Twitpic user Carniphage has posted a mockup to MacRumors of what the next generation iPhone 3.0 might look like, based on the "4G" bezel that appeared on the website of a Chinese parts seller. Here's the artist's rendition:
Great work, especially using only a few photos of the black iPhone bezel as a basis for the concept. The shape of the black bezel is clearly different from the iPhone 3G, with the speaker much closer to the edge of the device.
Next generation iPhone parts have already hit the web. Online wholesaler China Ontrade has a menu item labeled iPhone 4G Spare Parts, and claims to have stocked two parts from the not-yet-released third generation iPhone.
One of the parts is the bezel frame, and the other an LCD screen. The bezel frame sports a different shape and color than the iPhone 3G bezel, and runs $79.27. Anyone following rumors lately might have expected an OLED screen on the new iPhone.
The AT&T network is about to get faster. Twice as fast as current 3G speeds, using HSPA 7.2 3G wireless technology. This in-progress upgrade to the AT&T network will make speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps possible later this year.
Apple has reportedly designed the next generation iPhone 3.0 to take advantage of these network upgrades when it is released this summer, making the new device twice as fast as current models. LTE technology, otherwise known as 4G, is in the works for future upgrades at AT&T but won't be widely available until 2011.
When iPhone 3.0 is released it looks like TV shows, movies and music videos will be available for purchase and viewing directly on the new device. Three mobile ads from Apple were found in the latest version of TwitterFon that linked to "iTunes Movie Rentals," "iTunes Movies" and "iTunes TV."
When touched, the ads led to a video area in Apple's mobile store that was under construction. Screenshots of the portal show various genres and featured items, however video content is not yet available.
The iPhone 3.0 Software Development Kit (SDK) includes new programming interfaces that will make it possible to embed Google Maps directly into applications. iPhone software developers will be able to use Google Maps for creative new purposes, displaying spatial data such as radar and cloud cover or real estate prices over the built-in mapping capabilities of the iPhone OS.
The Maps application itself has not changed as of iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5.
Vodafone Australia has officially been notified by its distributor of the iPhone 3G that the 16GB model is an EOL (end of life) product. Only a few weeks' supply is left and the model will be discontinued when these are sold.
Further signs point to the impending release of a next generation iPhone, possibly by July 17th. According to sources who have contacted the company, AT&T is drawing down current iPhone model inventories and has no plans to restock.
Developers have found new header files in a directory labeled "compass" under iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5. These files point to Japanese company Asahi Kasei’s azimuth sensor No. AK8973. The reference describes a chip otherwise known as a digital compass, or a magnetometer, that comes bundled with a master clock oscillator.
The confirmation of this additional hardware on the next-generation iPhone is exciting, to say the least. Applications that would take advantage of an azimuth sensor have only begun to develop and make a multitude of new functionality possible.
Apple has posted two job opportunities that could give further insight into the hardware and advanced capabilities coming our way on the next generation iPhone. Video recording and an improved 3.2 megapixel camera have been confirmed.
It seems Apple is ready to develop some exciting ways to take advantage of the new hardware. The following is an excerpt from a job description from Apple:
Palm's answer to the iPhone, the Palm Pre will be hitting shelves on June 6. The device debuts at $299 with a $100 mail-in rebate, however at Best Buy the cost will be $199 flat.
The device will compete with Apple's iPhone, the Blackberry Storm, and T-Mobile's G1. Sprint is expecting shortages of the device as consumer demand initially will outpace supply.
Only one month after the initial release of push notification, Apple has invited iPhone OS 3.0 developers to participate in high-volume tests of the system. If all goes well, push notification is expected to be operative for general users with the release of iPhone 3.0.
Push notification saves the iPhone battery by allowing apps to receive information without actually running in the background. Recent reports have indicated that Apple is considering allowing a limited number of apps to run in the background, however this taxes iPhone resources.
