WSJ: Apple 'developing new iPhone,' plus another for Verizon (update: iPhone HD, front-facing camera?)

You heard right, folks -- according to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is currently "developing a new iPhone to debut this summer," and as if that weren't enough, it's also "working on another model for US mobile phone operator Verizon Wireless." As of this moment, details about the break are nowhere to be found, but it's not like either tidbit is shocking. This summer will mark the one-year anniversary of the iPhone 3GS, and if the Cupertino-based company keeps with its historical refresh pattern, we're just a few months out from seeing the latest and greatest iPhone. There's also been no shortage of iPhone-to-Verizon rumors over the years, with the latest of 'em happening during the run-up to the iPad's launch.

Update: We're now learning that the "next iPhone is being manufactured by Taiwanese contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry," which just so happens to be the same outfit responsible for crafting all prior iPhones. That's according to "people briefed on the matter" and sourced by the WSJ. It's also stated that the world's first CDMA iPhone will be manufactured by Pegatron Technology, which we caught just last week dabbling in some of NVIDIA's Tegra 2-based wares. If all goes well, Pegatron could begin mass production of the CDMA iPhone (exact model not disclosed) this September, so it's hard to say if Sprint or Verizon would have access before the all-too-lucrative holiday season. As for quotes on the matter? Most everyone involved wouldn't say a word, but an AT&T spokesman did utter the following: "There has been lots of incorrect speculation on CDMA iPhones for a long time. We haven't seen one yet and only Apple knows when that might occur."

On a week that couldn't possibly get any bigger for Apple, that's exactly what just happened. Everyone suspected that a fourth-generation iPhone was in the works, but having an outlet like the WSJ confirm it just makes the summer that much harder to wait for. There's also the possibility that 2010 will be the final year that AT&T retains its death-grip on the iPhone, but by the sound of this report, it still seems as if the nation's largest GSM carrier may nab exclusive rights on the latest iPhone. We also can't help but wonder about the future of a true 4G iPhone -- will Sprint manage to grab a WiMAX-enabled version? Will Verizon get its grubby paws on an LTE model? We figured only Jobs would know, but now... there might just be someone else out there willing to spill the beans.

Update 2: Soon after the news broke, we were informed that the next-generation iPhone would be announced on June 22nd (a Tuesday, naturally) and would be dubbed the iPhone HD (a name that has been tossed around before). That certainly makes sense given that Apple almost certainly has to up the pixel count in order to rival the EVO 4G, HD2 and all of those other high-res handsets, but we're still reserving judgment until we see that fateful media invite hit our inbox.

Update 3: John Gruber's just weighed in with some more tidbits, in his characteristically polite way. Gruber says the next model will have an A4-class SoC, a 960 x 640 display, a front-facing camera, and that iPhone OS 4.0 will enable third-party multitasking. A pretty safe set of predictions, in all, but Gruber's done pretty well in the past, so we'll just have to wait and see.

[Thanks, Chris]

[dave1812 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:39PM]

rumors about the iPhone going to Verizon have been ongoing for over a year. somebody wake me when it ACTUALLY makes it to Verizon.

[ECH Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:39PM]

Hopefully the Incredible beats the Iphone out of the gate.

[neeko18 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:41PM]

The Sprint EVO 4G sounds more appealing then a CDMA Iphone on VZ.....Let the battle of the $G devices begin..Sprint i have $350 waiting for that lovely phone..VZ you will not be getting $$ from me....

[ISEPIC Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:43PM]

@neeko18

So let me get this right, you say a yet to be released phone, will be better than another yet to be released phone? Right.

[coolbho3000 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:50PM]

@ISEPIC One thing is for certain: the next iPhone will be on a draconian, locked platform. I don't see Apple switching from this philosophy anytime in the foreseeable future. I also don't see HTC locking down the EVO 4G.

Already, we can almost certainly conclude a very important, "buy or skip" point about these two unreleased phones.

[Dustinjc Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:42PM]

Verizon = death of iPhone people loved the iPhone so much because it wasn't so common once it's on verizon and everyone has one it won't be a big deal anymore...no more "oh is that an Iphone can I see that?"

Written on my iPhone

[suicidebob Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:45PM]

@Dustinjc

The Iphone is on almost every carrier in the UK. And 75% of the folk I know who have upgraded their phone in the last 6 months have bought an Iphone

[dave1812 Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:05PM]

@Dustinjc

it's the other way around: iPhone on Verizon will bog down their excellent network. iphoner's just LOVE using the internet on their phones. witness the meltdown of AT&T's network in major cities like SF and NY. I don't think i want the iPhone to come to Verizon, because I currently enjoy excellent data and voice service in 7 states via Verizon.

