iPhone 2.0 free in early July for all iPhone owners, $9.95 for iPod touch

Steve just ran through a bunch of features of iPhone 2.0, and while we saw most of them back in March, some of them were new, like being able to draw in Chinese characters. There's also new support for iWork documents and better Office doc support, as well as new abilities to save images from email to the photo library, and new contact search functions. There's also finally bulk delete and edit of email / SMS, and the App Store will be making it to 62 countries, up from 22 in March.

Looking through the gallery now live on Apple's site, there are some other changes as well: the Maps app now has a slightly different "peel back" icon, there's a new 3G icon (obviously), and the calendar app has been redesigned, probably to work better with MobileMe.

Firmware 2.0 will hit in July free for iPhone owners (we'd say July 11, when the 3G iPhone launches, is a good bet) and the price has dropped to $9.95 for iPod touch owners -- still high, but better than the $19.95 we heard in March.

[Anthony H. @ Jun 9th 2008 2:10PM]

iPod Touch owners still have to pay?!
Ridiculous..

[Flashpoint @ Jun 9th 2008 2:15PM]

"MAXIMUM STRENGTH"

*punches Steve Jobs in the face*

[Flashpoint @ Jun 9th 2008 2:18PM]

I'm using an iPhone 4GB I bought off Ebay for $318 (total)

Since I demand I continue to use my Cingular SIM Card (which the city pays all the fees off), I just wonder how long I'll have to wait until unlocked iPhone 2.0's begin appearing on Ebay.

considering how many turkeys still desire an iPhone, I should manage to sell the one I have for between 85% ~ 100% of the price I paid for it.

(low ranking this post changes nothing BTW)

[Flashpoint @ Jun 9th 2008 2:22PM]

I like the ability to draw Chinese but the sad truth is, NO PROGRAM ON IPHONE will be able to completely allow quick Chinese text messaging. Chinese people use either a Pin Yin character generator or a stroke order generator on their phones.

The Iphone, as well as the Blackberry would be TERRIBLE for that. The easiest chinese character text messaging devices are regular candybar phones that have the strokes on the keys.

If you don't believe me, try downloading iChinese from the app tap Installer. ITS HORRIBLE.
To type Chinese, I use Chinese Star 2000.

Its bout time my college Chinese lessons - and my study abraod in Shanghai/Beijing/Hang Zhou PAID OFF !!!!

[Vasco @ Jun 9th 2008 3:02PM]

voting you down does nothing but proves you're a useless tool.

[Mike B @ Jun 9th 2008 5:09PM]

You have to be joking! This goes for all the unhappy Touch users:
Your lucky to get an upgrade at all.
You don't pay $80/month to use it.
If you cant pay 10 bucks for an upgrade: what the hell are you doing with a $300 mp3 player?

No other phone/mp3 player/camera/PDA get such a substantial upgrade.
Name one or stop whining.

[Jackson Pritt @ Jun 9th 2008 5:44PM]

@MikeB
"No other phone/mp3 player/camera/PDA get such a substantial upgrade.
Name one or stop whining."

The iPod Touch doesn't have a phone or camera.
Plenty of PDAs get similar upgrades for free.

You want an example? Ok, what about... THE iPHONE.

[hello @ Jun 9th 2008 9:50PM]

i thought i could get a free iphone 3g and a touch for $9.95 after reading the title.

:'(

[Mobile Phone Diva @ Jun 10th 2008 5:04AM]

Actually Mike B., the Samsung P2 does get substantial upgrades and they're FREE!

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 9th 2008 2:11PM]

why are the innocent ipod touch owners being charged???
they already pay a lot for that...

[Ace b @ Jun 9th 2008 2:32PM]

So do the iPhone users.

And they have to be in a 2 year contract.

And they have to be in a ridiculous 60 buck contract with only 400 mins.80 if you actually want some internet.

Be happy you can actually update the ipod touch without buying a totally new one.

[ChillyWilly @ Jun 9th 2008 2:58PM]

I still have issues with this, but after many people here and on gizmodo explained the accounting that Apple uses (which is their choice, bound in some ways by Sarbanes-Oxley), charging for the upgrades is needed. Personally, I think Apple could find another option for not having to charge for these things. If you are looking at it from a positive perspective, I was expecting them to charge $20 for this. $10 is not perfect, but it's better.

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 9th 2008 3:04PM]

no company charges for a firmware update on anything...be it a cellphone or an mp3 player

[Jackson Pritt @ Jun 9th 2008 3:16PM]

@ChillyWilly

Sarbanes-Oxley isn't making Apple charge for this. Sarbanes-Oxley doesn't apply to this at all.

Apple is CHOOSING to charge iPod Touch users because they know they'll pay up since they don't have any other options.

