New iPhone to feature faster web access, improved graphics?

In the wake of Apple's official announcement that it will introduce its iPhone 3.0 OS beta sometime this summer, followed by reports operator partner AT&T will begin offering remaining iPhone 3G inventory at a no-commitment price, the rumor mill is humming with speculation that the iPhone is in line for a major hardware upgrade. According to an internal AT&T memo obtained by The Boy Genius Report, the new iPhone announcement will arrive in mid-June, with devices shipping a month later; the revamped smartphone will allegedly fill a number of feature gaps, adding video sharing, camera auto-focus and possibly even a slide-out qwerty keyboard. In addition, the new iPhone will tie directly to AT&T's U-verse television services, enabling subscribers to control their home DVR via mobile device.

Perhaps most significant, The Boy Genius Report notes the new iPhone will offer considerably faster Internet speeds, doubling to 7.2Mps thanks to a new chipset from Infineon. Forbes adds that scuttlebutt out of this week's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco suggests Apple will also improve the iPhone's graphics capabilities, integrating the Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX543 chip introduced at January's Consumer Electronics Show to offer a richer, more robust mobile gameplay experience. Apple's App Store presently offers more than 6,000 games for the iPhone and iPod touch.

For more on the iPhone rumors:
- read this Boy Genius Report article