With the expected release Tuesday of the next iPhone, some owners of the current version of Apple Inc.’s hit phone won’t sit home and grumble. They’ll sell, then upgrade.

Smartphones and other tech gear that are rendered obsolete by the latest version, or just get a little old, certainly are far too valuable to stash in a drawer and forget about. In fact, with an iPhone, you might be able to sell it for nearly the price you paid. But you have to know how to play the “recommerce” game to get top dollar.

Recommerce isn’t just for iPhones but for many of today’s tech gadgets, from BlackBerry phones to Xbox gaming consoles to laptop and tablet computers. Some consumers are seeking cash, while others just want a “green” way to dispose of their electronics.

“The very worst thing you can do from an economic and an ecological perspective is stick it in your drawer and later throw it in your trash,” said Joe McKeown, vice president of marketing and communication for phone buyback site, ReCellular.com. “It’s the right thing to do for your pocketbook and the environment.”

Used iPhones are an extreme case because they are always in high demand.

Like the price of a stock, price quotes for used iPhones fluctuate on websites that buy gadgets from consumers. Prices vary more on product-launch days like Tuesday. The difference Tuesday between selling in the morning and evening can be real money.

“We anticipate this will be the biggest event in recommerce to date,” said Kristina Kennedy, spokeswoman for Gazelle.com, which buys used electronics. Shortly after Apple announced Tuesday’s news conference about the iPhone, Gazelle’s traffic spiked. There was a period where people were locking in a price to sell their old iPhones at the rate of one every 10 seconds on the site, Kennedy said.

Compared with the launch of iPhone 4, traffic at ReCellular.com in recent days is double, McKeown said.

A survey by mobile advertising network InMobi released last week showed that 41 percent of current mobile phone users in North America plan to buy an iPhone 5 — before there was even confirmation an iPhone 5 existed.

“People just want to have the latest and greatest,” Kennedy said. “When they’re on a plane and the person sits down next to them, they want them to notice they have the iPhone 5, not the iPhone 4. There’s sort of a badge of honor that comes for the hard-core Apple enthusiasts with having the newest one.”

Many buy-back sites resell used phones — on eBay, for example — although, ReCellular.com buys and sells used phones on its own site. Consumers can check those websites if they’re in the market to buy used iPhones.

If you want to sell using a gadget buyback website, resale prices on iPhones are typically high the morning of Apple’s announcement of a new model. So, lock in a price by mid-day, Kennedy suggests. “After that, we do expect the pricing to drop very quickly,” she said. On Gazelle and some other sites, you can lock in a price and ship the phone weeks later, giving you time to buy your new phone and transfer service to it.

Owners of iPhones might be shocked to know you can sell your phone and get back most of what you paid. That’s because U.S. wireless carriers usually sell phones for less than cost and make up for it with the price of the service plan. For example, many consumers paid $299 for their 32-gigabyte iPhone 4, which retails for at least twice that. One buyback site, Cellitused.com, on Monday was offering $232 for one in good condition, and $290 for one in like-new condition, according to price aggregator uSell.com.

Upgraders can use the money to defray the cost of a new iPhone or help pay early termination fees if they will be jumping to a new wireless carrier before their contract expires. Some gadget buyers pay cash, while some store-sponsored buying programs pay in store credit.

Rob Brandenburg, 39, of Chicago is planning to upgrade from his current iPhone 4, which he says seems sluggish and “quirky” lately. “Right now, I’m having a lot of speed issues,” he said. Instead of selling his iPhone 4, he’ll pass it to his wife and probably sell her previous-generation iPhone, the 3GS, he said.

He said he would probably sell the older iPhone to a friend or use an online marketplace, such as eBay or Craigslist — or maybe he’ll just ask around. “I’ve sold a couple of them just by word-of-mouth,” he said.

Here are three primary ways to sell your iPhone or other used tech gear.

– Sell to a gadget buyback website. Selling to one of these sites can be a low-hassle option, but you might not get top dollar. Gazelle.com, for example, concentrates on being simple and fast. After you accept its offer, it will send you a box with prepaid shipping. Or you can go to a FedEx store, and personnel there will package it for free. Usually payment is issued within a week of your device arriving, Gazelle says on its website.

USell.com is an aggregator, searching prices on three different buyback sites. And ReCellular.com is among the oldest sites for selling and buying used phones. It touts 20 years in business and recirculating some 50 million phones.

