14 DAY TRIAL // The iPhone is the new mobile phone/multimedia device announced by Apple this January. It's set to be launched in June, in the United States. There are at least three months until the first iPhones hit the shelves. Well, words of the iPhone sequel have already been spoken, despite the fact the very first iPhone will only be available in three months time.
News today reported that a Swedish company has received confirmation from the provider that they will be sent the iPhones as soon as September and that the new 3G version of the gadget will be available starting January 2008. This would mean a significant revision for the iPhone in as little as half a year from the official launch.
Words of the 3G iPhone have been spoken by the Apple CEO Steve Jobs himself in his Macworld keynote, but no other information was given regarding the upgrade. The 3G version of the device would probably be available in Europe alone at first, since cellphone networks in the US offer very little 3G support.
Third-generation wireless Internet access (3G) is a technology that adds a set of extra channels for non-voice data to the cellphone network. This boosts speeds up a lot, especially for uploads, that are very slow in 2G networks. 3G enables video calls and large uploads and allows a much faster Internet connection. The 3G iPhone would have a front-facing camera to be used in video calls.
The 3G support is perhaps one of the most criticized of the iPhone's lacks, but surely is not the only one. Will the platform and the battery issues also be addressed in this second generation iPhone, or will they limit the improvements to 3G. These are questions that are still to be answered.
For more information on the iPhone keep your eyes on this space. Oh, if only I got one penny each time I wrote the word iPhone...