While the verdict is still out on how well stocked U.S.-based Apple retail stores will be for this morning's iPhone 3G S launch, some of AT&T's shops are reported to have already run out of their initial allotment of the new handsets.
With Apple's new iPhone 3G S hitting store shelves in Europe overnight, the device was thrown within minutes onto the operating table and gutted, revealing a Samsung-branded system-on-a-chip (SoC) featuring a multi-format codec with untapped HD video playback and capture capabilities.
With just hours to go before the iPhone 3G S reaches its stores, Canadian provider Rogers and its sister brand Fido have promised heavy discounts for existing iPhone 3G customers trading up to the faster model. Also, Apple stores in the country will finally let customers buy the devices there instead of carrier stores.
Apple this week stepped up its efforts to take on rivals Research in Motion and Microsoft in the corporate smartphone market, releasing a lengthy guide aimed at helping system administrators deploy iPhones throughout big businesses while simultaneously taking advantage of over a dozen new enterprise features delivered this week.
Apple, which will launch its new iPhone 3G S handset in eight countries on Friday, is expected to sell half a million of the devices before the weekend is over and sales of the $99 iPhone 3G model are tallied into the mix.
Apple this afternoon lifted its embargo on the new iPhone 3G S and several reviews from well-respected journalists are now online critiquing the highly-anticipated iPhone 3G successor, which goes on sale this Friday, June 19 at Apple, AT&T, Best Buy and Walmart retail stores.
Having already promised to open its retail stores early, Apple now says that all its available stores will start selling the iPhone 3G S even earlier than expected. Also, the Mac maker has released Safari 4.0.1 and Bluetooth Firmware Update 2.0.
AT&T on Wednesday published an open letter to customers on its iPhone 3G S upgrade eligibility program in which it announced that, for a limited time, it will offer early iPhone 3G adopters the opportunity to purchase an iPhone 3G S at the same $199 and $299 price points as new customers.
Apple on Wednesday afternoon formally rolled out iPhone Software 3.0 for existing iPhone and iPod touch customers, delivering some long-requested features such as copy & paste.
Apple has asked that package delivery service UPS hold back stateside shipments of its new iPhone 3G S handset that may have otherwise arrived early, just as the company prepares for an early afternoon launch of iPhone Software 3.0.
Apple on Monday began shipping its new iPhone 3G S handsets to customers who were among the first to place their pre-orders last week following the handset's introduction at the company's annual developers conference.
Signaling a likely repeat of Apple's iPhone sell-outs of the past two years, AT&T is already warning that those making iPhone 3G S pre-orders that they won't get their handsets on launch.
Those who want added protection for their new iPhone 3G S units on launch day will have the option of queuing up at Best Buy to purchase both Apple's device as well as a rare accident insurance plan, albeit one which may cost almost as much as the phone itself.
In marked contrast to the PC market, where differention primarily centers around gigabytes, GHz, and Intel Inside branding, Apple is working to keep attention on the iPhone's software, with a curious avoidance of any mention of the make or specification of its internals, apparently for competitive reasons.
The iPhone 3G S uses a Samsung processor incorporating an ARM Cortex-A8 processor core and Imagination's PowerVR SGX graphics core to achieve a significant new class of speed while remaining backwardly compatible with existing iPhone apps.
Apple has let fans know that its stores around the world will open up to two hours early to accommodate the iPhone 3G S' launch, while those eager to buy their phones at AT&T could receive theirs an hour earlier.
A trio of turn-by-turn GPS navigation system makers said this week they plan to introduce solutions for the iPhone later this year, but Olathe-based Garmin isn't among them, choosing instead to take on the iPhone head-on with its own hybrid cellphone/navigator solution.
One of Apple's wireless partners is confirming Wednesday that the new iPhone 3G S indeed sports an embedded ARM processor that's 50 percent faster that the one employed by its predecessor. Meanwhile, Apple has provided its recommendations for cleaning the the handset, which is finished with an oleophobic coating.
Apple Monday evening made available through its website a QuickTime video stream of its WWDC 2009 keynote address from earlier in the day that ushered in more affordable Mac notebooks and the iPhone 3G S.
At WWDC, Apple revealed a few new details related to its iPhone 3.0 operating system update for existing iPhone and iPod touch users, including its release date set for June 17, 2009. Meanwhile, new information clarifies why U.S. wireless carrier AT&T has delayed support for tethering and MMS features of the software.
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Sam Oliver
Katie Marsal
Neil Hughes
AppleInsider Staff
Slash Lane
Prince McLean
