Speculation rages over 3G iPhone
What's in your pocket Steve?
By Agam Shah, IDG News Service | Published: 12:00, 09 June 2008
Apple is likely to release its new 3G iPhone and announce a new software platform for the phone when CEO Steve Jobs takes the stage at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday.
The new iPhone will feature GPS (Global Positioning System) services and a thinner form factor, according to Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research. The new iPhone will also have thinner casing and an improved virtual keyboard with like multi-touch technology, Wu wrote.
Pricing for the 3G iPhone may be £25 to £50 cheaper than the current iPhone, Wu wrote.
Apple's iPhone is in short supply, with both current versions listed as being unavailable on Apple's website. Apple officials previously acknowledged that iPhone stocks were low in the US and Europe, fueling speculation that Apple was winding down supplies to ready the market for the new iPhone.
However, the old iPhone won't disappear, Wu wrote. It makes sense to keep the old iPhone supplies running as the usage of older wireless networks is widespread, especially in the US, Wu said.
Apple hopes to ship 10 million iPhones in 2008 and hopes to boost iPhone adoption through iPhone 2.0, the phone's software platform that Apple might announce at WWDC.
During an earnings call in April, Apple officials said the company plans to deliver iPhone 2.0 software as a free download in late June.
The iPhone 2.0 includes an SDK (software developer kit) that allows developers to write applications for the iPhone, including push email support through the Microsoft Exchange mail server.
Apple may also preview the new version of Mac OS X, an upgrade to Leopard, its current OS, according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog website. Codenamed "Snow Leopard," Mac OS X 10.6 may ultimately be released at the Macworld show next January.
TUAW also said that Apple may retool its .Mac online service, renaming it MobileMe service and adding support for new applications on the service. The new service will add new versions of its online mail and address book services and support for Apple's iChat and iPhoto desktop applications, the site said.
WWDC will be held in San Francisco from Monday through Friday.
