A picture has surfaced from a reliable source, of the new 3G iPhone, according to iPodObserver.

Rumors that Apple’s 3G iPhone is on the way are coming faster by the day, and now images of the alleged next generation iPhone are beginning to surface, too. Apparently the new iPhone will also sport a glossy black back, replacing the satin nickel look found on the current model.

If iPodOberver.com’s source is correct, the redesigned iPhone back also drops the black plastic end piece that covers the antenna, and it appears that Apple will continue to offer an 8GB model.

Of course, rumors are just rumors until Steve Jobs pulls a new iPhone out of his pocket. If the image proves to be legit, however, the glossy black finish will make a nice addition to the up-and-coming executive’s tech stash.

AmTech on new iPhones

American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu on Wednesday joined a chorus of other analysts in forecasting Apple to introduce a new version of its iPhone handset around June.

“Our checks with supply chain sources indicate that the iPhone is likely to undergo a product transition in the June-July timeframe, about a quarter earlier than expected,” he wrote in a research note to clients. “We had previously thought a 3G version would be available in mid- to second-half . Besides a software upgrade to version 2.0 in late June, we now believe we will likely see new hardware as well.”

Giving the analyst higher conviction is the accelerated timetable in which iPhone inventory levels have gone lean, which he said is consistent with Apple’s tendency to wind down stockpiles ahead of an update.

“We believe Steve Jobs could unveil these new iPhones at his WWDC keynote in early June,” he told clients. “In addition to a 3G version, our sources indicate that the 2.5G model could see a minor casing change and lower price point closer to $299-349 vs. its $399 price today.”

While the iPhone currently stands as a relatively minor contributor to Apple’s top line, generating only 2-3 percent of the company’s revenue, Wu believes it will one day become as large as the current Mac business, fueling approximately $15 - $20 billion in annualized revenue.

Source: AppleInsider

It appears that Apple has finally secured the trademark rights for “iPhone” in the islands of Japan. The Nagoya-based company Aiphone issued a press release recently stating that they would be allowing Apple to use the name, which is pronounced the same as “iphone” there.

Apparently they have been in talks with Apple since last Summer. Fortunately they have “reached a friendly agreement with Apple” that allows both to use the Japanese version within Japan. Of course, the fact that Apple would even be worrying about this is a possible indication that they could be preparing for a 3G iPhone launch there.

In other news, Spanish newspaper Cinco Dias writes that they believe that the Spanish market could be getting a 3G iPhone as soon as may. The article cites Gartner has the source of the information.

Source: iPhoneAlley

The Commercial Times is reporting that electronics maker Hon Hai is competing to make the next iPhone (via MarketWatch).

The news comes as Gartner is clarifying recent claims that the new phone has already been ordered by Apple. Via Information Week:
That report later got circulated on the Web, where the comments were misinterpreted as a Gartner prediction, Dulaney’s boss, Bob Hafner, said.

Gartner doesn’t know whether Apple has actually placed an order for 3G iPhones, but the researcher does believe the next version of the touch-screen smartphone will have those high-speed capabilities. “If Apple was to place an order, than 10 million would be a reasonable number,” Hafner said. “And we absolutely believe that in the next-generation iPhone 3G will be there.”

As to rumors of Apple placing an order for the high-speed phones, Hafner said, “We have not got confirmation that an order had been placed.”

Multiple reports have pegged the 3G iPhone to be released in 2008. ‘3G’ is a fast mobile data technology that allows for broadband internet access on mobile phones. The iPhone currently uses EDGE (2.5G) technology, which is most similar to dial-up speeds.

Update: Dow Jones is now reporting that Hon Hai has secured the contract [via CNN Money]

Source: MacRumors

There’s been so much talk about the possibility of the “3G” iPhone, it can be hard to keep up with all the rumors. First of all, “3G” technology promises broadband-like speeds over wireless cellular networks. At present, the iPhone only offers 2.5G (EDGE) speeds, which means your web pages and email download at relatively slower speeds.

It’s been no secret that the iPhone will eventually adopt 3G technology. When Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone in January 2007, he specifically said (video clip) that Apple plans on making “3G phones and all sorts of amazing things in the future”. The major issue that prevented Apple from incorporating 3G into the first iPhone was excessive power consumption from 3G chipsets:
We cared a lot about battery life and we cared a lot about physical size. Down the road, I’m sure some of those tradeoffs will become more favorable towards 3G but as of now we think we made a pretty good doggone decision.

Some newly announced 3G chipsets promise to address these power issues and AT&T’s CEO has even said outright that the 3G iPhone is coming in 2008.

When is it coming?

The earliest evidence of the 3G iPhone came from Goldman Sachs Analysts who predicted that the iPhone would see two updates in 2008. The first minor update was predicted to be a Flash memory upgrade in the 1st half of the year. This came true in February with the release of the 16GB iPhone.

The second revision was described as “major” and was predicted to include 3G, possibly a different look, and arrive in the 2nd half of 2008. A number of reports this week appears to confirm this prediction. Hon Hai has reportedly won the contract to build Apple’s next iPhone and Bank of America sources suggest that the 3G iPhone will begin limited production in May with a ramp up in June. Spanish paper Cinco Dias suggests that the 3G iPhone could debut in the Spanish market as early as May.

Finally, there was news this week that Apple has acquired trademark rights to use the name “iPhone” in Japan — a country that interestingly has a 3G network but no EDGE network.

