Rumors about the next-generation iPhone continue unabated, with the latest focusing on doubled internet-connection speeds and - finally - video-capture capability. And maybe more iPhones.

Silicon Alley Insider reports (http://www.businessinsider.com/next-gen-iphone-rumor-faster-internet-speeds-2009-3) that a "plugged-in source in the mobile industry" says that the next-gen iPhones (possibly four models (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/03/more-evidence-arises-for-future-iphone-models-in-latest-beta.ars)), widely rumored to appear early this summer along with the just-announced iPhone Software 3.0 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/18/iphone_version_3/), will provide faster internet-access speeds.

If true, the upgrade will likely be due to AT&T's HSPA infrastructure, already rolled out in many markets, that can support download speeds of 7.2Mbps, coupled with new wireless circuitry in the next-gen iPhones.

Unfortunately for current iPhone 3G owners, their unit's wireless circuitry can only handle half that speed - the 7.2Mbps speed-up would only be available if Apple updates the wireless chips in the upcoming iPhones. A firmware upgrade to existing iPhone 3Gs wouldn't help.

Another rumor - that of a iPhone video camera (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/03/20/source_apples_next_gen_iphone_has_video_camera.html) that can share videos (http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/18/usb-tethering-publish-video-and-find-my-iphone-found-in-os-3-0/) - hints that the faster wireless capability in the new iPhones could be powered by (http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/05/31/infineon.xmm.6180.3g.chip/) an HSPA chip from Infineon that the company claims can not only download at 7.2Mbps, but also upload at 2.9Mbps.

Any upload speed slower than that would make sharing video a painful experience, indeed - and the average upload speeds of the current iPhone 3G hover around 0.3Mbps, as measured by the good folks at Testmyiphone.com (http://testmyiphone.com/stats).

Although all of this is, of course, pure speculation, we're willing to bet that this summer will see the iPhone line diverge into multiple models - and not just based on capacity, as has been true in the past.

We predict a high-end iPhone with video, high(er)-speed internet access, and possibly speedier graphics capabilities based on Imagination Technologies' new multicore PowerVR SGX543MP (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/18/sgx543mp/) graphics technology.

Below that would be a less-capable but more-affordable model or three, possibly one similar to the current iPhone 3G but with an OLED display (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/20/oled_apple_lg/), one without GPS circuitry for sale in paranoid countries (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/25/china_unicom_iphone/) and possibly one compact unit with specs that match the ever-elusive entry-level iPhone nano (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/13/iphone_nano_rumors/).

The iPhone is now well-established enough to grow from a product into a product line. This summer may be time for that line's coming-out party. ®

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