Multiple iPhones could come this year

Apple may be planning to release more than one type of iPhone this year, according to reports.

After the company released iPhone OS 3.0 to developers, someone did some digging around the restore ramdisk and told Boy Genius Report that at least two new versions of the iPhone would be supported. As BGR pointed out, this is not yet hard fact, but the claim would support speculation of a new, lower-range version of the iPhone being released this summer, perhaps alongside an update to the fully-fledged smartphone.

Meanwhile, Orange UK chief executive Tom Alexander is reportedly trying to secure rights to sell the iPhone in the UK. Orange already sells Apple's handset in 27 countries, but O2 currently has exclusivity here.

In a possibly related announcement, O2 cut the price of the iPhone on Friday, but only for consumer tariffs and only for those customers who are willing to sign up to a 24-month contract. While those on an 18-month contract will get the 8GB version for £96.89, that version will be free on a two-year deal. Similarly, those signing up for the longer term will get the 16GB version for £57.74 rather than £155.61.

This kind of price-cutting indicates that O2 is keen to clear out its stock of the current iPhone models - again fuelling speculation that new model(s) are due in the summer.