Need to Know: Apple’s iPhone 3G S

There's a handy digital compass, which should prove useful for business meetings and when you're meeting friends in new places.

Accessibility is also a key focus, with the iPhone 3G S including a new feature called VoiceOver which can read out what it sees on the screen, whether that be emails, web pages, music or other applications. Universal zoom and White on Black are two other features that make the new iPhone much more accessible to a wider audience.

Of course, those using the iPhone 3G S will also share in the same applications candy shop as other iPhone users in the App Store, which boasts more than 50,00 applications.

To date, more than one billion apps have been downloaded and, following news that they'll be an API for this new handset, it's likely there are developers out there right now cooking up new apps incorporating video and voice for the imminent arrival.

If it's what's inside that counts, I'm sold, but what about the aesthetics?

The iPhone 3G S will have both brains and beauty 16GB and 32GB of brains to be precise. It will share the same glossy and classy coat as its younger iPhone 3G sibling and be available in either black or white.

When can I get my hands on one?

UK users will be able to get their collective mitts on the new iPhone 3G S on 19 June that's a week on Friday. Pricing will be available then to keep us all guessing but in the US, the tag is $199 for a 16GB and $299 for the 32GB version, with the iPhone 3G going down to $99 at the same time.

More than 80 countries around the globe will enjoy their own launch of the iPhone 3G S in the coming weeks.

It looks like the exclusive UK network deal is still in place for O2 too, as the mobile operator is plugging the new handset on its site. Although it is also remaining fairly tight lipped on upgrade or first time buyer pricing.

Those using iTunes 8.2 or later and wielding a current iPhone will be able to get the new iPhone 3.0 OS for free, while iPod Touch users will have to shell out 5.99 for the update.

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Maggie Holland

Maggie has been a journalist since 1999, starting her career as an editorial assistant on then-weekly magazine Computing, before working her way up to senior reporter level. In 2006, just weeks before ITPro was launched, Maggie joined Dennis Publishing as a reporter. Having worked her way up to editor of ITPro, she was appointed group editor of CloudPro and ITPro in April 2012. She became the editorial director and took responsibility for ChannelPro, in 2016.

Her areas of particular interest, aside from cloud, include management and C-level issues, the business value of technology, green and environmental issues and careers to name but a few.