Amir discusses the development of the model however says that it may firstly be released in emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, while the high-end version is expected to make its way to North America and Europe. Although having double the capacity, the model is expected to run on a 3G network, rather than on WiFi. The number of units looking to move Amir believes is 3.8 million to four million in the first quarter, while Wall Street is anticipating three million to 3.5 million units.

Noted in the report Amir says that “about 20 percent of all NAND capacity goes to Apple, and its impact on the NAND market should not be underestimated…NAND prices should move up further off the Apple orders. We believe that with the new iPhone design which could include 32GB NAND, Apple is setting the stage for another potentially big flash order starting in April. With the potential for 3 million units to be shipped in 2Q, we believe the magnitude of such an order could enable prices of NAND components to move up an additional 20 percent in the (first half) of 2Q.”

[via Silicon]

That’s a $300 premium over and above the standard, contract price.  Assuming you’re willing to commit to a 24-month contract, the 8GB iPhone 3G costs $199 and the 16GB version comes in at $299.

While there’s no long-term obligation, the contract-free iPhone 3G’s are still locked to AT&T and use the same pricing plans.  That includes the $30 unlimited data access fee.  AT&T will begin selling the handsets next Thursday.

As 9to5Mac wrote,

We’re not huge fans of Diggnation but Kevin Rose has on again off again luck with his Apple predictions. So, for your amusement:

Since I failed to embed the video here, please check-out here.

[via 9to5Mac]

Mac Rumors cited Boy Genius Report that claims to have heard two most-awaited features: MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) and tethering:

MMS would finally offer iPhone users the ability to send photos by way of SMS, and tethering would allow you to share your iPhone’s internet connection with your laptop computer. An alleged Steve Jobs email even confirmed that Apple had been working on a thethering solution, so it certainly seems feasible. BoyGeniusReport’s record, however, has been spotty, so we can’t be entirely confident of the report.

Mac Rumors also mentioned:

…a better app-managing SpringBoard (with categories?), a solution to “push” notifications (background tasks?), and, yes… even copy and paste..

Will 3.0 OS be available for the iPhone 3G? I hope so.

Don’t forget join our live blogging from the event at http://live.slashgear.com, then stick around here on iPhone Buzz and at our sibling-site SlashGear for commentary afterward.

[BGR via Mac Rumors]

As well as the new iPhone OS, Apple are also promising the debut of a brand new iPhone SDK.  The specific features are still tightly under wraps, but it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see copy & paste, Flash support and maybe even some of the integrated social networking functionality Palm have been showing off on their Pre smartphone.

So join us on Tuesday, March 17th at http://live.slashgear.com/ for all the details as they’re announced, then stick around here on iPhone Buzz and at our sibling-site SlashGear for commentary and opinion afterward.  This could be the first real hint of what the iPhone 3.0 hardware might have to offer.

Anybody with an adapter – either provided with their iPhone 3G when bought new, or purchased as an aftermarket accessory – is asked to check it to see if it matches the image above.  Replacement adapters – which more recent buyers will have – are marked with a green dot near the pins.

The exchange program begins on October 10th (so you still have plenty of time to accidentally electrocute yourself), and owners will be able to apply either online (it will apparently take up to three weeks to receive a new adapter through the post) or in-store.  Both will require your iPhone 3G serial number and the return of the old adapter.

The banners unfurled for the “Let’s Rock” event slated for tomorrow at 10 a.m. from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters and we are as ready as ever. Apple is known for having tricks up their sleeves and this time around they’re readily inviting the media, dubbing the event as a “big deal.”

We expect to see new iPod nano models that will be slimmed down considerably. The iPod touch line is also expected to receive a refreshing. The latest word is that we’ll see an iPhone firmware 2.1 update and iTunes 8.0–which pretty much seems confirmed as the new version accidentally leaked on Apple’s website. A possible subscription service for iTunes is also expected.

And though none of the specifics about what Apple will announce are for sure, yet, one thing is for certain. SlashGear will be there live and onsite blogging as the news unfolds. Be sure to bookmark http://live.slashgear.com/ and visit us at 10 a.m. on Tuesday–that’s tomorrow! We’ll be live blogging and full analysis will follow along with details for all of the announcements. 

[via SlashGear]

At the moment, it seems four magazines are in circulation in Japan that are devoted exclusively to the iPhone. And it makes sense. After all, the iPhone has plenty of news and information. It’s very popular and people want to hear tips and tricks for how to use their phones better. Plus, reviews of popular apps never hurts.

