Apple iPhone 3G / Specification

The iPhone 3G, announced at WWDC on June 9, 2008 and released on July 11, was Apple's second-generation iPhone. Its headline additions over the original were tri-band UMTS/HSDPA 3G data and Assisted GPS, enabling much faster downloads and turn-by-turn navigation. It launched alongside iPhone OS 2.0 and the new App Store, Apple's distribution platform for third-party apps. The body switched to a tapered plastic back (clear polycarbonate over black or white paint), and a flush 3.5 mm headphone jack replaced the recessed one on the original.

Internally, however, the 3G was largely carryover. It reused the same Samsung ARM11 processor and PowerVR MBX GPU with 128 MB of RAM, the same 3.5-inch 480x320 HVGA touchscreen, and the same fixed-focus 2 MP camera with no autofocus, flash, or native video recording. Storage came in 8 GB and 16 GB options, with the 16 GB model offered in black or white.

Apple paired these gains with a lower entry price, selling the 8 GB model for $199 on a two-year AT&T contract in the US. The 3G sold one million units in its first weekend and became the best-selling phone domestically by year's end before being succeeded by the iPhone 3GS in June 2009. From about $199.