With the launch of the new iPhone, people are interested in more than price, as shown in the wide variety of search terms around the new iPhone.  Among the top 200 search terms for the iPhone include 3G, release date, iPhone applications, price, coverage plans and how to unlock the iPhone according to Hitwise.

For the first iPhone release, the majority of searches were for the price of the device. This year the new 3G version promotes improved Internet access. People are looking for information about the 3G network and the possible advantages. Among the top 10 search term queries for the iPhone, 3G was listed within three of the top 10 results.

Along with the release date and cost, searchers are also looking for a number of applications for the iPhone, which will increase with the launch of the App Store within iTunes.

The weekly market share of visits to the AT&T Wireless Web site is up 30 percent for the week ending July 5, 2008, compared to the week before last year’s iPhone launch. Last week’s traffic level was second only to the week of Christmas (week ending Dec.29, 2007) with last week ranking as the second highest week in traffic over the past 24 monhts for the iPhone provider.

“Apple and AT&T have succeeded in turning the ‘3G’ moniker into an almost proprietary name associated with the new iPhone - judging from the most recent search data,” said Heather Dougherty, research director, Hitwise.

“What was previously an obscure tech spec now shows up in 12 percent of top search terms associated with the iPhone, one of the most widely anticipated consumer devices