It’s finally out. The much-anticipated iPhone 3G will be launched during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WDC) on June 9 and will be available in the market around June 18th or June 19th.

And who else will be there to show the look and introduce the feel of the 3G iPhone other than the father of Apple, Steve Jobs, who is set to give the keynote address at the WDC.

 For the first time ever, this year’s WWDC in San Francisco offers a track designed for those developing applications and optimized web content for iPhone. The conference offers developers a great opportunity to speak with Apple’s own iPhone engineers and user interface experts

At the heart of the WWDC experience are over 150 technical sessions and hands-on labs presented by Apple engineers and experts. Those who will attend will get in-depth information with presentations on the technologies that power iPhone OS, Leopard and Leopard Server, and code along during practical “how-to” sessions.      
 

Apple reportedly to release 3G iPhone in Europe

Millions of Asians are waiting for the official release of Apple’s iPhone in the region. But the question that has not been answered yet is this: Will asians get the 3G iPhone?

“Selling the first genration iPhone in Asia will be like selling Playstation 1 to a market that knows the existence of Playstation 3,” said Anthony Chin Lee, an IT analyst in Singapore.

A source said Apple could probably ship the first generation iPhone to Asia (mostly unsold units from US or European stores) and this could mean lower sales for the iPhone in this region.          (more…)

Fresh from the oven, AT&T, the exclusive sales partner of Apple in the US,  announced it will be selling the upcoming 3G iPhone for $199. Yes, AT&T is preparing to subsidize $200 of the cost of the new iPhone but there’s a catch.

Customers who want the $199 3G iPhone will have to compusorily sign up for a two year contract with AT&T. You will have to pay the $399 unit price for 8GB and $499 for 16GB if you want your network under Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, or Sprint.

The markdown price is a strategy by AT&T to drive customers away from its competitors. But for sure, the other network providers will also be implementing marketing strategies that will challenge AT&T.       (more…)

Due to the alleged disappointing sales, several mobile phone carriers in Europe are now contemplating on following the footstep of O2 by offering Apple’s iPhone at lower cost to clear out their display closets.

Orange, the exclusive carrier of iPhone in France, was reported to be in talks with Apple for an iPhone price cut following a frustratingly low sales despite the hype created by the iPhone online.

With the coming of the 3G iPhone in the next few months, the mobile phone market is observed to be holding on to its money for the iPhone 2.0 instead of buying the currently available units that do not have 3G and other features yet.

We have heard of mobile phone carriers in Europe slashing the prices of the basic iPhone unit to almost half the original cost. We reported earlier that the slow sales of Apple’s iPhone in Europe could have triggered the price cut but there is now one theory that could explain why the iPhone is offered now at lower price.

Experts believed the reason for the price cut is to sell out all the basic iPhone units in preparation for the coming of the 3G iPhone in the next few months. Of course, this is a practical way for iPhone carriers to dispose of the old iPhone because for sure no one will be interested on it when the iPhone 2.0 is introduced in the market.

The iPhone will be shipped to India this September but we learned that the units will not be the 3G version. Though mobile phone lovers in India will surely buy the old version iPhone, millions of others will surely wait for the arrival of the 3G iPhone so Apple has to dispose of the remaining inventory even if it means cutting the price off.     (more…)

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney believes that Apple has placed a 10 million unit-strong order for another round of iPhone release and these units are most likely to be 3G-capable.

Dulaney’s analysis of a 3G iPhone is very real because Apple will surely not release a new batch of iPhone, 10 million units at that, without the 3G technology that was lacking in the first wave.

Dulaney also indicatest that the new round of iPhone units will have a new display technology that will utilize the Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), making a slimmer 3G iPhone. With the OLED display, battery performance of the iPhone will be increased because it does not have to power a backlight.