– Sell it yourself. You’re likely to get a higher price for your gadget if you find your own buyer. Often that means using word-of-mouth or such online tools as eBay or Craigslist. But it can be a hassle to create an advertisement, respond to potential buyers and package and ship the item yourself. EBay has an Instant Sale section where it offers fixed payouts via PayPal.

– Retailer buybacks. Some gadget upgraders might prefer to deal with a known retailer. Electronics retailer Best Buy will give cash or store credit for trade-ins. A 32-gigabyte iPhone 4 in good condition yields $181 in cash or $279 as a Best Buy gift card. Amazon.com on Monday was offering $274 for the same trade-in. Its payout comes in the form of an Amazon.com gift card.

A word of caution: before selling, be sure to erase all your private data on such devices as computers and phones. Many devices have an option in their settings to wipe all data and restore the gadget to factory defaults. Some used-gadget buyers also say they will securely erase your data.

[Thanks: http://www.csmonitor.com]

Journalists have been invited to a “Let’s talk iPhone” event at its California campus due to start at 10:00 PDT (18:00 BST).

Doubts surround how different the iPhone 5 will be to its predecessor though some do expect big changes.

The launch will be hosted by Tim Cook, now Apple’s full time boss following Steve Jobs’ retirement in August.

As ever with Apple launches, exact details of product features will not be known until the event. Expert opinion is divided with some expecting significant changes.

“We’re expecting a flagship, high tier product to cement the iPhone’s position as the must-have device,” said Ben Wood, director of research at analysts CCS Insight.

Gadget site Gizmodo took a different line and said there was only a 10% chance of seeing a new iPhone. Instead, it said, the iPhone 4S will be the new model and it will be cheaper than its predecessor.

Others say the cheaper model will be aimed at Asia, one of the few places where the smartphone has room for growth.

Rumours are also circulating that Steve Jobs will make a cameo appearance even though Mr Cook is expected to be the launch compere.

The event is the first since Mr Cook became official head of Apple. Before now he was an interim boss who oversaw day-to-day running of the company when Mr Jobs was on sick leave.

History lesson

The iPhone 4 debuted 15 months ago and the hiatus between that launch and today marks one of the longest periods without a new model in the history of the device. All previous versions, bar the first, have been unveiled in June.

Mr Wood said this might reflect the complexity of the task Apple set itself when getting the iPhone working the iCloud service. This acts as a network-based backup and synchronisation system for Apple’s smartphones and tablets.

“The announcement is definitely more about the holy trinity of device, software and applications, and services to which iCloud adds a completely new dimension,” he said.

The use of iCloud would help Apple stay one step ahead of rivals, especially HTC and Samsung, who were fast getting their own hardware to match the capabilities of the iPhone, said Mr Wood.

Apple will also be keen to put behind it the troubles that dogged the iPhone 4. Incorporating the phone’s antenna into its case was blamed for causing a loss of reception. The problem led to the company offering free cases to owners to combat the reception loss.

The launch of the phone is important to Apple which is keen to capitalise on its growing share of the smartphone market. It faces strong challenges from Google’s Android mobile phone operating system which, figures suggest, has become the most popular among new phone buyers in the US.

The ability of the phone to be activated and updated without connecting to a PC would help this push, said Mr Wood.

One strong competitor for the smartphone market is South Korean electronics firm Samsung. It produces phones that use Android as well as models that use its own operating system called Bada.

Apple and Samsung are locked in litigation around the world over who owns the rights to use many technologies found in both smartphones and tablets.

The court room clashes have led to a ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany and a ban on the sales of some Galaxy smartphones in the Netherlands.

In Australia, the row meant a delay to the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. In the most recent development in that row, Apple has reportedly rejected Samsung’s offer of a deal to settle the case.

[Thanks: http://www.bbc.co.uk]

The latest generation of the iPhone — still the smartphone industry’s gold standard after four years — is expected to see the light of day this Tuesday, just in time for the holidays.

Even in a dismal economy, consumers should again line up in droves for a souped-up device that also marks Cook’s first major product launch since taking over from Jobs in August.

The so-called iPhone 5 is widely expected to have a bigger touchscreen and faster processor than the current iPhone 4, which helped the company stay a step ahead of rivals in an increasingly competitive smartphone market.

