THANKS TO WIRED MAGAZINE FOR THIS INFORMATIVE ARTICLE ON THE LATEST MAJOR NEWS ON THE NEW APPLE IPHONE 3GS AND THE GREAT PRICE POINTS FOR ALL iPHONES COMING IN THIS MONTH (JUNE)…
By Brian X. Chen and Priya Ganapati
Apple delivered several major announcements in rapid fire Monday, including iPhone and MacBook upgrades, significant price cuts and an in-depth look at its next-generation operating system.
The most anticipated announcement was the iPhone 3GS smartphone, successor to Apple’s popular iPhone 3G. The “S” stands for speed, referring to the performance boost of the new iPhone — up to two times faster than its predecessor, according to Apple.
Other items that inspired “wows” from the audience revolved around price. The current iPhone 3G is remaining in the lineup with a $100 price tag — down from $200. Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Apple’s next-generation Mac OS, will cost $30 for current Leopard users. Also, Apple upgraded the hardware of its MacBooks and lowered their prices by hundreds of dollars…
The big star of WWDC was iPhone 3GS, whose improvements are internal, as the overall physical design remains the same as its predecessor’s. The 3GS introduces a digital compass for improved GPS navigation, enabling the iPhone Maps app to display directions based on which direction a user is facing. Another major addition to the handset is an improved, 3-megapixel camera, which includes autofocus, auto-white-balance and video-recording capabilities.
A less-expected new feature of iPhone 3GS is a voice-control interface. By loading an app, users will be able to dictate commands to perform various tasks, such as calling a contact or playing a song in the phone’s iTunes library.
Looking ahead, the iPhone 3GS includes support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA — a faster, next-generation network standard that many carriers plan to adopt. The 3GS will cost $200 for the 16GB model and $300 for the 32GB model.
Apple is aiming to i-vangelize as many consumers as possible by offering its current iPhone 3G smartphone for $100 beginning today. Gartenberg said this price cut is significant because it will force rivals to devise new solutions to compete.
Though the new iPhone 3GS does not come with a new look, it will still attract early adopters, Bajarin said. The price drop on the current iPhone 3G to $100 should also help expand the company’s market share in the smartphone segment. The revamped lineup of phones should help Apple pull ahead of competitors like the newly launched Palm Pre and the BlackBerry phones, Bajarin said.
“Apple is staying in the same price point as its earlier iPhone 3G, which is where all its volumes were,” Bajarin said. “Right now they are just giving buyers a range of pricing options for their phones.”
“With all the new features, the iPhone is really a Mac in a pocket,” he added. “The difference between the iPhone now and the Pre or the BlackBerry is night and day.”
***Improvements to Camera. 3-megapixel autofocus camera. Also: Auto-focus, auto-white balance, auto-exposure. Also low-light sensitivity is improved. Auto-macro. Macro photo of something as close as 10 cm away. Best thing about this camera: It also captures video.***
The iPhone 3G and new MacBooks begin selling today with their new price tags. The iPhone 3GS is shipping June 19 — two days after the launch of the iPhone 3.0 operating system. September is the scheduled release for Snow Leopard.
3G for $99 starts today
iPhone 3GS ships June 19
Technorati Tags: 3G, Apple iPhone 3GS, iPhone with video, new iphone
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