3G iPhone rumors: Thinner! No, thicker! No, thinner!

First, we heard that the new, 3G iPhone would be slimmer than the original. Then came word that, no—it'll be a little thicker. And now, with just six days to go before Steve Jobs takes center stage in San Francisco, comes this: It might be both thicker and thinner—meaning that two (or more) different models might be on tap. Make it stop!

The new rumor comes straight from respected Cult of Mac writer Leander Kahney, who claims he has a "hot tip" from a (non-Apple) software engineer who's seen the iPhone 2 specs: 3G (as widely expected), GPS (ditto), 16GB and 32GB capacities, improved battery life (no specifics on this one)—and 22 percent thinner. (Kahney also notes that AT&T will also subsidize the cost of the iPhone "to better compete with RIM's BlackBerry.")

Interesting—and while Kahney's tip goes against the prevailing wisdom that the new iPhone will actually be thicker than the original, it jibes with that Forbes.com story from April that insisted that the iPhone 2 would be thinner than the first iPhone (and after all, that's what the initial 3G iPhone rumors said anyway).

Then again ... Macrumors points out that there's still a steady drumbeat of rumors claiming that the next iPhone will be thicker—and may include additional features like video conferencing.

Which leads the Macrumors bloggers to two possible conclusions: Apple is simply jerking us around with false tips (which has been known to happen in the past), or we might be looking at two different iPhone models here, a thinner one and a heftier version with more features (and maybe more memory to boot).

Multiple versions of the iPhone? Hmmmm. Possible ... then again, I've been reading Kahney's new book about Steve Jobs, which notes that the Jobster is a big fan of simplicity when it comes to product lines (he famously slashed all the confusing Quadras and Performas when he returned to Apple). Something tells me he'd prefer to unveil one new iPhone—one that's thinner, better, and cheaper (albeit with different memory capacities)—and leave it at that.

That said, look at the iPod Nano, the iPod Classic, the iPod Touch...

I don't know about you, but I've seen so many rumors, tips, and fuzzy spy photos that my head's starting to spin. Indeed, when Jobs unveils the new iPhone on Monday (and remember—Apple hasn't even confirmed that we're getting a new iPhone next week!), I may not even trust him anymore.

Anyway, I'll make you a deal: Short of any earth-shaking news, I'll post just one more iPhone wrap-up later this week. Then, the next time I write an iPhone story—which will be Monday, a little after 10 a.m. PST—it'll be the real deal, no more rumors, no more buzz.

That is, until the iPhone 3 guessing game begins (probably on Tuesday).

Related:
Hot Tip: iPhone 2 Features Detailed — 3G, GPS, 2xRAM, Thinner, Better Battery and Only $200 [Cult of Mac]
3G iPhone: Thinner, Thicker, or Both? [Macrumors]