Apple "orders 10m 3G iPhones" to appease Europe

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 27 Mar 2008 at 09:39

Apple has reportedly ordered 10m 3G iPhones in a bid to increase the disappointing web surfing speeds for European users.

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney claims that Apple has ordered 10m of the "version 2" handsets, in an interview with the iPod Observer website.

This is in addition to the 10m version one handsets that Apple says it will sell by the end of the year.

One of the few criticisms levelled at the iPhone is its comparatively sluggish surfing speeds, with users restricted to the EDGE network instead of the full 3G speeds that UK mobile owners have benefited from for years.

As PC Pro's review of the iPhone notes, "Google Maps is only just usable, and the YouTube app - which streams video direct from the site - is a no-go without Wi-Fi."

Dulaney claims that one of the reasons why the iPhone hasn't sold as well in Europe as it did in the US is the lack of 3G.

The Gartner analyst also claims that the new iPhone will have an OLED screen, which will not only help make the device even thinner, but offset some of the battery life that will be lost by fitting a 3G chip.

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