The new iPhone 3GS has been announced and will be available on June 19th

[Ned]

Here it is. It sounds good to me. It doesn't have everything, but it sure looks a whole lot better than the new Palm Pre in oh so many ways.

The Apple iPhone 3GS (the S stands for speed), will run, on average, up to 2 times faster, according to Apple than the current iPhone 3G.

Here are the other enhancements:

• Improved battery life
• 3-megapixel camera with an auto focus lens. The user simply taps an area of the screen, and the camera focuses on that specific space. (No panorama mode as was rumored)
• Video recording - VGA resolution up to 30fps
• Auto macro mode on camera so it will focus on subjects as close as 10cm from the lens.
• Camcorder app will see some basic video editing, but only for trimming video files to size, not linear editing
• Videos and photos can be sent as MMS messages
• MMS messages will appear in the same thread as text messages (MMS support will be dependent on carrier, and AT&T has yet to announce their new plans for multimedia messaging support.)
• The iPhone 3GS will be able to browse on faster, 7.2Mbps HSDPA networks found in Europe, so when you travel, the phone will take advantage of the speeds. AT&T is supposed to start rolling out HSDPA this year, starting on the East Coast.
• The iPhone 3GS will now have built-in Nike+ support, a feature iPod touch users already have
• The new iPhone 3GS will see some robust Voice Control features added.
• In addition to speaker independent voice dialing, users will be able to control iTunes and other apps on the phone.
• The new iPhone 3GS will have 16GB and 32GB model
• The new iPhone will have a seamless tethering option, with no software will be necessary to establish a network connection to use the iPhone 3GS as either a tethered Bluetooth modem or a USB modem, however, AT&T has to activate that since it is carrier dependent, and so far they haven't indicated one way or the other if they will do that.

That seems to be it.

[JOFTAA]

Sounds like a big "who cares" if you are already an iPhone customer.

http://www.iphonealley.com/news/ipho...to-iphone-3g-s

I have an iPhone, but I use it with T-Mobile. None of the high prices for using the phone. I have unlimited calling and texting for $50 a month. Access to the Internet is $7 a month.

Looks like AT&T is really putting the screws to people.

[AaronK]

I've been considering an iPhone for when my current contract with Verizon is up. However, I have been happy with Verizon and the only reason to switch to AT&T would be the iPhone.

I've heard rumors that next year when AT&T's exclusive contract is up, that there is a chance for a Verizon iPhone. At that point, I may bite the bullet.

Ned, my guess is that though Apple will allow "tethering" AT&T will unlock it, for an extra XXX a month. I think PDA2Net would still be the best option.

[JOFTAA]

Originally Posted by AaronK

.... AT&T will unlock it, for an extra XXX a month. I think PDA2Net would still be the best option.

You can unlock it yourself for free. I've unlocked my iPhone the day I got it. Never used AT&T in my life. If anyone has an iPhone and wants it unlocked, let me know.

[AaronK]

An unlocked iPhone will not work on the Verizon network, so it still doesn't do me any good unless I'm going to change providers.

[Ned]

At this time AT&T is not allowing tethering, and have no plans to unlock it for a fee. PDA2Net is an excellent product.

I'm not so sure AT&T isn't going to be able to negotiate a new contract, which they are attempting to do at this time, but even if they don't, at this time AT&T has no CDMA phone. Apple would have to start doing a new chip set and make everything in the phone compatible with that. That would involve a lot of expense. We'll see about that. Eventually it will happen, but interestingly enough, the Verizon service advantage will be essentially gone by then, so there will be less pressure on AT&T by then.

Right now, across the US, there are significant pockets where Verizon coverage is better than AT&T, and substantial areas where Verizon signal strength inside is great and AT&T is awful. The difference is going away as AT&T's program to move most of signals to their lower frequencies will make it penetrate buildings better than their upper frequencies, plus lower frequencies travel further than high one, which will improve the overall coverage of AT&T.

The frequency issue is also why Verizon and AT&T have better coverage and penetration than Sprint and T-Mobile, as those companies' frequencies are higher than Verizon and AT&T.

The reason I'm looking to move to Apple is that Palm has abandoned the Palm OS with high level phones, and the Pre has so many shortcomings that it's just not a consideration at all, especially for travelers. As someone who goes outside the country, why would I want Sprint as my main carrier! I could use a Windows Mobile device, but they stink as the OS stinks. I could use Blackberry, but for my use, they have a significant number of shortcomings.

Originally Posted by AaronK

I've been considering an iPhone for when my current contract with Verizon is up. However, I have been happy with Verizon and the only reason to switch to AT&T would be the iPhone.

I've heard rumors that next year when AT&T's exclusive contract is up, that there is a chance for a Verizon iPhone. At that point, I may bite the bullet.

Ned, my guess is that though Apple will allow "tethering" AT&T will unlock it, for an extra XXX a month. I think PDA2Net would still be the best option.

[Ned]

There is significance here as the new iPhone will have HSDPA which is the full implementation of 3G. AT&T will have HSDPA in a lot of the Northeast by the end of the year most of the large cities by the end of next year, and across the country by 2011. The old iPhone can only run on the slower implementation of 3G, which is the same implementation T-Mobile has in the US.

T-Mobile is less expensive than AT&T but in many areas its building penetration is poor, and I've been in a few areas where its coverage was bad enough that people had a tough time calling. T-Mobile is generally good in all urban areas, but fall short of AT&T and definitely Verizon in more rural areas.

In the PHL area, T-Mobile is very much an also-ran due to coverage and penetration.

Originally Posted by JOFTAA

Sounds like a big "who cares" if you are already an iPhone customer.

http://www.iphonealley.com/news/ipho...to-iphone-3g-s

I have an iPhone, but I use it with T-Mobile. None of the high prices for using the phone. I have unlimited calling and texting for $50 a month. Access to the Internet is $7 a month.

Looks like AT&T is really putting the screws to people.

[AaronK]

The rumor mill was that Apple had hired CDMA engineers to develop a CDMA iPhone.

Time will tell.

[JOFTAA]

Originally Posted by AaronK

An unlocked iPhone will not work on the Verizon network, so it still doesn't do me any good unless I'm going to change providers.

Nope. That is because T-Mobile and AT&T are GSM cellular networks. Verizon, Sprint/Nextel are CDMA. They are not compatible. The GSM phones use a SIM, the CDMA do not. Among the differences.

[Ned]

I think they will eventually, but world wide, GSM has so many more users that it makes development of CDMA phones much more expensive when you amortize the costs.

Originally Posted by AaronK

The rumor mill was that Apple had hired CDMA engineers to develop a CDMA iPhone.

Time will tell.