Its challenge will be to “wow” consumers with yet more game-changing innovations and top itself. The aging iPhone 4 is still an unqualified blockbuster: with more than 20 million sold in the third quarter that ended June 25 alone, it is likely to become the world’s top-selling smartphone.

“Consumers view Apple products as a must-have,” said Channing Smith, co-manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund, which owns Apple shares. “Apple phones and products have become almost a necessity. We don’t expect them to falter.”

But the latest version of the gadget that helped define the smartphone category is coming at a time when the world economy is slowing and competition is at its peak. More than 550,000 Google Inc Android-based devices — including tablets — are activated each day globally.

Apple’s ability to generate enthusiasm among consumers and its command of the higher-end market, however, may make it less susceptible to a broader slowdown, investors and analysts say.

Cook is likely to take the stage at Apple central at Cupertino’s 1 Infinite Loop, where Wall Street will get a chance to see first-hand how the acknowledged operations maven fares at a major product launch. Although a highly regarded executive, he is not known for pitching products.

SILICON VALLEY DEBUT

Apple product launches are the most closely watched events on the technology calendar. The new model, which some have dubbed the iPhone 5, will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in August.

The event will take place in Silicon Valley rather than downtown San Francisco where Apple made some of its most famous announcements.

“Most interesting is whether new CEO Tim Cook will lead the keynote and whether … Steve Jobs will participate,” Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said.

“Tim is perceived as an operations and supply chain guru and that he certainly is, but we believe it is too early to write him off as not a visionary and showman like Steve Jobs.”

The Apple co-founder, a pancreatic cancer survivor who stepped down in August after his third medical leave, is expected to make an appearance, though a no-show by the Apple co-founder will not be a major disappointment.

“Investors would like to see Steve Jobs to confirm that he is still involved, but we have dealt with the fact that he’s not going to be as involved,” Smith said. “We’d love to see an appearance but it’s not critical.”

Apple’s iPhone has been a huge success since it debuted in 2007, transforming the company from a computer and music-player maker into one of the world’s leading mobile device makers. It accounts for about 40 percent of Apple’s revenue, with margins estimated at roughly 60 percent.

But it faces stiff competition from phones based on Google’s Android operating system, such as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy line.

The iPhone’s U.S. market share in August was 28 percent, making it No. 2. Android was No. 1 with 43 percent of the U.S. market, Nielsen data show.

Yet longer-term, investors are more focused on Apple’s international push, particularly in Asia.

Cook has said China is a key market. The world’s most valuable technology company has mostly catered to the higher end of a booming market in those countries, but is now trying to release a cheaper phone, sources told Reuters in August.

WHAT’S IN STORE TUESDAY?

Finnish rival Nokia dominates the lower end of the lucrative Asian market. Some investors and analysts expect another version of the iPhone 4 to be launched along with the next-generation model.

“We also expect the announcement of a lower-priced iPhone that will basically be a lower-cost 3GS,” Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek said, referring to the event.

The new phone is prompting Wall Street to forecast that Apple will post enormous sales in the October-to-December quarter, with shipments expected to be in the range of 29 million.

The iPhone is currently sold by AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc. Many analysts expect Sprint will become the third U.S. operator to sell the iPhone when the next version is launched.

The new phone is also expected to accelerate the momentum in Apple shares, which are trading at around $381, off a record high of $422.86. The stock remains a far cry from brokerage price targets that range from an average of $490 to a high of $666.

The launch event invite, when it landed last week, set off a typical frenzy of speculation. Various analysts quickly dissected one image in particular on the Apple invitation, which depicts four familiar icons found on iPhones, as a possible signal for the number of new phones to be unveiled.

Speculation about the new iPhone’s features is fevered, with the list of possibilities ranging from faster wireless Internet connectivity to voice-navigation capabilities.

“What we found most intriguing is that the green phone icon on the invite has a number 1 next to it, perhaps signaling that only one new iPhone will be announced,” Wu said.

[Thanks: http://www.reuters.com]

Vodafone has the 4S listed in both black and white models, as well as 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB models of the iPhone 4 in black and white.

While we heard last week that the three iPhone 4S models have been sneaking their way into carrier inventories, this news makes it increasingly unlikely that we’ll see an iPhone 5 tomorrow.

Considering all of the inventory leaks of the iPhone 4S, you’d think that there would have been some evidence of an iPhone 5 by now (besides possibly speculatory cases made in China).

