News : Mobile Phone Shop UK
3G iPhone Likely To Appear Sooner Than Expected
May 21, 2008
A report pegs the much-awaited announcement of the 3G version of Apple's iPhone for June 9. According to technology blog Gizmodo, a source "very, very close" to the launch has confirmed that the second-generation iPhone will be announced during the keynote address of the Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco on that date.
The keynote will made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs and other company executives.
Piper Jaffray Report
The report also says the device will be available immediately following the announcement. One example predicted is that the grand opening of the Telefonica megastore in Madrid on June 18 will feature the 3G iPhone for sale, with nationwide availability in Spain immediately or by the next day.
In terms of pricing, the source also indicates that the device will not be pegged at a fixed price in some countries, but will be discounted in carrier-based packages.
The Gizmodo report also meshes with a recent report by investment bank Piper Jaffray, which surveyed Apple stores earlier this month. It found that the iPhone is not available at half of the Apple retail stores, that both the 8GB and 16GB models were unavailable from the online store, and that shortages have been reported recently in the United Kingdom.
This sell-down of inventory would typically happen right before a new product launch. Additionally, some observers have noted that Apple has been adding carrier partners in other countries at a rapid pace. Last week, for instance, Apple announced deals with carriers in Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and India. The week before, it said a deal had been reached with Vodafone for the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey.
June is also the one-year anniversary of the iPhone's launch, as well as the month in which a software update for all iPhones will be released.
FCC Factor
Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, questioned the report's indication of near-immediate availability after the announcement because of the need for device approval by the Federal Communications Commission. He noted that one of the reasons Apple originally announced the iPhone in January but released it in June was because of the FCC approval process.
When the 3G iPhone is released, he predicted, the device will receive "a tremendous boost" in Europe, where 3G is prevalent. "My anecdotal research in Europe," Greengart added, "indicates that consumers looking at high-end multimedia phones have a lot of options, all of which have 3G, so there is pent-up demand for a 3G iPhone there."
In the U.S., Greengart said a 3G version would offer "a new round of iPhone news" as the holiday season approaches.
A 3G version, coupled with the new markets, can help Apple reach its announced goal of 10 million iPhones sold worldwide by the end of this year. As of the quarter ending March 31, Apple has reported selling about 5.4 million units.
Source: http://www.newsfactor.com
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