Analysts peg 3G iPhone for summer release

We've all been waiting, hoping, wishing, and predicting, but more and more analysts are finally putting their bets on summer 2008 as the time for the first big revision of the Apple iPhone, slated to be sold with a high-speed radio replacing that pokey old EDGE wireless system. The smart money? iPhone 2.0 could arrive as early as June or July.

iPhone 2 has been perhaps Apple's worst-kept "secret" product announcement ever, as Jobs himself has strongly hinted it will arrive in 2008 and a host of chipmakers have all but confirmed they are working with Apple to provide 3G and GPS silicon. It's also widely thought that Apple will be making it easier to hook iPhones into corporate email systems like Microsoft Exchange, which would give iPhone a way to eliminate a common complaint that has kept it largely out of the hands of BlackBerry-obsessed business customers so far.

Some of these announcements could be made publicly as early as Thursday, when Apple's "Town Hall" meeting unveils the iPhone SDK to developers, finally giving them the tools they need to (legitimately) build iPhone-specific applications. Additional iPhone announcements are likely on the way as well.

What will the impact of iPhone 2.0 be? I don't know about you, but every tech enthusiast I know who does not yet own an iPhone already has said to me that they're waiting for the faster version to arrive before they plunk down their money for one. I count myself among that group, too. The only question, aside from when Apple will announce a release date, is how long the line will be at the Apple Store to buy one.

LINK: Analysts: Faster Apple iPhone Likely This Summer