The moral of the story is to NEVER buy a 1.0 product from Apple, because they'll shaft you every chance they get.

[Scott @ Jun 9th 2008 3:32PM]

"And they have to be in a ridiculous 60 buck contract with only 400 mins.80 if you actually want some internet."

Uh no, ALL iPhone plans include unlimited interent, including the $60 one. It's actually everyone *except* the AT&T iPhone plans that have ridiculous prices when you add the unlimited data part.

[Mark L. @ Jun 9th 2008 5:37PM]

Jackson, you don't have to do the firmware upgrade. Apple didn't have to convert it for the iPod touch. Of course you don't have any other options because you are guaranteed that when you buy that product. DUH

I don't own a single Apple product.

[Mike Smith @ Jun 9th 2008 2:12PM]

We iPod touch customers obviously arent valued that much. Its like we are constantly second best the the 'AMAZING' iPhone. Grrr, no doubt it will also be £12 here in the UK.

[iB3nji @ Jun 9th 2008 2:12PM]

this is crap what happened to the"early june" they told us 3 months ago?

[Rudiger @ Jun 9th 2008 2:12PM]

"iPhone 2.0 free in early July for all iPhone owners, $9.95 for iPod touch"

Bullshit.

[Dan M @ Jun 9th 2008 2:12PM]

We have to wait till July?.... frustrating

[Hotsaucepancake @ Jun 9th 2008 2:12PM]

Don't play with my heart like that

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 9th 2008 2:13PM]

You have to pay because you don't generate any further revenue for Apple through subscriptions so it's pretty fair.

[Darkest Daze @ Jun 9th 2008 2:15PM]

Except if they're using iTunes to purchase new music, being that it's an MP3 player and all.

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 9th 2008 2:15PM]

I believe iPhone users also have to pay for their music.

So... your point it?

[Mike @ Jun 9th 2008 2:16PM]

I think my £199 ($400) iPod touch has generated apple enough money, it certainly burnt a hole in my pocket. I bought it because I couldnt afford fees associated with a monthly mobile, so i thought id be safe with a one off payment.
Being greedy imo, multi billions of dollars not enough for you Apple?

[TimeyWimeyStuff @ Jun 9th 2008 2:19PM]

@ Mike

Your not being forced to pay for an upgrade!

If you feel the upgrade is worth £7 then get it


if you don't feel like its worth it, wait for it to be hacked

[Darkest Daze @ Jun 9th 2008 2:43PM]

My point is, that Apple made money off the initial hardware you purchased, and people then buy music and video from Apple, giving them more income on top of the initial hardware purchase. They can't throw owners a $10 bone for being loyal and to ensure that you'll keep buying their products in the future?

Unless, they feel that they invincible and everyone will keep buying their products because it has an Apple logo on it, and they don't need to maintain their customer's loyalty with good service.

[Reader @ Jun 9th 2008 4:01PM]

"You have to pay because you don't generate any further revenue for Apple through subscriptions so it's pretty fair."

Um, no. Big evil Microsoft didn't charge us Zune owners anything for the revised firmware, and they didn't for XNA capabilities. Sure you're not forced to update your touch, but I think it's still stupid that Apple is charging for it.

[Michael @ Jun 27th 2008 3:34PM]

I generate revenue for Apple!
How about iTunes, making people i know jealous, so they go out and buy an iPod Touch. Oh, and I forgot, um - buying a $300 iPod just to be stuck with a total of $28.95 in charges for FIRMWARE upgrades. Not to mention how much money they will suck out of me from the App Store.

Besides, the money you pay monthly goes mostly to AT&T for your service. Now, I am going to guess that the money that Apple gets from iPhone 3G users will be a lot less than the money they get out of early iPod Touch adopters.

[Anthony @ Jun 9th 2008 2:13PM]

Rabble rabble rabble!

[roland @ Jun 9th 2008 2:13PM]

They pulled the same shit with the maps/mail/... Making the touch owners pay for apps free on the phone. I can hear the excuse now "Accounting department requires us to screw you".

[Nate L @ Jun 9th 2008 2:17PM]

They aren't making you do anything. You have a choice whether to buy it or not. So quit bitching about it. It's 10 fucking dollars.

[TimeyWimeyStuff @ Jun 9th 2008 2:17PM]

iphone users pay £35/month, of course theyre gonna get special treatment!!

[roland @ Jun 9th 2008 2:26PM]

It amazes me the amount of abuse people will take from Apple. You fan boys sound like abused wives making excuses for their husband's. They are screwing the touch owners anyway you decide to look at it.

[Nate L @ Jun 9th 2008 2:29PM]

@ Roland

I repeat, it's $10. If you can afford an iPOD touch, you can afford that...easily.