What do I do now?

A June release for the next iPhone falls conveniently close to Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference which takes place from June 9-13th this year. It’s possible that Apple will replace the existing iPhone with the 3G version, but it’s also conceivable that the 3G version will be a high-end model, leaving the existing 2.5G iPhone in place at a cheaper price point.

Due to the mounting evidence for the 3G iPhone, we’ve updated our Buyers Guide to recommend against buying an iPhone at this time unless you absolutely need it. Obviously, individual circumstances may vary, but if you are an average consumer looking for the best value for the money, we recommend waiting, but understand the new version could still be (at least) 3 months off.

Source: MacRumors

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney claims to have heard “from sources in Asia” that Apple has placed a 10 million unit order for 3G iPhones, according to an interview by the iPod Observer. This order for 10 million 3G iPhones would reportedly be above and beyond the original 10 million Apple had planned to sell of the initial version of the iPhone in 2008.

The analyst goes on to speculate that the 3G version could incorporate an OLED display which could improve battery life. Apple’s use of OLED technology has long been rumored but has yet to come true.

This timeframe could be consistent with recent Page 2 rumors that the 3G iPhone would be coming “in a few months.” Multiple reports have claimed that the 3G iPhone would be released in 2008. ‘3G’ is the next generation mobile data technology that allows for much faster internet access on mobile phones. The iPhone currently uses EDGE (2.5G) technology.

Source: MacRumors

In a phone interview with the iPod Observer, Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney claims to have heard rumors in Asia that Apple may have ordered another 10 million iPhones, but this time ones capable of operating on the 3G data network.

Dulaney believes that Apple has ordered another round of iPhones which will use 3G technology to communicate wirelessly with the internet over the cell network. He also claims that the new devices will sport new Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays, which are significantly more power efficient than the current backlit LCD displays used in all of Apple’s products, as well as being much thinner.

Source: iPhoneAlley

BoyGeniusReport posted an extensive gallery of screenshots from the upcoming iPhone 2.0 Firmware (currently labeled version 1.2). The screenshots include a number of configuration screens as well as a few screenshots from a not-yet-functional iTunes App Store. The Lunar Lander game depicted above represents a sample game that Apple provides to developers to demonstrate various iPhone specific features, such as the accelerometers.

After the initial “we’ll be in touch” emails, we’ve received multiple reports that Apple has been accepting more developers into the official development program ($99/year). This provides those developers with early access to the iPhone 2.0 firmware and the ability to install their applications onto the iPhone itself.

Apple will officially launch the iPhone 2.0 alongside the iTunes App Store in late June.

Source: MacRumors

MacWorld.co.uk is reporting that the still to be released Version 2.0 iPhone software has been cracked already, with still at least 3 months way!

Apple’s not-yet available iPhone 2.0 software has already been cracked - before it even ships, at least that’s what a renegade group of developers claimed last night.

The iPhone Dev Team claim to have cracked the software, meaning yet more pressure on Apple in the cat and mouse game between software developers and the owners of a million unlocked iPhones and the company and its network partners.

The developers claim to have decrypted and jailbroken the new iPhone software, and have published a series of screenshots of third party applications running on the device.

The jailbreak currently only works with hacked activation, meaning it won’t work with AT&T iPhone’s yet.

Apple executives have characterised the buoyant global market in unlocked iPhones as a positive thing, suggesting strong pent-up demand for the product, which is as yet available in just four markets; US, UK, Germany and France.

Again, this from MacRumors:

SetteB.it claims that the announced “Roadmap” event for the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) will be just that… a “Roadmap”. The site believes that Apple will be unable to deliver a final version of the SDK at their March 6th event. Instead, a beta version will be released, with a final version not expected until Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC).

The dates for this year’s WWDC have not yet been announced, but typically falls in June.SetteB.it is not a typical rumor source, but this information is consistent with earlier Page 2 rumors and direct observations we’ve heard from individuals who have seen early versions of the SDK, saying that it appeared to offer just the “bare essentials” at that time.Meanwhile, UBS analysts are continuing to predict that the 3G iPhone will be released “mid-year”. They also pinpoint Infineon Technologies AG as the likely supplier for the 3G communications chip.

Updated:
MacDailyNews is also reporting on this:

“German chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG will likely be supplying the new systems solution to Apple Inc.’s next-generation iPhone, UBS analysts told clients in a note published Thursday,” Aude Lagorce reports for MarketWatch.

UBS also believes “that 3G-enabled iPhones will be released by mid-year and that the current EDGE iPhone platform is being ramped down earlier than expected to ‘clean’ inventories,” Lagorce reports.

Full Article here.

Okay, we know this to be true, cause Apple are known to be working on one and Steve Jobs said so…

Citibank analyst Richard Gardner is claiming to have inside informaiton that Apple is going to release a 3G iPhone in Europe and Asia before the end of 2008, stating that inventory of the current model has begun to run low, and the introduction of 3G in Europe would bolster sales.

“We believe that lack of 3G has been a significant headwind for iPhone in Europe where 3G is already pervasive,” Gardner said. He claims that Apple revealed their plans during meetings with Citigroup. Interestingly, he doesn’t mention any plans for launching a 3G model in the US.

However, any plans for 3G in the US could get a boost from AT&T’s announcement that they were expanding their 3G coverage.

Source: iPhoneAlley.com