The wait is over, some rumours smashed, others proven true.  The next generation iPhone 3G was announced a few minutes ago by Steve Jobs in his keynote at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.  Of course the iPhone is now a 3G device as expected and it now features a built in GPS.  Read on for all the other juicy details. UPDATE – UK Tariffs just published

All the details you need to know for the new iPhone are in our quick bullet point feature list below.  We’ll post the full text of the press release too once it’s available (expected in a few minutes time)…

New “iPhone 3G” – Quick Details Cheat Sheet Below 

• New 3G Radio – 2.4 to 3.6 times faster real world data speeds
• Built-in GPS Receiver!
• 8GB Version $199 (Black Plastic Back)
• 16GB Version $299 (Black or White Plastic Back)
• Same 3.5″ display as current iPhone (480 by 320 pixel resolution at 163 ppi)
• “Improved” Audio
• Same 2.0 megapixels Camera
• Battery Improvements – 3G Talk time = “industry leading” 5 hours
• 300 hours of standby
• 5 to 6 hours of high-speed browsing
• 7 hours of video
• 24 hours of audio.
• Flush Jack Socket
• No dock included now
• Launching in 70 countrys
• On sale in 22 countries including UK on July 11th
• Ships with Version 2.0 Software (released for Mk1 iPhone “early July”)
• Apps store on iTunes available same date?
• Apps under 10meg can be downloaded over cellular network otherwise its WiFI and iTunes only
• Games – eg 100 level Sega Super Monkey Ball @ $9.99
• eBay launching their own native iPhone App
• Ships with “Loopt” a free location aware social network app
• Ships with free “TypePad” for blogging and photo uploading
• Associated Press free app thats location aware to feed you text and video news stories and even send them stories you’ve found
• New “Push” facility coming in September. Allows apps not running (IM for example) to notifiy you of events
• MobileMe launched – (.Mac relaunched) Exchange like features for Mac users plus web versions $99 per year

Things not mentioned and assumed to still be missing?

• Still no Cut & Paste?
• No mention of tethering to laptop to use as a modem?
• No mention of improved BlueTooth eg A2DP support?
• No front facing camera for Video Chat?
• No mention of Video recording?
• No mention of MMS?

As usual Apple has blown the competition out of the water.  Even if the so called “iphone killers” from the other manufacturers managed to reach the new hardware milestones of the MkII device from Apple, they simply have no answer to bredth and depth of software that’s about to become available.

Apple.com/iPhone  : Watch the Keynote

Apple Introduces the New iPhone 3G

Twice as Fast at Half the Price

SAN FRANCISCO—June 9, 2008—Apple® today introduced the new iPhone™ 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK. In the US the new iPhone 3G is priced at a stunning $199 for the 8GB model, and just $299 for the 16GB model.** iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countries—Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US—on July 11.

“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “ iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year.”

iPhone 3G gives users ever faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. The new iPhone 3G also makes it easier to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications, so with iPhone 3G you can browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while you are on a call.

iPhone 3G includes the new iPhone 2.0 software with both the iPhone SDK and key enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide over-the-air push email, contact and calendar syncing as well as remote wipe and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to corporate networks. The iPhone SDK allows developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch™ user interface, animation technology, accelerometer and GPS technology on the world’s most advanced mobile platform.

iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The App Store on iPhone works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so you can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly. Some applications are even free and the App Store notifies you when application updates are available. The App Store will be available in 62 countries at launch.

Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your Mac® or PC. iPhone 3G delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.

iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe™, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod® touch, Macs and PCs. With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices. With iPhone, you can even snap a photo and post it directly to a MobileMe Gallery to share with friends and family.

iPhone 3G will be available in the US on July 11 for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model and $299 (US) for the 16GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail stores and requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers. iPhone 2.0 software will be available on July 11 as a free software update via iTunes® 7.7 or later for all iPhone customers. For further information about iPhone 3G pricing and availability in the US and internationally, visit www.apple.com/iphone .

*Based on 3G and EDGE testing. Actual speeds vary by site conditions.
**Based on iPhone 3G (8GB) and first generation iPhone (8GB) purchases. Requires new two year AT&T rate plan, sold separately.