iPhone 2.0

Gizmodo reports, only hours ago, that a source ""very, very close to the 3G iPhone launch" has confirmed that the 3G iPhone will be announced during Steve Jobs' keynote speech June 9th at the WWDC. The text of the report follows:

We all suspected it, but now it is confirmed: someone very, very close to the 3G iPhone launch has told me that Apple will announce their new model at the WWDC Keynote on June 9th. The second-generation iPhone will be available worldwide right after the launch, and not at year's end, as previously thought. The new model will also herald new sales policies in some countries..

In Spain, for example, the 3G iPhone will be available for sale at the June 18th grand opening of Telefonica's megastore—an Apple Store-like shop located in the company's historical building in Madrid's Gran Vía— with nationwide availability right the next day or after a few hours. The other European countries with iPhone availability will have similar launch schedules.

According to another source involved in the launch, the 3G iPhone will no longer be available at a fixed price point—at least in some countries, and its launch will also bring new sales policies, although these have not been completely specified yet.

The move is a logical step, since the iPhone has clearly solidified its position as the cellphone to beat during last twelve months, and companies in the cutthroat European cellphone market need to use it as an incentive to capture clients aggressively.

This most probably means the new 3G iPhone will be integrated in the usual marketing systems of carriers, with point-based trade-ups, discounts for carrier switchers, and other service-based subvention packages.

MacRumors today detailed a report by iLounge based upon information from third party accessories makers regarding the new design of the upcoming 3G iPhone:

Rumors of the new iPhone, however, are being published almost daily now, with several conflicting claims. This latest report claims that the new iPhone will carry a tapered design along the edges, replacing the aluminum backing with a glossy plastic back that approximates the look of metal. The iPhone's front silver metallic bezel will remain though it is expected to be much thinner. Meanwhile, the overall form factor and screen size is expected to be comparable to the current iPhone, though the possibility of black, white and even red backings is being considered.

The most interesting information in the report is the addition of an 3rd sensor near the ear piece of the iPhone. The existing iPhone houses two sensors (ambient light and proximity sensor) adjacent to the phone's earpiece speaker. The upcoming design is said to have a 3rd sensor in the same location. iLounge speculates that it could represent a small camera, which would fulfill circulating iPhone video-chat rumors, but they also concede it may be something far less glamorous.

See the entire article here.

As recently reported by MacRumors, a report from the Chinese newspaper Commercial Times states that Foxconn Electronics has won orders for the assembly of the upcoming 3G capable iPhone. Foxconn is reportedly expected to deliver 3 million iPhones by June 2008, with an expected production of 24-25 million units during the iPhone lifecycle. Interestingly, Commercial Times was the same paper that reported in November 2006, well prior to the official announcement of the iPhone, that Foxconn had one that contract as well.

According to a report by Marketwatch, Rogers Communications, Inc. has announced a deal to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. Rogers Communications is a wireless communications firm, but is also Canada's largest magazine publisher and cable television provider. Rogers Communications (ticker: RCI) doubled its first quarter net income on strength in its pre-paid wireless division.

According to a leak reported by Palluxo, Apple is in serious talks with the Immersion Corporation to license their Haptic Technology for the iPhone. This technology allows for pinpointed vibrations which would provide a tactile response when the user touches an otherwise flat screen. One of the major complaints levied against the iPhone since its release last June has been the difficulty that some blackberry users have had making the transitions from their "clickable" keyboards to the smooth touchscreen of the iPhone. While a majority of people that went straight from regular cell phones to iPhones had no problems, the lack of such feedback when typing has seemed to cause some people pause when considering their iPhone purchase.

According to an insider tip reported by Engadget, the second generation 3G capable iPhone is already out in the pockets of approved (but heavily classified) testers. According to the Engadget report, the tipster, whom they state is a "trusted source" states the upcoming device has the following features:

• same size and shape as the current model
• 3G capabilities
• GPS!
• glossy black back covering (although this has since been questioned as merely a case)
• slightly thicker than current model
• a flush headphone jack instead of the current recessed one, which will work with all headphones (THANK YOU!)
• same non-removable battery
• same screen size and resolution

Honestly, if you think about it, simply the addition of the actual GPS makes this version a steal. A fully functioning GPS system the size of the iPhone ALONE would be a fantastic buy (try fitting a TomTom or a Garmin in your front pocket), but we can't forget -- it's also a phone, and an internet device, an iPod, a gaming device (after the software update).....

