Skinnier second-gen iPhone "out by Christmas"

(gadgetshow.five.tv) -- Apple is gearing up to unleash an entirely new 3G iPhone by the end of 2008, according to research firm Gartner.

Based on info gleaned from his Asian electronics industry contacts, Gartner's iPhone specialist Ken Dulaney believes Apple has ordered as many as 10 million additional iPhone units for delivery before the end of the year, each of which will sport a new OLED screen, which could mean a thinner body and less power consumption - so an even longer battery life could be on the cards too.

These new iPhones will also be 3G compatible for improved on-the-move web access, as Apple feels the current model's appeal in Europe has been diminished by its sluggish EDGE connection.

Analyst statements like this should always be taken with a generous pinch of salt, but many of them have been on the money (or near enough) in the past, so we could well be seeing that mythical 3G iPhone in a tighter-fitting suit before the year is out.