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The new iPhone is coming! The new iPhone is coming!

Anticipation mounts for Apple’s latest super-chic gadget
PHOTO COURTESY APPLE
Image by Ashley Goetz
PHOTO COURTESY APPLE

Apple has done so well with the iPhone (itâÄôs the second-best selling smartphone in the nation, behind the Blackberry Curve) that they theyâÄôd be fools not to appeal to our very American tastes and release a new one. Apple plans to release the iPhone 3G S, a stronger, better, faster version of the original 3G on June 19. As is the usual when the technology giant releases any new product, no matter how small, expectations are high and waitlists add names with rapid speed. What will be different this time around? Could the original be improved upon? Well, of course, and tech blogs are buzzing over rumored features. Those with iPhones have complained that you canâÄôt use Web sites requiring Flash, that typing drunkenly is difficult and that the quality of the photos are mediocre at best. The 3G S boasts a 3 megapixel zoom camera that can also shoot video , and the amateur photographer behind the lens can tap to focus the photos as they so desire. And to improve that drunk texting, the keyboard of the 3G S is bigger, so tipsy fingers can spell things almost perfectly. Other features include video editing tools, a sleeker design than its previous generation and a compass system with turn-by-turn directions, like any city driverâÄôs prized Garmin. The 3G S is more handicapped-accessible than its older brother, with features tailored to the needs of the hearing/visually impaired. And because major corporations sometimes extend the branch of friendliness and cooperation, Apple has paired up with fellow giant Nike for workout support. Slip a sensor (available separately, of course) into your running shoe for a Nike-endorsed workout session. Possibly the coolest âÄî and definitely the most drunk-friendly âÄî aspect of the new iPhone is âÄúFind My Phone,âÄù a subscriber-only service that can track your errant telephone with the help of Google Maps, as long as its battery (now with a longer lifespan) is still alive. So if your prized possession, source of dirty texts and Taylor Swift songs goes missing one night, it will be easier to discover that itâÄôs âÄî oh, say âÄî behind the counter at Blarney. Depending on its size, a 3G S will retail from $199 for a 16 gigabyte model to $299 for a 32 gig. The original 3GâÄôs price tag has now been slashed to only $99 âÄî sure to make sales of the chic, black do-it-all spike for those of us who canâÄôt blow half a monthâÄôs rent on a phone. If you own a 3G, donâÄôt fret about it becoming obsolete, because a 3.0 software update will be released June 17. The update will allow 3Gs to run the next generation of applications, like P2P games, and several of the 3G SâÄôs new features, such as the larger keyboard, will be available with the update. The software also brings the capability to cut, copy and paste text and photos from the web or various applications. Finally, it provides an all-phone search, so you can find what youâÄôre looking for within the caverns of your phone with just a few taps of the screen. Since Apple and AT&TâÄôs exclusive contract will expire in 2010, rumors are flying that the iPhone could soon become compatible with a variety of service carriers sooner than previously thought. Will the Apple domination of gizmos continue? ItâÄôs likely.

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