I looks like the iPhone 3G is going to be a reality, and will be available on or around July 11. The announcement was made by Steve Jobs at the WWDC, and it will no doubt be embraced by iPhone users in general.
There are a number of upgrades and tweaks to the original iPhone.
3G connectivity is now available for faster downloading and browsing. As more apps are developed this will become more of an advantage.
The iPhone 2.0 now incorporates a real GPS. This will be used for Maps and directions, geotagging photos, and more.
The price is much more palatable. The 8g iPhone will cost $199, and the 16g phone will be $299.
Mobile Me keeps your contacts, email, calendar, photos and more in sync over the air. Another great use for the faster 3G connection.
The battery life is improved, with 10 hours of talk time with 3G off, 5 hours with it on. 24 hours of audio listening, 7 hours of video, 6 hours of 3G browsing.
Complete support for Microsoft exchange, enabling a lot of corporate users to use the new iPhone with existing networks.
iPhone 3G adds more language support.
iPhone 2.0 features better email management, contacts search, and lets you view more attachments.
There is now a nice scientific calculator by default on the iPhone.
The software update will be available to current iPhone users, and at a rumored price of $0 (free).
As you can see, Apple is more serious than ever about making the iPhone a choice for both the casual and business user. The minor but needed changes to the original, along with an aggressive pricing model, should help Apple to do exactly that. I am interested in seeing how 3rd party application support plays out, and to see how far they can extend the functionality of a very capable and stylish device.
As it is, Blackberry and Windows Mobile are scrambling to make (and have made) their platforms a more pleasant user experience to compete with the iPhone, which makes mobile devices a more powerful and pleasant experience for everyone.
