In case you hadn’t heard, Apple has made official the iPhone 3G. Here, I will break down the details so you know exactly what’s up. First up, the shape and size is not significantly changed from the original model, though the back is curvier. It comes in 8GB and 16GB models. The 16GB model is also offered in black and white versions. The different colors also indicate that the back is now plastic instead of metal, as Apple found that the signal is slightly retarded through the metal. Everything else is pretty much the same.

Now for the big changes. Instead of just EDGE the iPhone 3G supports UMTS/HSDPA. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth remain, though the hardware was likely firmware updated and gets updated drivers. Apple also added an Assisted GPS unit for full GPS instead of none. The biggest change, however, will be the addition of iPhone OS 2.0. The new iPhone 3G will be available on July 11th and cost US$199 for the 8GB model and US$299 for the 16GB model.

written by Tyler Regas