Austria Talks 3G iPhone

A 3G-capable iPhone is coming soon and may bring pricing changes along with it in at least one area, says a report by Austrian paper Der Standard. T-Mobile Austria has allegedly confirmed the existence of a phone that would support faster data over the local UMTS-based 3G data network and says it will be a "testing ground" for the device as one of the first to carry the hardware. However, the company declines to say when it will unveil the iPhone for customers and has not provided any technical details beyond the faster wireless speeds.

Leaks inside Apple's iPhone 2.0 beta code and from outside reports point to the Apple device including an Infineon chipset that should support UMTS as well as alternative standards, including the faster HSDPA format and WCDMA.

Pricing is also likely to change, T-Mobile hints. Company chief Hendrik Kasteel says that the company will offer "more flexible" subscriptions than today but again declines to go into details. The provider currently echoes agreements struck with other carriers and sells the phone at a fixed price regardless of contract length. T-Mobile Germany, however, recently launched term-based discounts that vary depending on a given user's monthly subscription fees.

Apple has not said when it expects an upgraded iPhone other than before the end of the year, but is expected by many to make its announcement at the Worldwide Developer Conference in June.

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, T-Mobile, Infineon