Where’s the 3G iPhone for Europe and the rest of the World?

Amazingly, not only is it not here yet, but instead Apple today announced the new iPod Touch - which is essentially an 8Gb (US$299) or 16Gb (US$399) iPhone - minus the phone! Initially I was surprised and thought ‘Won’t this cannibalise iPhone sales?’

Thinking about it again though, with prompting from Engadget’s article (see link below), I realised that this move does make sense. Why? Here’s my logic:

(1) While Thomas Ricker’s article suggests the 3G iPhone is not likely to be very far away, Apple appears to be having lots of challenges negotiating with the Telcos.

(2) The unlocking Bandits are at the gates, and unlocked phones will soon start dribbling out on into the wild - no doubt creating even more legal obstacles.

(3) The new iPod Touch will give many users worldwide access to many of the cool new features of the iPhone - the full-screen touch display, Safari Browser, WiFi access, etc.

All of this will continue to drive sales for Apple and flood the world with the new-paradigm interface, while the tough Telco negotiations and legal dramas can continue in the background. Pretty smart approach really…

What do you think?

Brett Ryland @ TechGripe!

“The only thing more slippery than an iPhoneSIMFree release date has to be the magically, mystical 3G iPhone rumored for Europe. At least with the latter, Apple has been kind enough to drop a few dreggy hints. Add ‘em all up and Apple Expo — kicking off September 25th — seems to be the prime time for Apple to announce a new flagship 16GB, 3G iPhone. Don’t believe it? Check this:

Engadget Article: Where the hell is the 3G iPhone for Europe? We might know.”