New iPhone 3G S

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Apple Inc. today announced a new, faster version of the iPhone, called the iPhone 3GS.

The "S", said the company, stands for Speed -- the new phone will load a web page three times faster than its predecessors.

It can also shoot video, Apple said. It's a feature critics have said was sorely missing from existing models.

The 3GS can take voice commands, has a more powerful battery, and a starting price of $199 for a version with 16 gigabytes of memory.

There will be a 32 gigabyte version for $299. The new phones will begin to go on sale on June 19.

The existing iPhone 3G will remain on the market, with a reduced price of $99, Apple said.

The company also announced 100 free new features for the iPhone's operating software, including the ability to make the easily-lost phone theft-proof.

Apple said if one misplaces an iPhone, one can go to one's computer and order it to send out an audible signal so it can be found. If it appears to have been stolen or lost for good, one can remotely order it to wipe its memory clean of all one's personal data.

Apple said it will now be possible for iPhone owners to download movies without a computer; and to cut, copy and edit material from one iPhone application to another. And it showed off an application that allows one to reserve a ZipCar -- a car-sharing service in many major cities -- find the car with the phone's help, and unlock it, using the iPhone as a virtual key.