Apple iPhone gets 8 hour talk time, new screen

Apple has smartened up the specs for the iPhone as the US launch date draws closer, promising users more chatting and browsing time.

The Mac maker has announced that it has boosted the iPhone's talk time -- an issue that has been worrying analysts -- to between six and eight hours of Internet use, seven hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.

Apple said the iPhone will also deliver 250 hours of standby but the company warned that not all users will achieve these benchmarks because actual battery performance will depend on network configuration "and many other factors; actual results may vary".

It's a significant update to the Apple's original spec. When the iPhone was first announced in January, CEO Steve Jobs promised the handset would offer five hours of talk time, Internet use or video playback and 16 hours of audio playback.

While it may be a step up on the initial talk times promised for the iPhone, the device is still lagging behind the O2 Jet, launched last year, which apparently delivers talk time of almost 10 hours and 540 hours of standby time.

The update also means an end to the plastic touchscreen, which will be replaced with a glass one -- in order to prevent scratching.

The iPhone is scheduled to go on sale in a matter of days in the US, priced at US$499 for a 4GB model and US$599 for the 8GB counterpart. According to a recent survey, nine percent of US mobile subscribers claimed they had a "strong interest" in buying the device.

In Australia, the iPhone is expected to go on sale early next year.