The new iPhone

Looks like Apple are leaking details of the new iPhone with plenty of time before the launch (Fortune).

According to Fortune the significant tech specs are it does have GPS in addition to the 3G and it is going to be slightly thinner (9.2mm rather then 11.7mm). And AT&T will be chipping in an additional $200 rebate.

But the strange thing here is that the article is talking about the AT&T strategy and in terms that are somewhat odd. The discounted iPhones will be locked to ensure that people don't use them with another carrier. Well that was the plan the first time round. Why the need to mention locking? Why the need for AT&T to give an additional discount at all?

One explanation would be that maybe Apple has crunched the numbers and concluded that with over a million unlocked iPhones being used on other networks, many in countries that Apple does not have any agreement with, the time has come to start selling the phone unlocked.

If this was the case, now would be the time for AT&T to start setting appropriate expectations with the financial community.