Wednesday, March 26,2008 @ 9:20am
Gartner: Apple ordering massive 3G iPhone numbers
Apple may have already lined up the production of millions of next-generation iPhones, according to a Gartner analyst. Ken Dulaney says that based on talk he has heard from Asian sources, he believes Apple has placed an order for 10 million updated iPhones, equipped with 3G broadband. These may not even count towards the 10 million in unit sales Apple hopes to achieve within 2008; the suggestion is that Apple will reach its target based on sales of first-generation iPhones alone.
Dulaney speculates that the 3G iPhone may surmount battery concerns, expressed by the likes of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, by switching to an OLED (organic LED) display. This may not only result in less power consumption, but reduce the thickness of the phone even further. Dulaney further comments that Apple may have strong incentive to switch to 3G technology as soon as possible, as the iPhone did not do as well as expected in Europe. Unlike the United States, many European countries have had widespread 3G networks for years.