Apple has unveiled a new version of its popular iPhone built for high-speed wireless networks with faster Internet access and more features for business users. Chief executive Steve Jobs said the price for the mobile device will start as low as 199 dollars, half the cost of its predecessor.
"We've learned so much with the first iPhone. We've taken what we've learned and more and created the iPhone 3G," Jobs said Monday as he demonstrated the new mobile device at the opening of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
The iPhone 3G - for third-generation mobile networks - is designed for faster Internet download and longer talk times, and takes advantage of the high-speed network to provide GPS mapping built in, according to Jobs.
The company will begin rolling out new versions of the sleek smartphone devices July 11 and make it available in 70 countries. The first-generation iPhone is available in six countries.
"The next time you are in Malta and need an iPhone, you will be able to get it," Jobs said. The San Francisco crowd cheered when Jobs announced the iPhone 3G will sell for 199 dollars with eight gigabytes of memory. Apple will charge 299 dollars for a model with 16 gigabytes of memory. The eight-gigabyte iPhone 3G will work twice as fast as its predecessor, according to Apple. Jobs also said iPhone's second-generation software will let business users send and receive Microsoft Exchange email, in a direct shot at rival BlackBerry.
The iPhone 2.0 software update will be free to iPhone users and be available for iTouch iPods for 9.99 dollars. The original iPhone was launched on June 29, 2007, and set off a global buying frenzy. Jobs said Apple has sold six million iPhones to date and predicts Apple will sell 10 million by the end of this year.