3G iPhone for 2008?

A report by financial analyst Richard Gardner of Citigroup stated recently that Apple may release a version of the iPhone that has 3G technology. The new iPhone version is projected to be released by mid 2008. The shipments for the iPhone are projected to be weak during the coming March quarter and the analyst stated that the inclusion of third generation or 3G technology could help Apple to meet its target shipment of 10 million iPhones in 2008.
3G technology is a high-speed Internet communication for wireless browsing that will provide the phones with broadband internet capabilities.

This upgrade could help Apple to realize more relationships with carriers as it begins to build up a presence in Europe. Although 3G is not widely recognized in the U.S., Apple may position the new iPhone model as a high-end smart phone and leave the current iPhone to ship as more of their mainstream product. AT&T’s announcement last week that it is planning to expand its 3G wireless coverage to more than 350 major markets in the U.S. may help Apple’s plan to forge ahead with the new iPhone version.
The plan is then as the iPhone becomes more popular, many customers will come to prefer to use it on the network that Apple has built a relationship with.

Gardner also stated that currently nearly 35 percent of all the iPhones that have been sold since it was first introduced in June 2007 have been unlocked and sold in many countries where Apple has not yet formed a relationship with a wireless carrier. Until the iPhone becomes more readily available in those countries, unlocking numbers will be high. Once Apple has forged relationships in those countries with wireless carriers, they expect the new version to be a huge success.