New Features In iPhone 3G S

With much expectations, Apple finally announced the new iPhone 3G S in WWDC 2009. Yes, it’s here and will be available on Jun 19 in US. For other countries, it will also be available in more than 80 countries in the coming weeks.

Connectivity

On top of the support of EDGE/3G network, the new iPhone also supports 7.2 Mbps HSDPA for faster networking speeds. So, expect to enjoy better download speed for video and better experience for web surfing.

Faster Processor

You know what the “S” stands for? It’s SPEED. The new iPhone comes with a faster processor built-in. According to Apple, it can launch application faster, render webpage in Safari quicker and takes less time to load the email attachment. The iPhone 3G S also improves the graphical performance and supports OpenGL 2.0 that delivers better experience for mobile game. In brief, everything you do on iPhone 3G S is more responsive than that on the predecessor.

Design & Display

iPhone 3G S does not change the design and inherits the same look & feel as the predecessor. The size is exactly the same and the weight increases a bit (only 1 ounce). It’ll still come with both black and white version for 16G & 32G models.

The display also does not change and it’s still with 480-by-320 pixel resolution. But Apple mentioned the display is now equipped with a layer of fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. Let’s see if the coating can really prevent fingerprint.

Nike+ Support

That’s great for those who loves running. Now iPhone 3G S has the built-in support for Nike+. Just pair your iPhone with Nike+ kit and shoe, the iPhone can help to keep track with your workout. Read more here.

Video Recording and Editing

You love Cycorder on jailbroken iPhone, right? Now, Apple brings the video recording capability to iPhone 3G S. You can easily shoot high-quality video in both portrait and landscape mode. Further, you can then share the video via email, publish it to YouTube or sync it back to your PC / Mac. What’s more is iPhone 3G S comes with a simple video editing tool that you can edit the video right on your iPhone. You can simply use finger and drag to adjust the starting and end point of your video. Hit a button to trim and save it.

3 Megapixel Camera With Autofocus

Probably you have compliant about the mediocre performance of iPhone 3G’s camera. Apple now listens to your request and packs the new iPhone with a 3 megapixel camera. In additional to the improved resolution, the camera also features autofocus, auto exposure, and auto white balance.

The autofocus feature is awesome. You can simply tap on any object in the photo and the camera will automatically focus on it. The camera now also supports low-light and macro mode.

Digital Compass

The rumor comes true. The new iPhone comes with a digital compass, which is well-integrated with Google Maps. Now, when you uses Google Maps, it can be automatically rotated to the direction you’re facing. Of course, you can also use the compass on its own.

Voice Control

This is one of the surprising features. You can now place call or play song by “talking to your iPhone”. The voice control can recognize the name in the contact list. Simply say the name to dial or tell iPhone the number you’re going to call. It’ll then do the rest.

The voice control does not only allow you to make call. You can also use it to play song. Just tell the iPhone the name of the song. It’ll then automatically play it. And, say you’re now listening to a song and wanna know the name of it. Simply ask iPhone to tell you the name of that song. Then iPhone will give you the answer. The voice control will not only recognize English. It supports multiple languages such as French, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, etc.

Battery

Another big improvement over the iPhone 3G – a long battery life for the “S” iPhone. As mentioned by Apple, you can enjoy talk time on 2G up to 12 hours or up to 5 hours on 3G. The standby time is up to 300 hours.

For internet use, you can surf the web up to 5 hours on 3G or up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi. For video playback, expect to enjoy up to 10 hour, which is 3 hours longer than iPhone 3G. Also, Apple claims that it can support up to 30 hours audio playback.

Bundled With iPhone OS 3.0

Finally, iPhone 3G S comes with all new features bundled with iPhone OS 3.0. Some of the exciting features include Copy & Paste, landscape keyboard for all applications, Spotlight (system-wide search), Voice Memo, etc.

iPhone 3G S will come with two models: 16GB & 32GB. The two models will be sold at US$199 and US$299 respectively. Again, the iPhone 3G S is not available yet. For US customer, the new iPhone will be available on Jun 19. For international customer, as mentioned by Apple, you should expect it’ll be available in coming weeks.

[Images via Apple]