NEW: iPhone 3GS - The S is for Speed

[Kyle Matthews]

WWDC is fun, huh? Today saw the official announcement of the iPhone 3GS.

Available June 19th, the iPhone 3GS is billed as "the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet."



Here's the key points:

• 2 sizes. 16GB in black or white, $199 | 32GB in black or white for $299.
• REQUIRES a new 2 year agreement for those prices. Upgrading AT&T users will pay $599 for the 16GB or $699 for the 32GB, even if you're replacing an iPhone 3G. (pf edit: check note below re:this price)
• Video Recording in VGA up to 30fps, with built in editing features.
• 3MP camera with auto-focus.
• Compass.
• Landscape Keyboard.
• Battery life on 2G and WiFi increased. 3G battery life remains the same as on the iPhone 3G.
• Audio playback increased from 24 hours per charge to 30. Video increased from 7 to 10.

photo credit to Gizmodo

EDIT: There's some chatter in the thread about AT&T actually offering iPhone upgrades at a lower price than quoted in this article. Upon checking out the AT&T website, it looks like the $349 and $299 upgrade prices are for the CURRENT iPhone 3G, NOT the 3GS - AT&T does NOT have the iPhone 3GS listed on their site yet (June 8, 11:45PM EST). HOWEVER, if you log in through Apple's website, they ARE offering existing users a lower price (see below graphic) of $399.00 for the 16GB iPhone 3G S (black or white) and $499.00 for the 32GB iPhone 3G S (black or white) on renewals (plus an $18 upgrade price).

[zinjen]

Wow what a depressing event... was really looking forward to a frontal camera.

It looks almost exactly the same? No hardware spec's either?

[NessLookAlike]

Maybe this isn't a viable upgrade for some iPhone 3G users, but my iPod Touch 1G and my Motorola RAZR v3 are starting to lose their appeal.

[ALL DAY]

Niiice. Missing a few things though, but it looks nice, see you all June 19th.

[xwinger]

how disappointing that's like the worst thing. It's like the exact same. Come on apple.

I'm praying that they will surprise us with a totally different iPhone later this summer.

How could every rumor be fake? Depressing...

[nighthawk311]

Can't believe they are gonna charge us full price if we already own the 3g. That is total BS. Looks like I'll be waiting another year til my contract is up.

[austin5678]

Wow, we've been waiting a long time for this but i didnt think they'd announce it on the first day of WWDC.

Looks like a lot of the rumors were true, like all the video rumors, the compass and the bigger size.

I wonder if they'll announce more features before they release it or is that it?

I found some kind of commercial on it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4hCWrqcjc

[GrabYourWeapons]

[*]REQUIRES a new 2 year agreement for those prices. Upgrading AT&T users will pay $599 for the 16GBor $699 for the 32GB, even if you're replacing an iPhone 3G.

LAME!! :-( Guess I won't be getting one. That's too expensive!

[jm12345]

Man I have a hard time believing this is the new iPhone. Its faster yes, but its the same design with a lot of the same features. "If it ain't broke don't fix it" theory here with the sales, but I just can't figure it out why they kept the same design.

Then again, you think they would show their cards on the first hand (being a Monday)?

I will stick with my 2G.

[ks503]

Eat a **** apple.

[sayam]

Apple must not expect any queues this time!

[oo3]

Wow...now i definitely won't upgrade if i can't pay the subsidy price...booooooo.

[thetoothfairy]

For the upgrading part for Att users I am so heart broken! I can not believe that they are not giving us a price break like last year..... I am sooooo sadden by all of this.... I truly am.... they probably did this to us because they already have us hooked into another year with them....

I could not believe my eyes.... really I could not when I read that.... almost makes me sick to my stomach...

With times still like they are I can not believe the prices for the 16 and 32..... Apple the times have not got any better! There are many people that don't have this kind of money! What are you thinking? You must not want to sell many of them this year?????

[eballesq]

Pretty disappointing, actually. Particularly the way they've screwed over existing 3G owners.

[dmt123]

What a way to screw over 3g users by making them pay full price.

[xwinger]

Wow, we've been waiting a long time for this but i didnt think they'd announce it on the first day of WWDC.

Looks like a lot of the rumors were true, like all the video rumors, the compass and the bigger size.

I wonder if they'll announce more features before they release it or is that it?

I found some kind of commercial on it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=tK4hCWrqcjc

Are you kidding me barely any of the rumors were correct

[JayZhar]

VERY disappointing. Absolutely no aesthetic change. We shouldn't expect much anyway from Apple, all these "updates" should have been on the 2G model to begin with. They're just playing catch up.

[jwalkd9]

The phone features are cool but it this is total BS that I can't effin upgrade my iPhone 3G to iPhone 3GS without paying $600 or $700. Apple and ATT don't realize how much this is going to hurt them. I bet many people like me updated their iPhone 2G to the iPhone 3G last year and got the subsidized price and those people wish to do the same this year for the 3GS BUT AREN'T because ATT is being retarded and won't let us do that.

[simes6600]

gutted. No OLED screen! basically a 3G with a better camera. stickin to my 2G

[pechon]

I want one, but don't know how Telefonica (CHILE) is going to manage Upgrades from iPhone 3G to 3GS, guess the high price of an Upgrade is going to be the issue for most of US.