Apple announces iPhone 3G S, demos voice control interface

Damian Koh | Jun 09, 2009

(Credit: Apple)

Apple sure knows how to keep its fans waiting.

After a lengthy demo on third-party applications and the new features of the iPhone 3.0 software (some were already announced earlier in January), the Cupertino company finally unveiled its next-generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G S. The letter S here stands for speed.

There hasn't been any changes on the design front, but it's entirely different under the hood. The iPhone 3G S will be available in black and white with prices at US$199 and US$299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively. It will be out first in the US (and seven other countries) on June 19 and is slated for launch in a total of 80 countries by August. The earlier 8GB iPhone 3G also gets a price cut to US$99. The iPhone 3.0 software which will be available worldwide on June 17, is free for current iPhone users, while first- and second-generation iPod touch owners will have to fork out US$9.95 for the upgrade.

New features on the iPhone 3G S include a 3-megapixel autofocus camera (up from 2 megapixels on the iPhone 3G) with auto white balance, touch focus, enhanced low light performance and a 10cm macro mode. It'll also capture VGA-resolution video (with audio) at 30 frames per second. Developers can now include video capture into their apps with an API.

In addition to that, a new voice control interface that lets users make calls as well as control iTunes was also introduced on the iPhone 3G S. This is activated by holding down the Home button and you can ask "What song is playing" or command it to play tunes similar to the one you are currently listening to.

There's also a built-in digital compass for map orientation, support for Nike Plus and remote-wipe feature on the iPhone 3G S. Battery life has been improved with up to 5 hours of talktime on 3G and 9 hours of Web browsing using Wi-Fi.

Filed under: Mobile Phones
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azafirster

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azafirster says...
Cool... but the battery life is still behind the competition.... somehow the features shown here.. well.... i think everyone else done it already.... so who wants to buy old tech, please raise your hand? Apparently i would.... sigh ... USD$199 for old tech (except the compass).

Jun 09, 2009 09:55

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zlh

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zlh says...
But when is it coming to Singapore?

Jun 09, 2009 10:09

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Devlin

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Devlin says...
If you think about it there really isn't anything else Apple can add to the iPhone after they launched the 3G. I knew that coming into this so I really wasn't expecting as huge a leap forward as the jump from the 1st gen iPhone to the 3G-enabled 2nd gen. Despite that I opted to pre-order the 3G S instead of the getting the older 8- or 16GB models that are still around because I don't expect a major change next year. They might change the case and upgrade to an OLED screen but I don't think we'll see a dramatic change till the 5th gen device. Here's hoping I actually keep the S for two years!

Jun 09, 2009 12:40

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