The new iPhone release is a bit of a yawner, resolving an issue that caused some third-party applications to have difficulty launching, improving the accuracy of reported battery level on the iPhone 3G S and fixing some security issues.

The Nexus One update is quite a bit meatier. It adds Google Goggles to the All Apps menu, improves 3G connectivity (or promises to) and, significantly, enables multitouch in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications. Seems the Nexus One dev team got over whatever aversion it had to pinch-to-zoom.

This update is being rolled out gradually, so some Nexus One owners may not see it until later this week.

3G S, 3GS or something that can’t even be typed?

When first unveiled about three weeks ago, the Cupertino, Calif.-computer maker called its new iPhone the “iPhone 3G S,” with a space between the G and the S.

This week, Apple said it’s now referred to as “iPhone 3GS”–no spaces. But a company spokeswoman wouldn’t say why.

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“Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said a press release today. “With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever.”

An impressive showing. Particularly considering all the factors that could slow sales: The souring economy, competition from the Palm (PALM) Pre, the BlackBerry Storm, the T-Mobile G1 and, of course, the iPhone itself. After all, there is now a $99 iPhone on the market. Beyond this, there’s the fact that the 3GS was launched in eight countries. The 3G debuted in 21.

Interestingly, this is the first time we’ve seen Jobs quoted in an Apple release in some time now. As best I can tell, the last quote attributed to him was in a Jan. 21, 2009, earnings release. Since then, Apple (AAPL) has issued 22 more press releases. This is the first in which it is Jobs, and not COO Tim Cook or Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, who is quoted. Does this mean he’s officially back at work following his medical leave? I’ve put that question to Apple and will update if I hear back.

[Image credit: Gizmodo]

“Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said a press release today. “With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever.”

An impressive showing. Particularly considering all the factors that could slow sales: The souring economy, competition from the Palm (PALM) Pre, the BlackBerry Storm, the T-Mobile G1 and, of course, the iPhone itself. After all, there is now a $99 iPhone on the market. Beyond this, there’s the fact that the 3GS was launched in eight countries. The 3G debuted in 21.

Interestingly, this is the first time we’ve seen Jobs quoted in an Apple release in some time now. As best I can tell, the last quote attributed to him was in a Jan. 21, 2009, earnings release. Since then, Apple (AAPL) has issued 22 more press releases. This is the first in which it is Jobs, and not COO Tim Cook or Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, who is quoted. Does this mean he’s officially back at work following his medical leave? I’ve put that question to Apple and will update if I hear back.

[Image credit: Gizmodo]

In an investment note issued this morning, Munster estimated that the company sold 750,000 iPhones over the weekend–25 percent fewer than the one million units of the iPhone 3G model Apple sold during the launch of that device last July, but 50 percent more than the 500,000 he originally predicted.

“The only true benchmark for judging the launch of the iPhone 3G S will be the time it takes Apple to sell 1 million units. Apple sold 1 million 1st generation iPhones in 74 days and 1 million iPhone 3G units in 3 days. We are uncertain whether or not Apple will announce the 1 millionth iPhone 3G S; regardless, we are increasingly confident in our 5 million iPhone unit estimate for the June 09 quarter following the price drop of the iPhone 3G from $199 to $99 in early June and the launch for the iPhone 3G S, where interest in the device surpassed our expectations.”

A few other points worth noting from Munster’s note. The analyst surveyed 256 customers at Apple (AAPL) stores in New York and Minneapolis over the weekend about their preferred OS, the size of the iPhone they were purchasing and the phones from which they were upgrading, among other things (see table below; click to enlarge). In the 256, he found a mix of 66 percent Mac users and 34 percent PC, similar to what he found last year (61 percent Mac, 39 percent PC).

Of those surveyed, 43 percent purchased the high-end 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS, less than the 66 percent of buyers who purchased the 16GB iPhone 3G last year. And 56 percent were upgrading from an old iPhone–up from 38 percent last year. “We believe this shows Apple is developing brand loyalty not enjoyed by other mobile phone makers,” Munster notes.

“At the outset of the company’s iPhone initiative, one of Apple’s goals was to develop the kind of brand loyalty it has developed among Mac and iPod customers, and we believe they are succeeding thus far. As the footprint expands, and loyalty expands as well, Apple will increasingly enjoy a base of customers who regularly upgrade to the newest version of the mobile phones the company releases in what appears to be an annual cycle.”

One unexpected result from the test Piecyk’s tests suggest that older iPhones running on the new iPhone operating system may actually be a bit slower. And yes, I checked with Piecyk–the tests were performed using AT&T (T)’s network, with Wi-Fi turned off, in midtown Manhattan.

But wait! That’s not all! Piecyk also puts the Palm Pre through its paces against the new iPhone and says (pretty hard to tell on this clip) that the Palm (PALM) phone offers a better version of clips from Google’s (GOOG) YouTube. Piecyk’s thesis: Sprint (S) is sending a less compressed version of the YouTube files to the Pre then AT&T sends to the iPhone.

And if you are that kind of person, chances are you’re interested in the new phone’s “tethering” function, the ability to plug it into your laptop and use it as a modem. But you’re going to have be patient–and affluent.

If you’re an AT&T customer, you’re not going to get the chance to do this in the near future. The wireless company has announced that it’s going to offer tethering, but hasn’t said when. Meanwhile, it has said that it will offer MMS, the ability to send videos and photos from the phone without using email, this summer. So reading between the lines, it’s reasonable to assume that tethering won’t be showing up for the next few months at the very least

And if you’re an AT&T customer, chances are that when you do get the chance to tether, it’s going to be very expensive. Like most carriers, AT&T (T) has said it is going to levy an additional charge for tethering, but hasn’t said how much. Web reports out today suggest that AT&T plans to charge $55 a month. on top of its $30-a-month iPhone data plan. As Daring Fireball’s John Gruber notes, that’s much more than wireless customers outside the U.S. pay for tethering. But it’s cheaper than the rates other AT&T customers already pony up: Blackberry owners currently pay the carrier an additional $60 a month for tethering. UPDATE: Thanks to reader Rob Campbell for catching my error: AT&T charges Blackberry users an additional $15 a month for tethering. So if AT&T really does charge tethering iPhone users $55 a month, it’s likely to be an all-in-one charge that includes the phone’s $30 data plan. We’ll see when the company finally announces pricing, whenever that is.

For what it’s worth, I’m not in the chorus of those who think that’s outrageous: I currently pay Sprint (S) $60 a month for a (pokey) wireless EVDO card with a 5GB data limit, on top of the $100 I pay for an unlimited voice/data plan for my BlackBerry.

ANOTHER (!) UPDATE: Earlier in the day AT&T refused to comment on the $55 pricing plan. Now, via their Facebook page (!), the company confirms that tethering will not cost $55 on top of standard data plans. But it doesn’t actually say how much tethering will cost. So we’re back where we started.

[Image credit: PR 1001]

“iPhone 3G S Available at AT&T Tomorrow.” That’s the title of the press release that just landed in my inbox–even as lines form outside Apple (AAPL) Stores in New York City and Tokyo (above). Never hurts to state the obvious, I suppose.

Below, something to tide you early adopters over until tomorrow: A video from AT&T (T) showing the device being prepped for the big day.

[Image credit: +D Mobile]

“iPhone 3G S Available at AT&T Tomorrow.” That’s the title of the press release that just landed in my inbox–even as lines form outside Apple (AAPL) Stores in New York City and Tokyo (above). Never hurts to state the obvious, I suppose.

Below, something to tide you early adopters over until tomorrow: A video from AT&T (T) showing the device being prepped for the big day.

[Image credit: +D Mobile]