Apple upgrades iPhone already

Just over a week to go until the most hyped device of 2007 hits the shops and Apple has decided to sneak in a last minute upgrade to the iPhone.

On Monday, the Californian company revealed that it has squeezed another three hours of talk time out of the battery, taking it up to eight hours, rather than the five hours previously announced in January.

This also means that the device should give six hours of internet use, rather than five, seven hours of video playback, rather than five and 24 hours of audio playback.

As a further bonus, Apple also announced that the entire top surface of iPhone has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass, which offers more clarity and batter scratch resistance apparently.

“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.

Despite the upgrades, the price doesn’t look like it will change. Apple said Monday that a 4GB model will still cost $499 and an 8GB model will cost $599 through Apple’s retail and online stores, and through AT&T’s select retail stores.