[Thanks: http://www.businessinsider.com]

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and reportedly Sprint each stand to grab a healthy slice of the market demand for the new iPhone. But each carrier brings something different to the table, making it difficult to predict which one might benefit the most, says ComScore.

AT&T holds the dominant share of existing iPhone customers. As of July, 81.9 percent of iPhone subscribers were with AT&T, leaving only 15.1 percent for Verizon, according to the report.

Following the launch of the new phone, all current iPhone carriers will likely continue to offer the iPhone 4 at a discount. AT&T could pick up even more customers by also continuing to sell the iPhone 3GS cheap. But that advantage may be short-lived since at some point, the older model iPhone will cease production, especially if Apple launches a low-cost iPhone 4.

Though Verizon’s percentage of iPhone users may be low, its satisfaction rates continue to be high. In July, ComScore found that more than 76 percent of Verizon smartphone customers graded the carrier with a score of 8 or higher out of 10, compared with 68 percent for other carriers. Among existing iPhone users, 23 percent said that they will switch or are seriously thinking of switching to another provider, opening the door for more business to come Verizon’s way.

However, Sprint also stands to do well if it gets custody of the new iPhone as it would be the only carrier to still offer an unlimited data plan. That benefit alone could scoop up new customers and prompt current data-slurpping users to switch carriers to grab the lower-price plan. However, questions have been raised as to how long Sprint could retain its unlimited plan, especially given a flood of iPhone users gobbling up data that the network might having trouble supporting.

No matter how the carriers fare with the new iPhone, the one company certain to come out ahead is Apple, ComScore said.

“Putting the operators aside, the one clear winner so far would appear to be Apple, which stands to gain market share from the additional market sectors penetrated by Sprint and providing another device option for customers of AT&T and Verizon,” the report noted. “As the Android platform continues to grow in popularity, it will be interesting to see the role the iPhone 5 plays in the platform share race and how this will ultimately impact the operator industry.”

[Thanks: http://news.cnet.com]

But the latest, and perhaps even most luminous, rumor about what Apple will announce on Tuesday might leave some feeling a little deflated.

Gizmodo Brazil has managed to infiltrate Apple’s security at the Foxconn factory in Brazil, or so it claims, and says it has managed to secure images of a new iPhone.

You will want to rush over there now. You will want to wake your friends from their pallid stupor and tell them Christmas has arrived two days early.

So it might look something like this.
(Credit: CC Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr)

But just before you do, might I tell you that this new iPhone is allegedly an iPhone 4? And it looks just like, well, an iPhone 4.

However, the rapid conclusion that is reached–without taking breath–about these startling new images is that Apple must, just must, be announcing a new, cheaper iPhone 4 that looks like an iPhone 4.

This might well be true. After all, Al Gore did let slip not so long ago that there would be more than one new iPhone.

And, Gizmodo says, this particular iPhone 4 has a new model number: N90A, a number that has already been linked with a new iPhone.

However, it is also just possible that this alleged new iPhone 4 (dubbed iPhone 4S) might mean that the new iPhone 5 won’t be such an exciting development–hence the need to release more than one iPhone to create a little more (as if it were needed) news.

That’s the thing with excitement. It always seems more enjoyable when what happens is something you don’t expect, rather than something that seems, well, not that exciting at all.

[Thanks: http://news.cnet.com]

Cases for both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 have appeared in AT&T stores. In addition, screenshots of AT&T’s inventory system showed iPhone 5 cases, as well, and from the major manufacturer Case-Mate, which lends credence to the existence of an iPhone 5 (we wouldn’t expect them to screw up, in other words).

With all these evidence, we’ve believed for some time of the existence of both models.

The latest evidence of an iPhone 4S comes from 9to5mac, which has found references to the iPhone 4S in the latest iTunes for Mac Beta (10.5 beta 9). In addition, the reference indicates that the iPhone 4S will be a dual-mode CDMA / GSM phone. It also clearly indicates that the iPhone 4S will be the N94 that has been referenced for months and believed to be the next-generation iPhone.

9to5mac believes this means that the iPhone 5 does not exist, saying “Today, rumors of a re-design can essentially be put to rest.”

We don’t necessarily agree.

Just because there’s a reference to the N94 linked to the iPhone 4S does not mean there is no iPhone 5. In fact, our own source, who formerly worked for Apple and still has close ties to relatively loose-lipped Apple employees, says the iPhone 4S has always existed. Apple just decided after the Verizon iPhone launch that a summer iPhone launch (with the iPhone 4S) was too near the Verizon launch and would upset too many people.

