Signs are beginning to point to lower inventory levels for the iPhone 3G, and that in turn points to the end of that model’s life and the introduction of a new version of the iPhone.

Two new policies within the corporate rule books of the major players (Apple and AT&T) point to a desire to move inventory. There is no real reason to relax the rules unless they need to clear the decks for the introduction of a new model. If it was 3G business as usual, they would make these sorts of adjustments as a part of the manufacturing chain.

The first big clue was the announcement by AT&T of an iPhone plan which did not require a two-year commitment. This is a big change from the cell phone service provider’s usual stand of a two-year contract or nothing. Granted, the price for the “no commitment” phone is significantly higher, but its is still a very unusual move.

Today Apple announced that all Apple stores are going to be allowing the purchase of an unlimited number of iPhone 3G units without an AT&T contract. Remember that Apple moved the exact opposite direction in 2007 when massive numbers of iPhones were being purchased specifically to be unlocked and sold off into markets outside the U.S, according to a Fortune story.

Historically, manufacturers and retailers will take whatever measures are necessary to clear out their inventory of existing products so that they do not lose as much money when a new model of the same product is introduced. Thus, very often, a tightening supply of a popular item will often occur as vendors clears the shelves of older models. It may be that we are seeing the first signs of this with the iPhone 3G.

News of this new policy may well tie into today’s announcement of June 8-12 dates for the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the only big annual Apple event remaining since the company bowed out of the MacWorld Expo. If Apple were to start clearing out iPhone 3G units now, they would have less than three months to finish the job if they were going to introduce a new iPhone at the WWDC. These June dates also coincide nicely with the introduction dates of the original iPhone and the 3G. Are we are seeing harbingers of the birth of a new iPhone?

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Entry was posted on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 3:20 pm under News, Rumor, iPhone.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Michael W. Jones.
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