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Apple and AT&T launch sales of the new iPhone 3G in the United States today...but do the $!99 and $299 price tags justify the service costs?

Just in case anyone still wasn't aware, Apple and AT&T have opened up sales of the iPhone 3G, the latest revision of Apple's industry-shaking mobile handset. The iPhone 3G comes with Apple's iPhone 2.0 software pre-installed, and uses AT&Ts UMTS/HSDPA high-speed mobile network to improve the performance of mobile data services over the first version of the iPhone, which relies on AT&T's lower-bandwidth EDGE network.

While the "3G" networking might be the primary selling point of the iPhone 3G, the device include other new features that set it apart from the previous iPhone, including an integrated GPS receiver for navigation and location-based services and improved battery life: Apple says the phone can offer up to 300 hours of standby service, five hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of browsing, 7 hours of video playback, or 24 hours of audio playback.

And, of course, there's the price: $199 for an 8G version, $299 for a 16GB version—basically half the price of the previous iPhone. However, AT&T's service plans for the iPhone are more expensive than comparable plans for other phones, and over the length of a two-year contract mean many iPhone users will be paying over $2,000 for the privilege of carrying around Apple's device until mid-2010.

Some industry watchers speculate the iPhone 3G will truly make Apple a mover and shaker in the mobile marketplace: whereas the original iPhone was available in only a handful of countries, Apple plans to roll out the iPhone 3G in more than 70 nations, using non-exclusive deals with various carriers. Broader availability—coupled with a lower price tag—may add up to mammoth sales for Apple, especially now that the iPhone 2.0 software offers vastly improved enterprise/Exchange connectivity, an App Store where users can download and buy add-on applications for the iPhone, and Apple's MobileMe cloud-based suite of Internet services. Love'em or hate'em—or even if you're just indifferent to 'em—there's little doubt Apple is driving the mobile marketplace rather than following it.