According to a report by RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky, Apple is expected to enter the entry level market for its popular iPhone. In his report, sometime this June/July, Apple is expected to launch a US$99 iPhone, as well as an iPhone 3G with updated performance (this is same as my prediction that Apple will release the next generation iPhone this June/July). Here is the feature comparision of the 2 new iPhone. 
An entry level iPhone does not come as a surprise to me. If you look at the line up of Apple products, you will find that Apple’s strategy is always to cater for different market segments. For example, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air for the professional users while MacBook for the general users. Also, iPod classic and iPod touch for people willing to pay a little more and iPod nano for people who are more budget conscious. So, an entry level iPhone is a natural progression from Apple. My dream of getting an iPhone is coming closer. Now the question is which one should I buy?
Being the owner of this blog, I must first confess that I still do not own a iPhone yet. Regrettedly, I am probably the only iPhone fan in Singapore who do not own a iPhone. First of all, SingTel is still the only telco operator that officially support iPhone. Too bad, I am not SingTel subscriber and I still have contract with my existing telco operator. Many iPhone fans will argue that this is not a valid reason. The hardcore iPhone fans have already bought iPhone even before SingTel launched it. There are so many articles on how to unlock the codes for iPhone bought in US. And now, there are so many people selling iPhone 3G on ebay, hardwarezone, etc. Well, I considered myself as the “follow the rule” iPhone fan. I just don’t like to spend a few hundred dollars and later find that there is no support for it. Secondly, I am waiting for the next generation of iPhone. There is rumour that Apple is working hard to release the next generation of iPhone. The next-generation iPhone (code name “iPhone 2,1″) could have more processing cores and potentially more advanced graphics processing. The latest iPhone Fireware 2.2.1 has good evidence that the new model is on its way. Apple launched its first iPhone on 29 June 2007 and later iPhone 3G on 11 July 2008. If you follow iPhone past habit of releasing new model in June/July, we can expect a new model in a few months time. By then, my telco operator will have a deal with Apple to sell iPhone and I will be the first iPhone fan in Singapore to own the third generation iPhone. So, stay tuned with this blog ……
