Apple may not comment on rumors and speculation, but even they would likely agree that Jim Goldman may have just scuppered at least part of their holiday season profits.  The CNBC writer quotes "a very good source of mine with good connections to Apple's Asian manufacturing partners" in suggesting that the Cupertino-based company will be releasing the new 3G iPhone by May or June, as well as that we're weeks away from the Macworld announcement of a $1,500 ultraportable MacBook laptop with 12-inch screen, flash memory rather than a hard drive and 50% thinner and lighter than existing models.

As Goldman notes, speculation about an SSD-based ultraportable has long been churned over online, but based on previous hardware reports and earlier information, the screen had been suggested as 13.1-inches rather than the 12 he claims. 

"This source says he has now heard from manufacturing partners in Asia that Apple is preparing to unveil a new, ultra portable laptop computer at the company's Macworld event next month in San Francisco.  The blogs have speculated about this, but he says he now has hard evidence that the smallest laptop ever from Apple is only weeks away. He says the device will feature a 12-inch screen and will be 50 percent thinner--and lighter--than current versions of the MacBook Pro. He says the product will not have a hard-drive, but rely on Flash memory instead and likely retail for around $1,500" Jim Goldman, CNBC

Meanwhile, the above-expected sales of the iPod Touch have apparently caused Apple to ramp up production.  Goldman compares existing analyst sales predictions - such as Piper Jaffray's estimated 3.7 million - to the numbers his source is saying: 5.1 million units for the holiday shopping quarter, a 38% increase.

Right now Apple stock is unflinching, despite the potential for would-be buyers to step away from their credit cards and bide their time until the new launches.

[via Macrumors; image by Maarten Brinkerink]