Experts say iPhone is on the way

Posted by T3 Online on Mon 20 Mar 2006

Analysts claim Apple will launch iTunes-friendly mobile by the end of 2006.

Could Apple have designs on the mobile phone market? According to online reports, a JP Morgan analyst thinks so, stating that the company is hard at work on an "iPod with phone functions" that will arrive before the end of the year.

The analyst in question, Hong Kong-based Johnny Chan, says that Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Hon Hai - which was involved in the making of the iPod nano - is likely to be given a contract to build the phone, while another claims that another Taiwanese company, Taiwan Green Point Enterprises, is in the running for some kind of role too.

Apple has already dipped its toes into the mobile business through its collaboration with Motorola - the fruit of which was the awful ROKR iTunes-compatible handset - but launching its own phone is a whole different ballgame. For one thing, Apple has no relationship with wireless carriers.

So what will the thing look like? Not being psychic, we have no idea - but until we do feast your eyes on some concept images from design house Pentagram for Business 2.0 magazine (which we featured back in issue 115 of T3). Whatever the company's plans, stay tuned to T3.co.uk for all the news as we get it.