Apple has been causing a bit of a stir recently following news that its iPhone could soon be receiving a much discussed 3G upgrade. It allegedly left the high-speed data support out of its original design because of issues surrounding battery life, though has finally conceded that a re-think is necessary to allow users to take better advantage of the phone's Web-based capabilities.

Unfortunately this means a bit of an overhaul in terms of design, and Apple has roped in German chipmaker Infineon Technologies to supply parts for a next generation phone. There's good and bad news for the consumer in that existing phones are likely to be sold off on the cheap to allow manufacturers to get shot of stock, though if you've already bought one you can expect Apple to reduce its focus on the current model, which will now become obsolete a lot faster than most would have anticipated.

Things are moving pretty quickly as well, with most experts predicting a June or July release for the ‘iPhone 2', an announcement that has caused rivals such as BlackBerry to delay the launch of its new 3G handset, possibly in anticipation of Apple's imminent new launch.

Tags: apple iphone blackberry infineon technologies ipad handhelds smartphones ipod