3G iPhone revealed

After months of speculation the odds were pretty safe - Apple has announced the roll-out of the new iPhone™ 3G.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs launched the second generation of the company's incredibly successful handset at the World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco yesterday.

“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “ iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year.”

Faster, cheaper and with a slightly thinner and more curved shape than its predecessor, the new iPhone 3G will initially launch in 22 countries including the US and UK from July 11th before becoming available in more than 70 countries later this year.

Key features of the iPhone 3G include:
• built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services and real-time mapping via Wi-Fi and cell tower location technology
• support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and third party applications already built with the iPhone SDK (Software Development Kit)
• Internet and email via quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA
• supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them
• additional usability features including the ability to use web browsing, GPS, email, or watch video while you are on a call, mass move and delete multiple email messages and save images directly from a web page
• simplified calls. ie. make calls by tapping any phone number in Contacts, Favorites, an email, an SMS text message etc.
• new scientific calculator
• 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback

The iPhone 3G is priced at USD$199 for the 8GB model, and $299 for the 16GB model.

Video of Steve Job's keynote is available at the Apple site.