iPhone 3G launches, App Store debuts with 500 apps

The highly anticipated Apple iPhone 3G finally hit stores today, enabling users to enjoy high-speed browsing on mobile networks for the first time, and officially sanctioned downloading of third party applications from Apple's new App Store service - with over 500 apps available from launch.

The new 3G version of Apple's hugely successful iPhone, which is available in 8GB and 16GB versions, went on sale across the UK this morning in O2 outlets, Apple Stores and branches of the Carphone Warehouse, with reports of brisk business at the tills.

The iPhone 3G upgrade introduces higher speed browsing and downloading over mobile networks, as well as hardware improvements, including built in A-GPS satellite location finding technology.

The iPhone 3G's new 2.0 firmware also enables users to download native applications for the iPhone from a new App Store application on the phone. Over 500 applications are available to download wirelessly via App Store from its launch today, covering a broad range of categories, from games to music and enterprise tools to medical applications. Over 125 of these are offered free of charge.

Apple has also released iTunes 7.7 today, a new version of the software which will enable apps downloads and syncing for the iPhone 3G.

Existing iPhone users will be able to upgrade to the new 2.0 firmware when Apple officially releases the upgrade via iTunes, although some blogs have already posted details of 2.0 firmware that can be downloaded from the official Apple website.

The iPhone 3G is available in the UK exclusively on O2 deals, initially from free on certain contract deals, with a Pay As You Go offering planned for later this year. See the O2 iPhone microsite here for UK pricing details.