Apple's speedier, feature-rich new iPhone 3GS

As widely rumored, Apple today announced a new version of the iPhone. The new iPhone 3G S, the company claims, has double the connection speed and maximum capacity of its predecessor, the iPhone 3G. That older model will stay on the market, with its price cut to $99, a new low for an iPhone.

Unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, the 3G S—"the S stands for speed"—will be available June 19 and will cost $199 in a 3216GB version and $299 in a 6432GB version—the largest iPhone capacities yet. Battery life was also boosted, to almost double the levels of the 3G; Apple claims the 3G S will run for up to 9 hours on the 3G network, up from 5 hours for the iPhone 3G.

The new phone will also add several features notably absent from iPhones until now: the ability to shoot video and to control the phone with your voice. There's also the ability to edit videos for length and post them to YouTube and other sites.

The device also adds text-to-speech capability, a nicety featured on the Amazon Kindle, and a compass to enhance maps and GPS navigation.

GPS capabilities were also given an upgrade via a new iPhone App from Tom Tom, a leading manufacturer of GPS units (see our Ratings of GPS units, available to subscribers). Available sometime this summer for an undisclosed price, the new GPS application will, for the first time, allow iPhone owners to receive turn-by-turn directions.

That enhanced GPS capability was the highlight of announcements related to the new iPhone 3.0 operating system. The new OS will also allow you to download videos from iTunes directly to your iPhone. Other disclosures about iPhone 3.0, such as the ability to cut-and-paste text and enhancements to search, mostly echoed those announced earlier this year.

In addition to its video capability, the camera on the 3G S sports more advanced controls than previous iPhone cameras, including autofocus and auto white-balance. The camera also has macro capability to shoot subjects as close as four inches away. It also uses touchscreen capability to allow you to select the subject to focus on; you simply tap where the subject appears on the screen.

The 3G S measures about 4.5 inches by 2.4 inches by .48 inches—which is virtually identical to the older 3G. Weights are identical, at 4.8 ounces —Mike Gikas and Paul Reynolds