iPhone Hip

Archive for June, 2009

Apple starts to sell an iPhone for$99 and rolled out new laptops for $300 less than previous models. Apple unveiled two new models of the iPhone — the 3G S — that will sport a faster processor and sought-after features like an internal compass, a video camera and an improved photo camera. A 16-gigabyte version of the 3G S will cost $199 and a 32-gigabyte model will be $299. The 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G, which came out last year, will be cut to $99 from $199.

The iPhone news highlighted a two-hour presentation by Apple executives at their annual conference for software developers.

Despite anticipation that he might make a cameo, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not take the stage. He is due back from his medical leave at the end of this month.

The newest iPhones go on sale June 19, just as two-year contracts for the buyers of the original models are expiring and Apple’s phone faces tougher competition from the likes of Research in Motion Ltd. and Palm Inc.

Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple were down 90 cents, 0.6 percent, at $143.77 in afternoon trading.

Lowering the price of the least expensive iPhone could be risky for Apple — a bet that the new versions have enough appealing features to keep higher-priced models selling briskly. AT&T Inc., the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S., said today it’s confident its wireless profit margins will hold steady overall.

AT&T shares were down 3 cents at $24.53.

Apple might also be banking on expanding the profits it reaps from taking 30 percent of the revenue from downloadable applications on the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

In the updates to the MacBook line, Apple showed off a MacBook Pro laptop with a 13-inch screen that starts at $1,200. A 15-inch model sells for $1,700 and up — both $300 less than existing similar models. The company also lowered the price on its ultra-thin MacBook Air to $1,500 from $1,800.

Multi-touch display with full QWERTY soft keyboard
Safari web browser
Email access
Built-in Wi-Fi
Holds up to 3,500 songs
Up to 22 hours of music playback
Up to 5 hours of video playback
4.2 ounces
4.3 x 2.4 x 0.31 inches
Apple Earphones
USB cable
Dock adapter

Storage and song capacity 16GB (3,500 songs)
Battery life Up to 22 hours of music playback; up to 5 hours of video playback
Display 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
Ports Dock connector, stereo minijack
Connectivity USB through dock connector; component and composite video through dock connector (with AV cables, sold separately); audio through headphone jack
Wireless data Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
Charge time About 3 hours (1.5-hour fast charge to 80% capacity)
Audio support AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF
Photo support Syncs iPod-viewable photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats
Video support H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
Software Safari, Calendar, Contacts, You Tube, Clock, Calculator, Mail, Google Maps, Weather, Stocks, Notes
Size 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.31 inches
Weight 4.2 ounces
Included accessories Earphones, USB cable, dock adapter, polishing cloth, stand