There’s another round of hyped-up buzz starting to build surrounding the imminent launch of the next-generation iPhone. The first hardware revision of the Apple iPhone will hit the US market with a 3G radio in tow, among other features – which should appease the masses that have lamented the iPhone’s lack of true high-speed data capabilities (although, the iPhone’s EDGE data seems to compete with 3G connections due to processing and browser efficiency advantages).
We’re dying to get our hands on a 3G iPhone, and the latest report indicates that Apple is indeed ramping up production of the second-gen iPhone. Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney believes that Apple has just placed a 10 million unit-strong order for another round of iPhones. The significance being that the new batch of iPhones are most likely the 3G-addled version of the iPhone.
It wouldn’t make sense for Apple to order another 10 million of the current iPhone, so if the new iPhone production order is true, it would most assuredly be an order for mostly (if not exclusively) 3G iPhones.
And, as another little gem from Apple, Dulaney indicates that the 3G iPhone will also employ a new display technology. The multi-touch capacitance touchscreen technology that has been used to tremendous success in the iPhone may just be mated to an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display on the 3G iPhone. The use of an OLED display should allow the 3G iPhone to shed some girth – a thinner OLED display panel ultimately means a thinner 3G iPhone. The OLED display also lacks a backlight, making it significantly more power-efficient than the current LCD display and allowing for increased battery performance – especially important, considering the greater battery drain imposed by 3G/HSDPA chipsets.
So, the next-generation, 3G iPhone is most likely set to start production. And, better yet, the 3G iPhone should also be toting an OLED display. We’re crossing our fingers for the latter rumor to pan out. Oh, and let’s not forget Kevin Rose’s prediction that the 3G iPhone will rock two-way video calling. Stay tuned….
[Via: iPodObserver]