The Apple iPhone 3G was announce in a blaze of glory that eclipsed most of the other smart phones on the market, but it remains to be seen whether Apple has really provided users with exactly what they want. Less than a year after the original iPhone went on sale Apple promises new users of the latest iPhone that they will be given the chance to officially download 3rd party applications through the App store. But how quickly will an unlocked version become available.

The Apple iPhone is an updated smart phone with GPS and a 16 GB memory. The 3G iPhone has a lot to write home about with added support, added GPS, third party applications, and support for a Microsoft Exchange server. Extra 3G support is a massive plus for the iPhone. If the trial speed of data transfer is maintained then users really will be carrying the Internet around in their pocket. At half the price and twice the speed of its forerunners the new 3G versions is sure to be popular.

The new phone is thinner at the edges than the earlier version and slightly thicker in the middle, other measurements remain the same although the 3G is 2grams lighter than its predecessor. It no longer has the recessed headphone jack, which some users found annoying, it is now flush enough for any 3.5mm headphones.

Due to go on sale July the 11th the phone will be on offer in black with 8GB of memory or in black or white with 16GB of memory. Sources suggest that the new iPhone will be available in the UK from Apple, 02 and the Carphone Warehouse.

The 8GB model will be on sale for £99 on a new £30 monthly contract or an existing £35 contract – if you choose the higher tariffs of £45 and £75 a month then you will get the 8GB iPhone free. Prices are quite a bit steeper for the 16GB version with the phone costing £159 on the £30 and £35 tariffs, £59 for the £45 tariff and free on the £75 tariff.

Users will continue to receive unlimited data whatever their tariff although they could find that they will be liable for O2′s excessive use policy. On the upside however you will be able to browse over O2′s HSDPA network and unlimited access to 9,500 Wi-Fi hotspots through BT Openzone and the Cloud.

Although the addition of 3G and GPS make the iPhone 2.0 attractive it is still without some of the basic features found on much cheaper phones, including multimedia messaging and voice messaging.

The first iPhone was available unlocked soon after its launch but this time it will only be available in store rather than through iTunes. So what of the grey market for iPhones and those that are eager to buy one for the discounted contract price in the hope they can get it unlocked?

Well they might be put off even faster than before. Apple have done their best to ensure that their second generation phone is locked right down. With official applications being controlled tightly by Apple, any non-legitimate contract phone will easily be spotted – or more importantly won’t benefit from the full features.