Is that an iPhone 3G, or are you just happy to see me? iPhone 3G has 3G wireless, GPS, push-email, and costs just US$199.

Jobs unveils iPhone 3G -- with a few secret features

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Danny Gorog10 June 2008, 5:16 AM

Steve Jobs this morning confirmed rumors and announced the next generation iPhone 3G, with real GPS, and a few unexpected features.


As expected, Jobs kicked off the WWDC keynote by rounding up reaction to the iPhone SDK, announced in March. According to Jobs, the SDK has been downloaded more than 250,000 times, with over 10% (25,000) of developers paying to join and be able to publish apps to the iPhone App Store. He said Apple had to restrict access to the program to 4000 developers initially, but is admitting more.

Jobs then highlighted the latest business features in iPhone 2.0, including push email, push contacts, push calendar, auto-discovery, global address lookup and remote wipe. He also highlighted the success of the Enterprise beta program and told the audience of over 5000 developers that 35 percent of Fortune 500 companies had participated in the beta.

Next, Jobs handed the reins over to Scott Forstall, VP of iPhone software (a newly created position) to get the demos rolling. Over the next 45 minutes, Forstall brought developer after developer on stage, all demoing the applications they've written for iPhone 2.0. The software was varied, ranging from full 3D games from Sega and Pangea (games are controlled via the built-in Accelerometer), an eBay app to track auction status and bidding, 2 medical applications, a 'band' application for creating music (also currently available via the Installer app), and a Mobile News Network written by the Associated Press which presents users with news based on their location.

Steve then came back on stage to talk about some of the new features for users in iPhone 2.0, including contact searching, parental controls, iWork and Microsoft Office document support, bulk delete and move of messages, and better language support including two input methods for Japanese and Chinese text. He also discussed the App store, and previewed various ways for users to get apps on to their phone.

Next up, Phil Schiller took the stage to announce MobileMe. As predicted, MobileMe is like 'Exchange' synchronisation 'for the rest of us' and includes over the air syncing of messages, contacts and calendar. MobileMe also lets you store documents and files too, and works with built-in Mac programs, plus Outlook on Windows too. MobileMe replaces .Mac (user accounts will automatically be upgraded) and will be available for US$99 per year, with a 60-day free trial available to new users.

But the real news came at the end of the keynote when Apple announced the iPhone 3G. As expected, it has 3G HSDPA networking on the 850MHz, 1900MHz and 2100MHz frequencies (which means that it can connect to Telstra's Next G network, though it's not yet known whether it supports Telstra's special modulation for long-range communications), as well as real built-in GPS with support for AGPS for faster lock to satellites.

It will be available in over 70 countries, at a price of just US$199 for the 8Gb model ($299 for 16GB). There will not, unfortunately, be a 32GB model -- the iPod Touch currently carries that crown. The iPhone will be available (including in Australia) from 11th July.

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Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Hmmm. No 900MHz HSDPA, which is what Optus and Vodafone were going to use in rural areas as I understand it...
Interesting since Optus and Vodafone seem to be the only 2 stocking the new iPhone.

10 June 2008, 1:15 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

djsflynn (APC staff):

That's a very canny observation, Tin - I suppose this will come in iPhone 3.0, giving both carriers bait for upgrades and contract extensions?

10 June 2008, 1:27 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (User):

I want to see the plans in Australia already! Apparently AT&T are charging more for the iPhone plans than before. So I don't think it'll be cheaper overall somehow.

To add to it, AT&T have said they're now having people sign up for a plan in-store rather than online. This will put a stop to free-riders, and before you can Jailbreak you'll most likely have to sign up to a contract. Thank god I'm already with Vodafone.

@Tin: If you lived in a rural area would you really expect a speedy 3G wireless internet connection? Would you even have an iPhone? In my opinion, although it would be nice, when high speed internet is a person's priority, they shouldn't be living in the bush.

10 June 2008, 3:09 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Administrator):

I think there's a very strong chance Apple will require people to activate in Apple Stores before they take the phone home, too. That would put a complete stop to the unlocking of iPhones en masse.

Of course, that negates Steve Jobs' desire to let people have a smooth and quick in-store purchasing experience for the iPhone, and as such, it _may_ impact the speed at which shops can sell the iPhone.

However, the big upside is Apple HAS an internet-based activation process, rather than the lame, time-consuming paper form-based processes that Australian telcos typically force you to go through.

10 June 2008, 3:19 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting McBanjo:
"If you lived in a rural area would you really expect a speedy 3G wireless internet connection? Would you even have an iPhone?"

I do live in the bush and I intend to buy one... I doubt I'm the only one.
Of course Optus and Vodafone may rethink the way they are rolling out their network if this can't be used faster than GPRS speeds in those areas.

10 June 2008, 3:36 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

djsflynn (APC staff):

Quoting McBanjo:
Apparently AT&T are charging more for the iPhone plans than before.


True, AT&T have bumped its monthly data fee from US$20 to US$30, but that's because the AT&T plan allows unlimited data and you'd have to expect much higher data usage on a 3G HSDPA phone compared to EDGE.


10 June 2008, 3:38 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (User):

Quoting djsflynn:
you'd have to expect much higher data usage on a 3G HSDPA phone compared to EDGE.

Data isn't that expensive in the US. They have more people and they are the internet. Their most significant cost is the infrastructure. In Australia we have the same fixed costs, plus we pay for overseas bandwidth pipelines, with less people. This brings me onto my next point.

The iPhone is going to be really expensive here! Just brace yourself. A few quick sums shows that optimistically I'd be paying (24*$60)+$199=$1639. That's $1190 more than my old $450 iPhone. So $1190 extra and I get 2 years of 3G, telephone, SMS and GPS. This doesn't include my more customised SIM plan, so I'll be paying more for calls and SMS I don't need, no doubt. Still yet, this is very optimistic pricing (we'll probably get less perks too.) I think my old iPhone might have just gone up in value. Apple don't sell them this cheap anymore.

10 June 2008, 11:39 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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