iPhone 3G

To promote RingtoneStudio for Mac, PocketMac has announced a contest to give away a factory-unlocked iPhone 3G to one lucky participant. The iPhone 3G was unlocked by Apple and therefore does not require any hacking, jailbreaking, or any other types of foolery to maintain the unlock. It can be used on any carrier and updated normally through iTunes. PocketMac is also giving away three $15 iTunes gift cards and two $50 iTunes gift cards.

To win the iPhone 3G, all you need to do is purchase a copy of RingtoneStudio for Mac ($19.95). As the contest progresses, the prizes get better. Starting now, you can win a $15 iTunes gift card. Once 100 copies are sold, the $50 gift cards are unlocked. Once 250 copies are sold, one lucky winner will receive an unlocked iPhone 3G. Read on for further details!

AT&T is apparently selling refurbished iPhone 3G units on the cheap according to the company's Facebook page. The current ad is now offering the 8GB unit for $49 while the 16GB is retailing for $99.

The Boy Genius Report has received several tips that Rogers (the iPhone carrier in Canada) is beginning to ship an 8GB iPhone 3GS to stores. Pricing has not been confirmed, although screenshots indicate that the 8GB 3GS is meant to replace the 3G version. The screenshots also indicate that the new 8GB 3GS will come only in black as the 3G did at its lower price last year.

The transition is likely to take place around the world (not just in Canada), but when and if Apple will make a big deal out of the transition is unknown. Photos after the break!

TomTom gave us a peek at their turn-by-turn GPS system for iPhone at WWDC, but we didn't know much about features or pricing. Macworld recently talked with TomTom's Market Development VP to get some answers.

iPhone 3G owners who are ineligible for a subsidized upgrade to the iPhone 3G S will really enjoy this little find. During my quest to buy a 3G S today (I'm ineligible for an upgrade) I stumbled across a way to get the 3G S at the full subsidized price. The trick is you need to go to an AT&T store to get it done. Read on for the details!

How AT&T Decides If iPhone 3G Owners Get A Subsidized iPhone 3G S

After AT&T announced that select iPhone 3G owners would be eligible for a fully subsidized iPhone 3G S the Internet let out a collective sigh of relief. We were told that early adopters would get the better deal and that eligibility status would be updated on the 18th. Well the 18th came, and many 3G owners, including those who bought on day one, were disappointed.

So what's the deal here? How exactly does AT&T determine if you get a fully subsidized iPhone 3G S? Well I spent most of this morning trying to figure it out and here's how it works:

So that super easy "hack" to enable tethering on the 3G we posted totally works on the 3G S. Simply open this link on your iPhone 3G S (same link we posted before) and install the profile. Boom, tethering!

Of course many have asked about enabling MMS and there's a solution for that too! The only caveat is that it requires a bit of actual work on your part. You'll need to tweak an iTunes preference file and a GSM phone with MMS capabilities. Aaron Krill has all the details on enabling MMS + tethering on both iPhones, so check that out and be sure to let us know the results!

AT&T has posted a press release stating that it will offer the iPhone 3G S to iPhone 3G owners at the full subsidized price. If you're "upgrade eligible" July, August, or September, you'll be eligible for the $199 or $299 pricing of an iPhone 3G S. The change will not be reflected in AT&T's systems until tomorrow, so check your eligibility tomorrow. Those looking to upgrade at the new price can do so after the 18th online or at an AT&T or Apple retail store.

Read on for the details!

Engadget reports that Apple is now taking iPhone 3G orders online and shipping them direct to customers. The original iPhone could be purchased online and activated using iTunes, although Apple changed this policy with the iPhone 3G, requiring customers to buy direct from an Apple or AT&T store only after signing a 2-year contract. Only new iPhone customers are able to purchase an iPhone at the Apple Online Store. Existing customers will still need to visit an Apple or AT&T store.

This move seems consistent with rumors that Apple is trying to move existing stock to prepare for a new iPhone model.

Leaked images of what is said to be the back of the next iPhone are circulating the web. Our friends over at the iPod Observer have posted a close-up of the back of an unreleased 16GB iPhone. It's a black matte color and shows Model No: A1303, a model number not listed on current iPhones.