2nd-gen, 3G iPhone: same same, but different?

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 26 April 2008 11:42

Mobility

Are the inclusion of GPS, a 3G chipset, a black plastic back that still won’t let you replace the battery and a normal (not recessed) headset socket the only differences in the upcoming 3G iPhone? Or does Steve Jobs still have some iSurprises up his iSleeve?

A report from Engadget’s Ryan Block has the details of what a ‘super secret trusted source’ has leaked about the next gen 3G iPhone.

It appears that Steve Jobs has managed to include some new features with only a slight additional thickness, but there’s still no word on battery life or the amount of storage 3G iPhones will come with as standard.

What Block’s source states is but the bare minimum of detail, but whether it’s true, or not, it’s still interesting to read about and speculate on!

Apparently, those images of a supposed 3G iPhone with black, plastic back are real – but the back isn’t removable – and neither is the battery. Shucks.

That said, there is a real GPS chip inside the iPhone – but whether it’s the fast SiRFstar III which can quickly lock onto GPS satellite signals, or the slower SirRFstar II chip as used in the Nokia N95, which relies on A-GPS to quickly lock onto satellites – is unknown.

The volume buttons are no longer black plastic, but are chrome. The headphone jack will be compatible with any headphones, just like the iPod Touch.

The screen of the phone, and its resolution, seem to be the same as the existing iPhone – something that is good for software makers, and for backwards compatibility with the millions of 2G iPhones out there.

So, when is it rumoured to arrive - and what features haven't we heard of? Please read onto page 2.