At the same time, our source says he’s see both models. It was, he noted, unclear if the iPhone 5 was complete, but upper management had been pushing engineers to finish the iPhone 5 in time for this October launch.
Meanwhile, if the iPhone 4S is still launched, it won’t have an upgraded A5 processor. Instead, it will have tweaks, such as a dual-mode CDMA / GSM model so that it can be sold without having to manufacture two models for Verizon / Sprint and one for AT&T. It will also have the Verizon antenna system, to reduce the chance of a “holding it wrong” moment.

The iPhone 5, he says, is as described (teardrop shaped, slimmer, 8MP camera, A5 processor, and more) in many places. The only possibility is that despite pushing engineers to get it done early than originally planned, it may not be ready. A second source says Apple is having problems with the beveled edge of the screen.

In terms of the iPhone 5, we believe it exists and will be delivered in the form rumored, despite our second source’s doubts. We feel the evidence, as well as moves by multiple companies (not just AT&T, but Case-Mate, Otterbox, and others) point in this direction. In addition, we don’t think Apple would make anxious iPhone fans wait 16 months for “just” a revamped iPhone 4S.

We’ll see if we’re wrong — or right — on Tuesday.

[Thanks: http://hothardware.com]

Since January, bits and pieces about the next-generation smartphone have been making the rounds on the Internet, with different rumored specifications and concept images offered by various Web sites and blogs.

Apple is a couple of days away from announcing the arrival of the most anticipated iPhone to enter the U.S. smartphone market. The company has issued invites for an event Tuesday that will showcase the fifth-generation iPhone.

The iPhone5 is expected to run on the latest iOS5, which will come with 200 new features, including an improved notifications system, as well as the Newsstand and iMessage applications. In addition, the iPhone5 is expected to feature the new iCloud service for operating iTunes, enabling wireless remote access of purchased and personally collected music from all computers and mobile devices.

The iPhone5 will likely support HSPA+ networks that will provide faster Internet speeds compared with its predecessors, Japanese blog Macotakara reported, citing a China Unicom executive’s presentation at Macworld Asia.

The arrival of the iPhone5 will trigger a smartphone battle in the U.S. market as its strongest rivals — the Samsung GalaxyS2 and Motorola Droid Bionic — have come to this market after several design changes.

Samsung’s GalaxyS2 continues its strong march in the smartphone race, giving stiff competition to Apple’s iPhone4 as well as the upcoming iPhone5.

The GalaxyS2, which runs on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and sports Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, comes with an 8-megapixel camera with flash and can record high-definition video in 1080p, offering the richest video content on a smartphone. The phone also has a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chat.

The device, which was recently launched in the United States, sold a whopping 10 million units since its launch in late April 2011, not including sales from the U.S., the largest market for smartphones.

On the other hand, Apple sold 20 million iPhones in the third quarter. Though the Galaxy S2’s sales lag behind iPhone sales, it implies that the Samsung Galaxy S2 is the toughest rival Apple will face for its iPhone 5, which is expected to be launched in October.

Meanwhile, the Motorola Droid Bionic has undergone several design changes. At the beginning of this year, this smartphone looked like the Motorola Atrix, but now it looks very similar to the Motorola Droid 3, one of the latest high-end phones. However, the Motorola Droid 3 has a slider QWERTY, unlike the Droid Bionic, which is just a touchscreen phone.

Other changes in the Droid Bionic include higher RAM capacity, a change in chipset from the Tegra 2 AP20H to the TI OMAP4430 and, surprisingly, less battery capacity compared with the battery capacity introduced in previous iterations of the phone.

So the heated battle will begin with the arrival of the Apple iPhone 5. All the three smartphones are right up there in the hype cloud, and hopefully they will live up to it.

Meanwhile, Samsung has announced a press event on Oct. 11, exactly one week after Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” program on Oct. 4. It is expected that Nexus Prime, the flagship smartphone for the Google Android platform, will be officially presented at the Samsung event.

Samsung’s Nexus Prime will be the first smartphone with an Android 4.0 operating system, codenamed “Ice Cream Sandwich,” which is designed to provide strong competition to Apple’s iPhone 5.

[Thanks: http://www.ibtimes.com]

The latest generation of the iPhone — still the smartphone industry’s gold standard after four years — is expected to see the light of day this Tuesday, just in time for the holidays.

