Parts for 'New iPhone' Start Shipping, June Launch Rumored

Taiwanese handset component suppliers have started shipping parts for the successor to the Apple iPhone 3G -- possibly launching in June.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple has been beset by persistent rumors of new handset launches, with reports of a new iPhone gaining traction recently.

The rumors intensified when several carriers said they were slashing the price of their current iPhone 3G stock -- attributed to claims that they were clearing out inventory in preparation for the update to the handset.

The new iPhone is suspected to have a 3.0-megapixel CMOS camera with auto-focus and video recording capabilities, a digital compass, more internal memory, possibly 802.11n and new software featuring multimedia messaging, copy/paste functionality and push-notification.

In January, Phil Schiller, Apple's executive vice president of marketing, said Apple's business revolves around five separate cycles: the holiday season in November, the educational buying season in late summer, the iPod product cycle in October, the iLife cycle in March and the iPhone cycle, which cumulates in June around the time of Apple's World Wide Developers Conference.

The China-based suppliers expect a June launch with a reach of 2-3 million units per quarter.