Today both Apple and Samsung have thrown into the ring two new 3G telephones that will be released to the public soon: the Apple iPhone 3G and Samsung’s new iPhone contender, the Omnia.

3G, or third generation network, according to Paul Hartstock of MacNewsWorld is a network “which offer[s] higher data transfer speeds than the EDGE network that the original iPhone runs on.”
This network commonly used in countries outside the U.S. will allow for the long awaited release of the iPhone in 22 countries and 48 others in several months after the release on July 11.

One of the major surprises of the release of the iPhone was the price. The new 8Gb model will retail for $199 while the original sold for $599. Also added to the new iPhone will be a GPS “which lets users pinpoint their exact location anywhere in the world and integrate that data with a map or a location-based software service.”

Along with the release of the new iPhone there are many rumors that are flying about the new product. AT&T is reporting that the new iPhone will be:
• With a two-year contract, the price of an 8GB iPhone 3G will be $199; the 16GB model will be priced at $299.
• Unlimited iPhone 3G data plans for consumers will be available for $30 a month, in addition to voice plans starting at $39.99 a month.
• Unlimited 3G data plans for business users will be available for $45 a month, in addition to a voice plan.
The Dallasnews.com tech blog also reports that AT&T will also still be the only U.S. provider of the new iPhone and will also require all users to activate the phones at AT&T retail locations, and they will not be available on the Apple or AT&T websites for purchase.

With all the hype about the iPhone, Samsung got in on the action as well by releasing their new Omnia.

The new Omnia phone which features according to Technewsworld.com: “the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system, a wide 3.2-inch WQVGA (wide quarter video graphics array) liquid crystal display screen, a five-mega pixel CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera and a high-resolution touch screen interface. Internal memory options are 8 GB or 16 GB, with an extendable slot for additions, and a GPS Global Positioning System) receiver offers navigation and geo-tagging capabilities.” Other features will include Multicodec support and customized widgets and is focused on power users outside the U.S. market.

The new Omnia has no date of release set for the United States, but is set to be released in Southeast Asia in the middle of this month and in Europe in July. No pricing has been disclosed for the new Samsung phone either.