When Apple announced the iPhone back in January, other phone makers had at least one point to breathe on: the iPhone had a rated battery life of five hours of talk time, Internet use or video playback. Today, Apple announced an update nine days before the iPhone comes to market: six hours of Internet access, seven hours of video playback, eight hours of talk time and 24 hours of audio playback. Apple won't say how they improved their technology, but RIM, Samsung and Motorola all have to be a little more worried.

However, according to chron.com, not everyone is convinced. One analyst, for example, thinks a four- to five-hour capacity for heavy users is a more likely scenario. However, another source suggests that Apple wouldn't dare fudge these numbers after lawsuits over problems with the original iPod and Nano. Is it all a smoke screen designed to generate that much more attention for the iPhone (and Apple's stock price)? Or will we really see a new generation of battery technology launch on June 29? I guess we'll find out soon.