Potentially good news for tech consumers interested in embracing Apple’s popular iPhone handset but unimpressed with its restrictive reliance on the substandard EDGE network, following the appearance of various reports suggesting that a 3G version of the touch screen smartphone could be available as early as June of 2008.
Even Harold Lloyd\'s grandson appears pleased at the news of an upcoming 3G iPhone. Credit: Jyri/Flickr.
According to the Times Online, UBS analyst Ben Reitzes has outlined that German chipmaker Infineon Technologies is to supply Apple Inc. with the necessary elements to make the much-touted 3G iPhone a reality, with June or July offered as the most likely months of introduction.
Beyond the new iteration of the innovative handset, Reitzes also suggested that the iPhone’s appeal in the business market will likely be bolstered thanks to the impending unveiling of iPhone and iPod touch software development kits (SDKs), which Apple has confirmed it will detail fully on March 06.
This rumour-fuelling analyst note is coupled with a Morgan Stanley analyst report that claims substantially increased air travel connected to Apple CEO Steve Jobs is evidence that Apple is on the verge of making some significant announcements related to its devices.
Specifically, Morgan Stanley analyst Kathryn Huberty cites Jobs’ internationally integral role in hammering out regional contracts associated with the iPhone as being an indicator that travel expenses of $550,000 USD across the last three quarters (almost triple the average spent over the past 18 months) mean that Apple is about to introduce the 3G iPhone into the likes of Europe and Asia.
“We'd point to a 34 percent year-on-year increase in R&D and 170 percent year-on-year increase in Steve Jobs' airplane expense in the December quarter as signs Apple is preparing for meaningful product launches,” commented Huberty
The current model of Apple’s iPhone operates on the 2.5G EDGE network, which has been criticised in European regions, where 3G is much more widely used than in the phone’s primary market, the United States. The slower performance of EDGE means that many of the iPhone’s features, including its Web browsing ability, are hampered in terms of speed.
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