Sources report that the iPhone will bs a GSM/EDGE (2.5G) phone and not a UMTS (3G) device. Apple's decision to go with 2.5G lies in the technology's advantages over 3G: physically smaller components and more reliable communication.
Apple is also said to be courting as many GSM providers as possible across major markets in North America, Europe, and Asia in an attempt to maximize its initial opportunity in the mobile phone market.
One of the key factors tat wil contribute to the iPhones success or failure wil be the price of the device. There has been a lot of discussion on that issue at Apple headquarters.
Kevin Rose of Digg.com recently said on an episode of the Diggnation podcast that the iPhone will ship in a 4GB version for $249 and an 8GB version for $449, representing a $50 and $200 premium, respectively, over the iPod nano.
Meanwhile, it is growing increasingly unlikely that Apple will be ready to ship the iPhone at or around Macworld Expo San Francisco in January, despite word that some suppliers have already started delivering components for the iPhone to manufacturing. Some sources have also gone so far as to suggest that even an announcement may elude Expo, especially if it appears the phone will not be available in sufficient quantities until the second quarter.