[jere @ Jun 9th 2008 2:32PM]

how are touch users screwed for having to pay for new features? When they bought the ipod, they weren't buying this! They were buying the ipod touch with what it had at the time. It's not like they all expected to turn on the touch and have all this new stuff on it.

[Jackson Pritt @ Jun 9th 2008 3:15PM]

@jere

I can't speak for anyone else, but I expected to get the same kind of support (free updates) for my iPhone that I do for my Powerbook and iMac, particularly since we all knew about the SDK pretty early on.

I became an early adopter based on the iPod Touch's *POTENTIAL* and not necessarily because I thought it was 100% perfect at the time.

[Urza @ Jun 9th 2008 4:21PM]

Hmm, I didn't pay a dime for the maps and other apps they updated.

Ahh, the benefits of a jailbroken touch. I'm sure this one will be free as well.

[Jackson Pritt @ Jun 9th 2008 2:14PM]

And Apple shafts the iPod Touch users again, charging them for a relatively minor system update that would be free on practically any other Apple platform.

I called this one as soon as they wanted to charge for the elements of the system updated included in the 5 App Pack, which is why I didn't buy it.

I'll still buy Apple products, but my experience with the iPod Touch has completely soured me on ever being an early-adopter.

[TimeyWimeyStuff @ Jun 9th 2008 2:24PM]

You're taking Apple products for granted.

98% are free, 2% are charged for.


Compare that to any other company

[Jaws @ Jun 9th 2008 2:54PM]

How about we compare it to my Samsung T2 touchscreen MP3 player... I've gotten 3 firmware updates that have added oodles of features and there's 1-2 more planned... every single one... F R E E.

Yup... keep working that Apple route folks. I'll just keep enjoying my T2.

[Jackson Pritt @ Jun 9th 2008 3:10PM]

@TimeyWimeyStuff

Jaws has it right.
I've gotten countless FREE updates for my Xbox 360 that add major new functionality (divx support for playing movies from external USB drives!) all from the big "bad" Microsoft, while Apple wants to nickel and dime me for any minor update to the iPod Touch OS.

When Microsoft is offering better customer support than Apple something is wrong in the world.

[TimeyWimeyStuff @ Jun 9th 2008 2:15PM]

Yeah... iPod touch owners have to pay $10 to upgrade...

Look like you're gonna have to spend your pocket money...

[thehof @ Jun 9th 2008 2:17PM]

Looks like a way to stop people from picking an iphone v1 up cheap on ebay to me

[isdnelson @ Jun 9th 2008 2:17PM]

It's pretty ridiculous that iPod Touch users have to pay, while iPhone users do not. It's almost as though Apple WANTS iPod Touch users to pirate their software. Really?

[agrabren @ Jun 24th 2008 1:15PM]

That's the most absurd argument I've heard yet. There's plenty of reasons to dislike the $10 fee for iPod Touch users, mostly based on the iPhone getting them for free. But your argument that charging for software is just asking for people to pirate it is the same as saying charging for a car is just asking for people to steal them. Two good arguments can be made against the $10, the first being that most companies provide firmware updates to their devices for free, and the second is that iPhone users get it for "free". The second one is actually not very good, because iPhone users pay for their AT&T contracts, except the jailbroken ones. The first argument is sound, but only holds if Apple is fixing things. Otherwise, selling you new apps is a normal business model. Comparing Microsoft's XBOX updates to the older iPod Touch update (I don't pay enough attention to know what's exactly in "2.0" to make it better for iPod Touch users) doesn't really work. Microsoft added features and functionality, but no new software apps. You still had to buy apps from XBL, and they charge about $10 an app. I still think the iPod Touch is expensive enough as is, they should just give the firmware updates for free for it, but I'm not really an Apple fanboy, so if they screw people, good for them. If fanboys still love them despite it, whatever.

[daniel @ Jun 9th 2008 2:19PM]

Why do they even have Chinese draw support? iPOD touch has that many Chinese Market cause iPhone is not sold there.

[Rohil @ Jun 9th 2008 2:20PM]

This is great news for current iPhone users... I am waiting to here more.

Does this apply to UK owners too?

[Peter @ Jun 9th 2008 2:23PM]

This is why no matter what Apple does, many people will still Jailbreak their iPod touch because of this bullshit Apple pulls every time they release a new feature. iPod classic and iPod nano users get system updates for free, so why shouldn't iPod touch users?

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 9th 2008 2:26PM]

$10 is a little more than a pack of cigarettes and little over two gallons of gas. Hardly gonna need to break a piggy bank for that amount. I guess it's just the principle of the matter that makes people unhappy. But in this economy, the cost of everything is rising.