iPhone 3GS

Last week, AT&T announced that it would drop the price of the iPhone 3GS from $99 to $49; on Monday, Apple matched the move. The 8GB iPhone 3GS is now available from Apple's online store (and, presumably, its brick-and-mortar retail stores) for half of its previous price.

Apple's iPad is about twice as fast as the current iPhone, according to recently-published benchmark tests, and is powered by a single-core ARM processor.

The iPhone 3.1 software update delivered many new features, but some users also report that the phone's battery life is severely and adversely affected.

The iPhone scored quite a few headlines related to overheating problems with the 3GS this week. Depending on whom you believe, those issues are either real, exaggerated, the fault of users or some combination of the three.

According to a report on the Web, a newly-released iPhone 3GS became so hot during normal use, that its white case turned a bit brown. While this toasted iPhone has generated a lot of Internet buzz, let's keep it in perspective. So far as I know, it is the only instance of this happening. In other words, with Apple having reported sales of 1 million iPhone 3GS models during its first weekend of sales, this overheated iPhone is one in a million. As such, I wouldn't worry that this is going to happen to your iPhone 3GS any time soon--if ever.

While just 6% of its stores are completely out, 57% have no 16GB white models

Even though it has twice the storage space of last year's model, Apple's new 16GB iPhone 3GS costs the company less than 3% more to make than 2008's lowest-priced iPhone 3G, according to a tear-down analysis published today by iSuppli.

Apple announced Monday that it has sold more than 1 million iPhone 3GS models since they went on sale Friday, June 19, 2009.

The best place to buy the new iPhone 3GS is--surprise!--direct from Apple. Amid concern about delays for AT&T customers, Apple has already begun shipping new iPhones and is still promising quick delivery for orders placed on its Web site. If AT&T really is facing a short supply of new iPhones, this could be seen as the latest snub Apple has handed the company, its original iPhone launch partner.