Lounge of Tomorrow - New iPhone info annoucend today

Since there are a number of iPhone users here, I thought I would share today's news. Nothing astoundingly earth-shattering, but some interesting news none-the-less:

From here:

Quote:

Apple on Monday unveiled a new version of the iPhone. Dubbed the iPhone 3GS, the latest version of Apple’s popular smartphone promises to launch applications and run software faster than the previous model.

“The ‘S’ stands for speed,”...

The new phone sells for $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for a 32GB model. Apple is cutting the price on the current iPhone 3G to $99 for the 8GB phone.

Look for the iPhone 3GS to be available in the U.S. on June 19—two days after the iPhone 3.0 software update arrives.

While the iPhone 3GS looks similar on the outside to the previous 3G model, the new phone offers a brand-new camera that lets you control the focus either by tapping on the screen or using the autofocus feature. In addition, the iPhone’s new camera captures video in addition to still photos—a heavily requested feature among iPhone owners.

In addition, the iPhone 3GS includes a voice-control feature to allow users to speak commands for applications on the phone. Accessibility improvements include VoiceOver support for reading to users and the ability to zoom in on the phone’s display for larger icons.

Enterprise users get a requested feature in the form of hardware encryption. For anyone using an Exchange service of the Find Your iPhone feature in the iPhone 3.0 software update, remote wipe is instantaneous and backups are encrypted.

Apple promises improved battery life with the iPhone 3GS. The new phone offers nine hours of Internet access on Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video, 30 hours of audio playback, 12 hours of 2G talk time, and five hours of 3G talk time.
In keeping with Apple’s ongoing push to tout the environmental friendliness of its products, the company noted that it reduced packaging for the phone by 23 percent. The iPhone 3GS also features arsenic-free glass and a mercury-free LCD; the phone is also free of brominated flame retardant (BFR) and PVC.

Other features announced during Monday’s keynote include a built-in digital compass, and support for the Nike+ fitness accessory.

Macworld will have more details on the iPhone 3GS later today.

And from here (emphasis mine):

Quote:

iPhone 3.0 will be a free release for all iPhone customers — both original iPhone users and iPhone 3G users will be able to download it at no charge once it’s released. iPod touch customers can download the new release for $10, and it will work on first- and second-generation iPod touch models.

Forstall also delved deeper into some capabilities in the new operating system, and took a couple of digs at Apple’s United States cellular partner, AT&T, in the process.

Multimedia Messaging Support (MMS) has been, since the iPhone’s first release, a common request from iPhone users and people considering a switch to an iPhone — it’s a capability many cell phone users take for granted.

Unfortunately, it appears that iPhone users in the United States will be waiting longer for MMS than some other areas. Forstall noted that while iPhone OS 3.0 is capable of MMS, it requires carrier support to implement. Twenty-nine carriers in 76 countries will support MMS at the time of iPhone 3.0’s launch, according to Forstall. AT&T, Apple’s U.S. carrier partner, isn’t among them, at least not initially. AT&T will be ready to support MMS “later this summer,” according to Forstall. That news elicited boos from the crowd.

Tethering is another feature without AT&T. Tethering describes the ability for a Mac or PC to share the iPhone’s Internet connection. This feature is especially handy for mobile travelers who don’t want to be tied to the limited range of a Wi-Fi hotspot, and who haven’t purchased a 3G data card for their laptop. Especially given the absence of ExpressCard expansion slots on Apple’s refreshed 15-inch MacBook Pro line, this will be a bone of contention for some users.