Clearing Inventory for 'radically different' 3G iPhone?

[MacRumors]

Times Online claims the reason for the UK and German iPhone discounts are to clear room for the 3G iPhone. European mobile operators reportedly overestimated demand for the current iPhone and are said to be working to clear excess inventory ahead of the 3G iPhone release.

This claim appears to be somewhat speculative, but Times Online also claims to have heard that Apple has placed orders for the 3G iPhone:

Times Online understands that Apple has placed an order with its Asian suppliers to produce 200,000 of the new 3G iPhones by the end of May, rising to 2 million - 500,000 per week - in June.

Times Online goes on to say that the new version of the iPhone will have a "radically different" appearance.

Among the possibilities are flip version, which would enable the screen to be larger, and a sliding model with a regular qwerty keyboard - as opposed to a touchscreen one.

The reliability of Times Online's sources are unknown, but such a departure from the existing iPhone's design seems very unlikely. Jobs specifically criticized the inclusion of an built-in keyboards amongst existing smartphones when the iPhone was first introduced. Apple is also in the midst of launching a Software Development Kit (SDK) intended for their multi-touch OS X. Radically changing the form factor would splinter the audience for iPhone applications.

Article Link

 

[bbplayer5]

No way. They will not modify the phone THAT much. Why change a good thing? Make it thinner maybe, slightly bigger screen... thats about it.

 

[edwdcook]

iPhone

I don't think the current iPhone design concept needs changing - and if it does change, I think it would be a shame.

 

[tremendous]

Really really can't see a change to the design being in the pipeline. not sure I would trust the times much anyhow. They're not exactly known for being on top of these sort of things usually. sounds like lazy journalism.

 

[hollerz]

I'd put money on it NOT being a flip phone or having a built in keyboard!

 

[achtung!]

hummm, these news are somewhat weird... a new design for the iphone? i don't think so. and it doesn't make sense to include a "physicall" keyboard in the phone. seems like a couple steps back to me.
let's hope this isn't true...

 

[notnek]

i agree with posters so far. no way they would change the look that much. if anything, the thickness will be different.

 

[Ryon]

How could a flip/clamshell design possibly allow the screen to be larger? That may be true vs. regular candybar-style phones, which have to make room for keypads, but in the iPhone's case, it already takes up almost all available room with the screen. A flip version would either have to be HUGE, or it would have a SMALLER screen.

I call shenanigans.

 

[guzhogi]

As long as they don't get too big, I don't mind or really care. I remember those huge, brick-sized cell phones in the '80s. Those things were huge!

One thing I do hope is that Apple actually announces a 3G iPhone at WWDC/in June or July. If Apple doesn't, there will be plenty of people really PO'ed w/ them.

 

[basesloaded190]

there is no way they are going to change the way the phone looks now. its way to sexy to make any stupid changes just to do so.

 

[fowler.]

do not want flip, do not want a slider.

seriously, keep it candy bar style with touchscreen keypad...

 

[Mackan]

"Among the possibilites..."

Yeah, there are possibilites for everything... like me stepping on a camel crap tomorrow. However, it is extremly unlikely, since there are no camels around where I live.

 

[Mykbibby]

It appears that Apple has begun doing what it did last year... Showing people false prototypes in order to protect the true identity. Remember Kevin Rose?

Expect something new and beautiful... Not a flip phone, or QWERTY.. Please.

 

[fastbite]

Times Online are talking from their derriere. They know nothing.

 

[hotzenplotz]

What I would really like Apple to do is introduce a regular, wireless home phone with an Apple touch (iChat and address book integration, UI a la iPhone, etc.). I get the hives trying to simply navigate to my phone messages, and have to weed through its stupid manual just to figure out simple tasks.

 

[edwdcook]

This would go against with what Steve spent a whole Macworld convincing us what was wrong with the old 'smart phone' designs.

 

[bigmc6000]

Ha!

That's just too funny. In other news, cars will now run on air and every tree in the world is in full bloom. Right...

Anyway - there's no way they are going to do anything with the size or density of the screen. All the coding that depends on pixel placement would be messed up. If they do ANYTHING to the screen it'll be OLED (which would be nice). But yeah, once they started talking about all these changes they completely lost credibility...

 

[drb6]

hahaha

newspapers really have gone to the dumps, they can't even make up anything remotely likely anymore

 

[queshy]

Did they even watch the MWSF 07 keynote? He clearly said that the problem with all smart phones is the lower half i.e. the keyboard. Once you have a key there, it's there, and so it's unintuitive to use the same set of keys to run all types of applications since every app is different. That's why the keyboard doesn't work.

Maybe a small change in the case is possible but definitely not a change in form factor. Simple is better, and they're going to keep it that way.

 

[bacaramac]

The only change I would anticipate would be a new back cover (like the glossy black). This would help with better radio transmission. I also like the all black back. Sliding keyboard, are they stupid for posting this. Why would Apple even consider this, it would make the phone thicker and feel cheap. I like the solid feel to the current model by haveing no moving parts and only a few required buttons.

EDIT: How about splitting this rumor into two. Order numbers on front page and the non credible redesign on page 2.

 

[Phil A.]

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

 

[nostaws]

Posters at macrumors would make better apple analysts than 99% of the analysts in the journalism/investor pool.

 

[rockstarjoe]

Disregarding the obviously wrong info about form factor changing, it is interesting to hear that an order has been placed for enough units to launch by June.

 

[ruckus]

wrong. the design will not change.

 

[Sandfleaz]

I would bet good money we will just see a slight redesign of the back and bezel!
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