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Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/07/three_iphones_in_2009/

iPhone trifecta rumored for 2009

Increased bling level

By Rik Myslewski in San Francisco

Posted in Mobile, 7th February 2009 01:10 GMT

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Three new iPhones will appear in 2009, according to an analyst with the Canadian research firm Canaccord Adams.

According to a report [1] on Seeking Alpha, analyst Peter Misek identifies the most lavish of the three as a 32GB iPhone 3G that will be available in multiple colors - an iPod Nanofication [2] of the iPhone's bling level, in effect.

The remaining two projected 'Phones are less fashion-forward. The first would be a rebirth of the original iPhone "targeted for China and India." The original iPhone, as you'll remember, had no GPS circuitry - a limitation that some observers believe would be required [3] by the security-conscious Chinese government.

The third and final new iPhone would be a low-cost device "about one-third the size of the 3G iPhone," according to Seeking Alpha. That's significantly smaller than the much-rumored iPhone Nano [4], for which Shenzhen, China, case maker XSKN is already selling cases [5] on its website. Our guess is that someone at Seeking Alpha mistook "one-third smaller" for "one-third the size of."

Misek believes that any low-cost iPhone, such as the one he predicts, would not be a voice-only device. We agree. The iPhone is a platform, not a mere phone-call machine, and as such it's a gateway into the continuing revenue stream that's the iTunes App Store.

And as King Gillette [6] discovered with his disposable razor, and as inkjet printer manufacturers have perfected, one secret to success is to offer a product with a price that's a low barrier to entry, to be followed by continuing sales of must-have supplies.

And while the iPhone - unlike a safety razor or printer - will function without follow-on purchases, it's not nearly as much fun without them. ®