible with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. It supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. It runs simultaneous data and voice connections so it's possible to check email or look up directions while on a call.
Push email has now been added with MobileMe, a new web service that pushes email, contacts and calendars from an online 'cloud' to apps on iPhone, iPod Touch, Macs and PCs. Essentially, this means everything is updated without the need to continuously check email or update schedules.
It will cost $140 for individuals with 20GB of storage, or NZ$199 for a 'Family Pack' which has one master account with 20GB and four family member accounds with 5GB each. Free 60 trials will be available online, and current .Mac account holders will be automatically upgraded to the new service.
For business, in an intelligent which makes the iPhone more corporate-friendly, it is now compatible with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, as well as remote wipe and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to networks.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
