Steve Jobs didn’t make his Apple return at the Worldwide Developers Conference, but the company kept the buzz machine humming with a brand-new iPhone and some value-added pricing.
The iPhone 3GS is up to twice as fast as the iPhone 3G. It offers twice the capacity for the same price with a 16GB model for $199 and a 32GB model for $299. The iPhone 3G is now available at $99 for the 8GB model.
The latest iPhone is based on the new iPhone OS 3.0. Just-introduced features include Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight Search, and a landscape keyboard. Hardware-wise, the “S” offers longer battery life, a three-megapixel autofocus camera, video recording, and hands-free voice control.
“iPhone 3GS is the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, and we think people will love the incredible new features, including autofocus camera, video recording, and the freedom of voice control,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. “And with a breakthrough price of $99, we are thrilled to get iPhone 3G into the hands of even more users who want them.”
Enhanced Multimedia Experience
The iPhone 3GS offers an enhanced multimedia experience. The three-megapixel camera adjusts focus, exposure, color and contrast, and includes an automatic macro focus for extra-close shots. A new “tap to focus” feature lets users touch the display to select an object or area of interest. The camera then automatically readjusts focus and exposure.
Users can also record high-quality video clips and edit them right on the iPhone 3GS by trimming the start and stop points. The device also lets users send photos and video by e-mail or MMS and post them to MobileMe or YouTube with a tap on the screen.
Meanwhile, the voice-control feature in iPhone 3GS paves the way for hands-free operation for both iPhone 3GS and iPod touch functions….