Even so, four magazines seems a little excessive, don’t you think? And us in the US are not to be left out. An iPhone-themed magazine called iPhone Life is coming soon.

[via Gadget Lab at Wired.com]

The CRB hit the customizable radio station with super high royalty rates and ever since, the company has been struggling to keep afloat. Tim Westergren, the company’s founder, has said that Pandora is currently facing a “pull-the-plug” situation, wherein they’ll be forced to shut down unless something changes quickly.

Unfortunately, change doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. As Pandora keeps spending their money to keep the company running, it looks like the day when their doors will close is swiftly approaching. And I was just getting my custom stations how I wanted them!

[via Gizmodo]

The week started with news that the App Store had accumulated 60 million downloads, equally $30 million sales. Plus, the first monthly sales reports were released to app developers, giving them insight into just how their software was doing. Later on, we learned that Best Buy is all set to sell the iPhone 3G beginning September 7 and HSBC is even considering a 200K iPhone 3G order.

Moving onto software issues and complaints, there was an initial problem at the beginning of the week following the 2.0.1 firmware update, which may have caused GPS issues to develop. We also learned that a building at the Apple Inc headquarters caught fire. Damage was mostly caused by water and smoke and no injuries were reported. And as many iPhone users have been unable to maintain a 3G connection, analysts now believe the problem lies with the Infineon chipset. However, a September software update should provide a fix for the reception problems, even though Infineon denies their chipsets are to blame.

But it wasn’t all bad news this week. In fact, several applications hit the App Store, to bring greater functionality to the iPhone. For instance, a web-based app of Google Translate was launched that brings you translating power on the go. Plus, an e-book reader called Stanza has opened the door to Kindle-like abilities, though you can only download public domain titles at the moment. A program call Qik makes video streaming possible from your iPhone and Simplify Media makes live streaming of your music library a breeze. Box Office has also returned to the App Store, though now it’s called Now Playing.

We offered several application reviews this week, as well. Crossword Light provided a detailed crossword puzzling experience, while Tilt Snake was a fun diversion, reminiscent of the old arcade game, though it could be improved.

Finally, a few iPhone gadgets and gizmos found their way onto iPhoneBuzz this week, notably the iPhone Dock Projector. It remains to be seen if this portable projector offers up a decent picture, but the idea is brilliant. Plus, the Steve Jobs bobble head iPhone dock is just a one in a million eBay offering that Apple diehards will have to have.

But now it looks as though we definitely will be seeing a fix to the issue come September. And as suspected, the fix will come in the form of a software update. New firmware should improve the 3G reception, regardless of the source of the problem.

While the majority of people are looking to Infineon as the culprit at the moment, plenty of finger-pointing has kept Apple and AT&T as the ones that made a mistake. Once this update comes out, hopefully everyone will have better 3G–if you’re in a 3G area, at least.

[via BusinessWeek]

A fire broke out at Apple headquarters late last night and was put out by fire fighters in the early hours of the morning after burning for over three hours. The three-alarm fire hit the research and development building of the headquarters and appears to have been an accident.

The building is called “Apple 6″ because it is the sixth building on the company’s campus in Cupertino. The fire damaged the second floor in the west wing mostly. Water and smoke provided most of the damage, however. The roof is also scorched.

Early reports indicate that the fire may have stemmed from an air conditioning unit that was under repair–the location where the fire burned the longest.

[via CBS5.com]
[Image Source: AP]

“A decision on a piece of hardware like that would potentially be deployed, conservatively, to 200,000 people.  You know, it’s a big decision, especially when you have an existing fleet out there.  But it’s definitely something we are considering from a HSBC Group perspective.  We always explore the potential application of new technologies and this is no different” Brenton Hush, CIO, HSBC Australia and New Zealand

Nonetheless, it is relatively unusual for a company to so publicly confirm that it is looking at a specific product.  RIM, manufacturer of the BlackBerry that is the current handset of choice for HSBC, will no doubt be looking to make their case for its continued custom; in fact, it’s not too much of a stretch that making an announcement like this could be a strong bargaining tool for the bank.

Analysts suggested that the iPhone 3G – or, more importantly, the most recent major firmware upgrade, that adds Enterprise functionality such as Microsoft Exchange support – would be more tempting to corporate clients than the original handset.  HSBC is the first such company to suggest it could shift its mobile focus to Apple.