Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2009/05/20/rubber_iphone_rumor/

Rumor rubberizes iPhone 3.0

Third Coming due July 17?

By Rik Myslewski

Posted in Personal Tech, 20th May 2009 01:33 GMT

The next iPhone will have an OLED display, double the processing power, a 50 per cent improvment in battery life, and a rubber-backed body with a light-up Apple logo on the back.

That is, if a Tuesday article by Apple iPhone Apps is to be believed.

According to "a source who is closely connected to Apple's hardware development team," all this new iPhone goodness and more will be available for purchase on July 17.

Many of the features that the AiA's source predicts will be in the new iPhone have been reported here and elsewhere, including a 3.2-megapixel camera with in-phone video editing a built-in FM transmitter and digital compass, enhanced location services, video and still-photo MMS, and a top capacity of 32GB.

The source adds to this gaggle of goodies the aforementioned OLED screen, a rubberized body (à la the ancient Newton, presumably, and not the "Rubber-tread backing" mentioned by AiA), and a light-up logo on the back - which a pair of posters over at MacDailyNews postulate might double as the much-needed flash for the iPhone's camera.

The new iPhone is alleged to come in 16GB and 32GB versions for $199 and $299, respectively - a safe prediction, seeing as how Apple appears loath to enter a lower-priced arena.

All this, of course, remains pure speculation, since Apple has a long-established policy of not commenting on unannounced products.

Maybe AiA's source made the whole thing up. Maybe he or she saw one of many possible prototypes, and ran with it as real.

And maybe Apple is devilishly stirring the rumor pot, hoping to shift some of the spotlight away from the Palm Pre, which is now officially set to launch on June 6th, a mere two days before Apple kicks off its annual Worldwide Developer Conference with a keynote speech by the company's marketing SVP, Phil Schiller. ®