According to a breaking report by Engadget, the 8gb iPhone and iPod Touch have reached end of life status, at least in the United Kingdom. According to an internal memorandum Engadget received from (UK iPhone distributor) O2, which was sent out last evening to its sales affiliates, the company will no longer be receiving any stock of 8gb iPhones and iPod Touches. They go on to request that all mentions of the 8gb product be removed from their marketing materials.

This is yet just another piece in the mysterious puzzle that is the upcoming 3G iPhone release. To summarize, we've got slashed prices in Europe, preparation by AT&T for a mysterious June in-store event, leaks about the 3G chip maker being chosen and production starts. Add on top of all that actual confirmation that a 3G iPhone will be available in Italy in the coming weeks, and there's little doubt that the 3G iPhone will be arriving here soon. I think I might just as well go get in line right now....

As broken stateside by engadget early this morning, Italian newspaper La Repubblica is reporting that a 3G iPhone is confirmed to be arriving in Italy shortly, and will be supported by Telecom Italia without a revenue sharing deal (unlike here, where Apple receives from AT&T a reported 15% per user per month share of the revenue of all iPhone subscribers). Even more importantly, La Repubblica is further reporting that there will also be no long-term exclusivity, meaning multi-carrier support of the iPhone could be a reality as soon as this summer.

A combination of 3G iPhone speculation and exciting earnings reports from Intel (ticker: INTL) and Google (GOOG) spurred Apple stock (ticker: AAPL) to a great week, posting a gain of $14.77 for the week and closing out at $161.04. This solid week comes in advance of Apple's scheduled second quarter earnings report, next Wednesday, April 23, after the market closes.

British online news agency, Times Online, reported today  that it has been told that Apple has placed an order with its Asian supplier to produce 200,000 iPhones by May 30, with an additional 500,000 per week raising that number to two million by the end of June. The Times goes on to state that "With a four week lead time between production and placement, that would leave Mr Jobs free to launch the device during an annual developers conference at which he usually speaks."

AT&T has begun prepping its stores for a mysterious June iPhone "event," with plans for rearranged displays and exterior signage all for the purpose of "emphasizing the iPhone." The company and franchise stores are set to have these changes in place by mid-June. Is it just me, or does it seem like, with the daily news links, Apple and AT&T are collectively winking at us? I can't help but read the tea leaves on these news bits and feel that the June second gen 3G iPhone is all but a certainty.

Our respected friends over at macrumors.com just posted screenshots from a webpage emailed to them by a reader, in which several yet to be released Apple products are shown, including a 32gb iPhone and iTunes 8 with a release date of June 10th (which, ironically, is smack dab in the middle of the WWDC -- the conference that iPhone 2.0 has recently speculated to be the announcement time and platform for the second generation iPhone). While macrumors correctly caveats that such a public display of Apple pre-release details is highly unlikely to be accurate, I concur with them that you cannot discount the fact that the website has an active @apple.com iTunes store account and password, with an $859 iTunes store credit no less (do you have an $850 store credit? I don't.....seems like an employee benefit to me....).

Economic Daily News reports today that United Microelectronics Corporation has been chosen as the manufacturer for the Infineon baseband processor that will be found in the upcoming 3G iPhone. The report is that UMC will use a 65 nanometer plant to produce the chip, which is an integrated circuit that provides cellular data on HSDPA networks up to 7.2Mbps. For those of you that remember, this is the source of the hidden chip reference in the latest beta of iPhone's 2.0 firmware.

Apple stock (ticker: AAPL) closed the day up over $5 a share, at $153.70, upon refreshing earnings reports from industry bellwether Intel (ticker: INTL) and even more news hinting at the impending June release of the second generation iPhone with 3G capability. The stock continued its surge after hours, gaining an additional $1.07, to $154.77, at the time of this writing. While there is no doubt that the impending 3G iPhone release, and the continued near-embarrassing crushing of Apple's personal computer market share compared to the rest of the market, will do excellent things for Apple's stock, there is near term discomfort at Apple's upcoming second quarter earnings report, scheduled after the market closes next Wednesday, April 23.

Our dear friends across the pond awoke this morning to discover that their first generation iPhones were suddenly 100 pounds cheaper (nearly $200). O2, the UK mobile division of Telefonica, and Carphone Warehouse, UK's largest independent mobile-phone retailer announced today that they would be implementing the price cuts immediately. And you know what that means....the 3G iPhone will be here soon.