Johannesburg - Cellular group Vodacom said it will launch the new Apple iPhone 3G S in SA in July.

Apple announced on Monday in San Francisco that the new iPhone would be launched in the US on June 19.

"Vodacom will launch the iPhone 3G S, the fastest most powerful iPhone yet, in South Africa in July 2009," said Dot Field, chief communications officer for Vodacom. She could not say the exact date or provide pricing details.

It is also unclear if the network will allow the new tethering feature, which allows you to use the iPhone's internet connection on your computer.

"We think people will love the incredible new features including autofocus camera, video recording and the freedom of voice control," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide product marketing, at the presentation on Monday. Schiller was hosting the event in the absence of Steve Jobs, who is taking a break due to health reasons.

The new iPhone features faster hardware than the current model, a compass to assist in navigation applications and support for 3G HSDPA up to 7.2mbps.

The most significant update to the iPhone, however, is its new operating system which is available for older models of the device too. This makes various new features possible, including copy and paste, MMSs and the ability for iPhone applications to directly address external hardware.

The latter could for example be used in healthcare, where doctors can monitor patients on their phones.

It also has a tracking solution where an owner can see a map of the phone's location on the internet - useful if it is stolen or lost.

Source: Fin24.com        Image: Chillies