Back in January, Apple said the iPhone will deliver 5 hours talk time, Internet use, video playback and 16 hours of audio playback time. The finished product to launch next Friday will now feature a claimed 8 hours of talk time, up to 6 hours Internet use, up to 7 hours video playback or up to 24 hours of audio playback time. It will also feature up to 250 hours of standby time, Apple says.

The surface of the iPhone – a 3.5-inch touchscreen display has also been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass for more durability – assuring  to know, since the touchscreen is a focal point of the device.

"With 8 hours of talk time, and 24 hours of audio playback, iPhone's battery life is longer than any other ‘Smartphone' and even longer than most MP3 players," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO.

"We've also upgraded iPhone's entire top surface from plastic to optical-quality glass for superior scratch resistance and clarity. There has never been a phone like iPhone, and we can't wait to get this truly magical product into the hands of customers," he said.

Apple has also created put its iPhone head to head with its competitors in an effort to show it is ahead of the pack in terms of specs - comparing it to the Nokia N95, Samsung BlackJack and BlackBerry among others. (See table below.) Worth noting, however, is that while the iPhone does offer Wi-Fi it is still a 2.75G EDGE phone, as opposed to a 3G or 3.5G phone like the N95. Looks like Apple's got the 3G upgrade still sitting up its sleeve for the future.

The highly anticipated device, which combines a phone, iPod and Internet functionality in one device will launch in the US next Friday, June 29 from $499 for a 4GB model.

See: www.apple.com

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