REUTERS

By Scott Hillis

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc on Monday unveiled a next-generation iPhone with faster Internet access that will run on advanced wireless networks and sell for as low as $199 -- half the current entry-level price.

Shares of Apple, after strong recent gains partly driven by anticipation of the new iPhone, fell 2.2 percent after Chief Executive Steve Jobs confirmed the new iPhone' s release.

Shares of Palm Inc, maker of the Treo, a rival high-end smart-phone, fell 4 percent.

Improved e-mail features for the iPhone are intended to woo business people, while its ability to run on faster networks is key to Apple' s push to gain market share in Europe and Asia.

" It' s amazingly zippy," Jobs said, showing off the encore to a device that melds a mobile phone, iPod media player and Web browser. The new iPhone, available in black and white, loads Internet pages about 2.8 times faster than the original, he said.

Analysts said it would change the stakes in the mobile market given its price, business-oriented services, and speed.

" It changes the game for all smart-phone makers," said Tim Bajarin, head of Creative Strategies, referring to the price.

An entry-level version of the new iPhone, with 8 gigabytes of memory, will cost $199, versus $399 for an older-generation iPhone with similar memory. A version of the new iPhone with twice the memory will cost $299. Both will go on sale in 22 countries on July 11.

I' m tempted to buy one now. Still not sure though. I feel royally screwed that they' ve basically made my touch obsolete.

I' m still never buying another iPod again. Fuck ' em. The Samsung P2 16GB is looking nice as my next MP3 player.

I was offered my friend' s Blackberry for $100 because he' s getting the new iPhone. I might just go for that.

Do Blackberrys play music?

Probably not. I really don' t need to worry about the music aspect of it though as I have an iPod Touch. I currently carry my phone and touch at all times. I really don' t need them integrated. If I got an iPhone my touch would be useless and I' d rather not have that happen. I' m thinking that Blackberry is the way to go.

Ghost, I like your taste in media players. That thing is sexy.

Super Monkey Ball looks great on it.

I just read of this new iphone 3G with App Store
Expected release July 11th.

" In addition to the iPhone' s multi-touch screen, tilt sensor, and accelerometer, the faster 3G network can also be used for gaming"
iPhone Games: Super Monkey Ball, Spore, Peggle, and Pac-Man have already been announced.

ORIGINAL: Rampage99

Probably not. I really don' t need to worry about the music aspect of it though as I have an iPod Touch. I currently carry my phone and touch at all times. I really don' t need them integrated. If I got an iPhone my touch would be useless and I' d rather not have that happen. I' m thinking that Blackberry is the way to go.

That is the craziest shit I' ve ever heard someone say! Well, not really, but still...!

I love my iPhone, and I can' t wait until the 2.0 update! I like listening to music, and then the music fades out and the phone starts ringing! I used to hate that about separate devices! I used to have to put my cell phone somewhere I could see it when I worked out so I wouldn' t miss a call! That' s whack!

Integration is what the iPhone is all about, as far as I' m concerned. Just carrying one little device for a phone, iPod, AND portable internet! And, trust me, it makes a BIG difference not having to use WiFi to surf!

Think about this, also; they' re putting games on it. I know it doesn' t sound like a big deal, but lets ponder this for a second. The functionality for playing games on the iPhone/Touch is pretty sweet. What if it were to really take off as a gaming device? What if it gets hundreds and hundreds of sweet games? Now you don' t have to carry a DS or PSP either! That' s a LOT of spare room in your pocket(s)!

Well if I get an iPhone I' m going to feel like the $400 I spent on the Touch was a complete waste. Honestly, integration isn' t all that important to me for a phone. I don' t need a music player and phone in one. I mean it wouldn' t hurt to have them together but it' s not killing me having them apart.

The internet thing is something I really question. I hate the internet. I sit on it all day for work. The internet sucks my life away. It' s almost one in the morning and I should be sleeping but here I am on the internet. When I' m away from the computer I' m happy to be away from it. All I need is another device that leashes me to the internet. Then on top of the the monthly charge for the data plan is going up by $10. It' s going to be $30 a month for the internet access on top of the regular phone plan. That' s like adding an extra 50% to my monthly bill.

The game thing really doesn' t interest me. I had my Touch hacked for a while and I hated playing games on it. I' m not that big of a portable gamer so the iPhone games really don' t do anything for me.

ORIGINAL: Rampage99

The game thing really doesn' t interest me. I had my Touch hacked for a while and I hated playing games on it. I' m not that big of a portable gamer so the iPhone games really don' t do anything for me.

Were they proper games or just Tetris clones, Mahjong, and the like?

Honestly, I' m not that big on portable gaming either, but sometimes it would be nice to have something to do on break when nobody interesting is on break with me. I get four 30 minute breaks a day, so I need to find something to do other than eating!