Analyst: Apple will launch two new iPhone models this summer

Apple will launch two new iPhone models this summer and its "build plan" calls for between 5 million and 6 million units, according to an industry analyst.

Kaufman Bros.' analyst Shaw Wu, citing his supply chain and industry sources, recently published a new report detailing Apple's iPhone plans. According to Wu, Apple will launch two new models of the iPhone, one of which will have longer battery life, a faster processor and be capable of running more complex applications. Wu is unsure if the new phones will be available in June or July, but if it is July, he is expecting Apple's fiscal third quarter to be weak, presumably as sales taper off in anticipation of the launch of the new models. 

Additionally, Wu thinks that AT&T Mobility, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the United States, may cave in terms of data pricing for the hot gadget, offering tiered data plans to replace its single, $30 per month unlimited data plan.

All of this is speculation from Wu, but there are numerous indicators that Apple is readying a new iPhone. Apple and AT&T have been selling the iPhone 3G without a contract in what is widely viewed as an attempt to reduce inventory. Additionally, Apple's March unveiling of the iPhone OS 3.0 may indicate a new product in the offing.

For more:
- see this article [1]

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