Apple rings the changes with the iPhone

In one of the most anticipated gadget announcements in recent years, Apple at Macworld on Tuesday introduced the “iPhone”, a mobile device that chief executive Steve Jobs promised will reinvent the phone.

The Mac OS X-based iPhone is most akin to an iPod in design, but allows users to listen to music, make phone calls, send text messages and email, surf the web, and take and upload photos, all using a wide touchscreen and a single button. Apple plans to make the device available in the US in June, with a 4GB model going for $499 (?Ǭ£257) with a two-year service contract, and an 8GB model with the same contract for $599 (?Ǭ£308).

The iPhone was announced during a two-hour keynote in which Jobs also announced the expected Apple TV, previously known by its code name “iTV”, as well as a name change for the company.

He surprised many by continuing to refer to the new mobile device as the iPhone, a trademark that is owned by Cisco Systems. Apple has apparently been in discussions with Cisco over use of the iPhone trademark for some time, but it is unclear what Apple’s use of the name will mean for either company.

Full article: ZDNet.co.uk