Apple unveils new iPhone; cuts laptop prices

The battle in the smart-phone market – the hottest niche in personal technology – got tougher Monday as Apple unveiled a faster iPhone, a next-generation operating system and cut the price of the current model.

Cupertino-based Apple, kicking off a San Francisco gathering of independent developers who write software for its products, also signaled it has its eye on recession-pinched wallets by announcing it was cutting the prices of several of its laptops while also giving them upgrades.

The announcements come as Apple, the innovation pacesetter in the smart-phone business, faces fiercer competition from other companies vying to dominate an area of technology that’s playing an ever-larger role in people’s day-to-day lives. More and more, people rely on their phones for everything from portable entertainment centers to digital maps that give directions to restaurants. The latest threat Apple must counter comes from Sunnyvale’s Palm, which just released its Pre smart-phone to winning reviews.

 ”The iPhone — we can’t really call it a phone,” said developer Adam Schechter with Connecticut-based Precision Consulting. “It’s a platform.”

The new phone — called the iPhone 3G S — is two to three times faster than the current version and includes video capability with simple editing and sharing functions, voice control and a digital compass. It will also have a longer battery life, the company said

 On June