Even in a dismal economy, consumers should again line up in droves for a souped-up device that also marks Cook’s first major product launch since taking over from Jobs in August.

The so-called iPhone 5 is widely expected to have a bigger touchscreen and faster processor than the current iPhone 4, which helped the company stay a step ahead of rivals in an increasingly competitive smartphone market.

Its challenge will be to “wow” consumers with yet more game-changing innovations and top itself. The aging iPhone 4 is still an unqualified blockbuster: with more than 20 million sold in the third quarter that ended June 25 alone, it is likely to become the world’s top-selling smartphone.

“Consumers view Apple products as a must-have,” said Channing Smith, co-manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund, which owns Apple shares. “Apple phones and products have become almost a necessity. We don’t expect them to falter.”

But the latest version of the gadget that helped define the smartphone category is coming at a time when the world economy is slowing and competition is at its peak. More than 550,000 Google Inc Android-based devices — including tablets — are activated each day globally.

Apple’s ability to generate enthusiasm among consumers and its command of the higher-end market, however, may make it less susceptible to a broader slowdown, investors and analysts say.

Cook is likely to take the stage at Apple central at Cupertino’s 1 Infinite Loop, where Wall Street will get a chance to see first-hand how the acknowledged operations maven fares at a major product launch. Although a highly regarded executive, he is not known for pitching products.

SILICON VALLEY DEBUT

Apple product launches are the most closely watched events on the technology calendar. The new model, which some have dubbed the iPhone 5, will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in August.

The event will take place in Silicon Valley rather than downtown San Francisco where Apple made some of its most famous announcements.

“Most interesting is whether new CEO Tim Cook will lead the keynote and whether … Steve Jobs will participate,” Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said.

“Tim is perceived as an operations and supply chain guru and that he certainly is, but we believe it is too early to write him off as not a visionary and showman like Steve Jobs.”

The Apple co-founder, a pancreatic cancer survivor who stepped down in August after his third medical leave, is expected to make an appearance, though a no-show by the Apple co-founder will not be a major disappointment.

“Investors would like to see Steve Jobs to confirm that he is still involved, but we have dealt with the fact that he’s not going to be as involved,” Smith said. “We’d love to see an appearance but it’s not critical.”

Apple’s iPhone has been a huge success since it debuted in 2007, transforming the company from a computer and music-player maker into one of the world’s leading mobile device makers. It accounts for about 40 percent of Apple’s revenue, with margins estimated at roughly 60 percent.

But it faces stiff competition from phones based on Google’s Android operating system, such as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy line.

The iPhone’s U.S. market share in August was 28 percent, making it No. 2. Android was No. 1 with 43 percent of the U.S. market, Nielsen data show.

Yet longer-term, investors are more focused on Apple’s international push, particularly in Asia.

Cook has said China is a key market. The world’s most valuable technology company has mostly catered to the higher end of a booming market in those countries, but is now trying to release a cheaper phone, sources told Reuters in August.

WHAT’S IN STORE TUESDAY?

Finnish rival Nokia dominates the lower end of the lucrative Asian market. Some investors and analysts expect another version of the iPhone 4 to be launched along with the next-generation model.

“We also expect the announcement of a lower-priced iPhone that will basically be a lower-cost 3GS,” Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek said, referring to the event.

The new phone is prompting Wall Street to forecast that Apple will post enormous sales in the October-to-December quarter, with shipments expected to be in the range of 29 million.

The iPhone is currently sold by AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc. Many analysts expect Sprint will become the third U.S. operator to sell the iPhone when the next version is launched.

The new phone is also expected to accelerate the momentum in Apple shares, which are trading at around $381, off a record high of $422.86. The stock remains a far cry from brokerage price targets that range from an average of $490 to a high of $666.

The launch event invite, when it landed last week, set off a typical frenzy of speculation. Various analysts quickly dissected one image in particular on the Apple invitation, which depicts four familiar icons found on iPhones, as a possible signal for the number of new phones to be unveiled.

Speculation about the new iPhone’s features is fevered, with the list of possibilities ranging from faster wireless Internet connectivity to voice-navigation capabilities.

“What we found most intriguing is that the green phone icon on the invite has a number 1 next to it, perhaps signaling that only one new iPhone will be announced,” Wu said.

[Thanks: http://www.reuters.com]