[patp Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:06PM]

@Dustinjc what are you talking about? EVERYONE and their mother has an iphone, a nexus one would be rare to see. I can go anywhere and see an iphone. (if that sounded like a tease at the nexus ones sales its not)

[ISEPIC Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:42PM]

From the actual news article in the WSJ "One person familiar with the situation said Pegatron is scheduled to start mass producing the CDMA iPhones in September, but it was unclear when Apple might make the model available." -- so a new iPhone this summer yes, but a new iPhone for Verizon, not until sometime after September.

[victorstuber Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:42PM]

In other news, the sun is predicted to rise tomorrow.

[Wekkel Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:42PM]

Apple-fun aside, I sincerely hope that Apple raises the bar again, if only to force other hardware developers to come with even more powerful hardware against a low price.

Competition is good, and a sheep will always remain to be a sheep.

[excelsium Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:48PM]

@Wekkel

I wonder if Apple will follow Ms's new phone UI paradigms.. if they prove to be superior, and imagine if it was under Jobs tenure... nah doubt it :>.

[Trick202 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:48PM]

Let's not make it about specs. It's about ownership: build quality, os, environment, reliability, accessability, longevity.
Looking forward to seeing what's next.

[Hazdaz Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:08PM]

@Trick202

I'll definitely agree with that. Apple has never chased pointless hardware specs. Their OS has been purposefully designed around a certain level of hardware and since there are few variations to that hardware they know that everything will work smoothly on it and with few problems.

[Nitesh Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:43PM]

I wonder what processor they will put into it. Wouldn't really make much sense for it to have the exact same processor as the iPad, since then the lines between them would become even more blurred. But since the current iPhone uses a Cortex A8, as does the iPad (well, so goes the rumor), there doesn't seem to be any other way to go for Apple. Maybe they will go halfway, like 800MHz or something, or maybe they will just keep it the same.

We'll see, I guess.

[dasik Posted Mar 30th 2010 11:58AM]

@Nitesh I'm sorry, but I don't think the lines are blurred. These are two totally different devices. One is a phone (with added features) that you always have with you, the other is a media device that you leave in your living room or take with you on a flight to watch videos, read books or magazines, etc... The form factor and the phone functions are enough to assert that lines are not blurred...

[Nitesh Posted Mar 30th 2010 2:45PM]

@dasik
Why would you be sorry for that? Its an opinion, and unlike many internet-goers I can accept that :-)

[Candyman23 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:44PM]

wow now im not sure if i should get the nexus one on verizon(whenever it comes out) or hold out for the new iphone...what do u guys think???

[doozy Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:48PM]

@Candyman23

iphone

[sfox8 Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:00PM]

@Candyman23
Depends on your uses and what you want in an OS. Nexus One is extremely powerful and open. You can do pretty much anything with it. iPhone probably won't beat Nexus in hardware specs or power but you get the iTunes store, wider app selection, but a more closed-in/walled garden approach with the OS.

Personally, I suggest the EVO 4G on Sprint if you're willing to switch. 8 mp camera with 720p video recording, front facing camera for video calling, 4.3in screen with kickstand, and of course the only 4G phone currently in the US.

[Caprice Dates Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:44PM]

No No No! Get the EVO and let AT&T and Apple keep sucking each other's cocks. Verizon does not need iPhone.

[excelsium Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:45PM]

Here's hoping for a better screen, +1 inch and double the pixels at least.

[JohnnyR Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:47PM]

No T-mobile? Seems silly. Just release it for all mobile carriers for god's sake.

[DJ Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:48PM]

The new iPhone being made is such an obvious story there is no need to report on it unless there's some meat there. Everyone knows a new iPhone is coming this summer.

And I'll believe it when I see it regarding the Verizon iPhone. They didn't make a Verizon compatible iPad, which would have been way easier to do than a CDMA iPhone, plus with the bad blood regarding the Droid commercials I don't think Apple is going to worry about Verizon until they get LTE. Even though it would give them a huge boost in the U.S. I don't see them doing it.

[excelsium Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:53PM]

@DJ

Is there some twisted business logic why it's not on Verizon yet, or is it just the crummy attitudes held by Apple's executives?

[IEngadget Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:02PM]

@excelsium
Yes. Exclusive contract with AT&T.

[DJ Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:55PM]

@excelsium

I had heard at first it was because Verizon didn't want Apple to have the type of control that Apple wanted on the iPhone. After that it was said that it didn't make economical sense for Apple to have to make two different iPhones, a GSM and CDMA version when the CDMA would only work in the U.S., and Verizon and AT&T are transitioning to LTE.

That seems like stupid logic to me, and it seems to me that Apple is just leaving money on the table by staying with AT&T. And they are taking necessary criticism about the network it is exclusive to. But who knows, maybe Apple will go with Verizon this time around.

[ROMANESQ Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:50PM]

+1.

That evo is really special. I will be able to drop my home comcast wifi, as it acts as a hotspot.

It really happened. The iPhone has lost the gold standard.

[Azazel11 Posted Mar 29th 2010 11:55PM]

@HighestRanked2 WebOS is superior to the iphone in so many ways. What can the iphone do that the Pre can't? This blind brand loyalty is absolutely sad.

[Swordrune10 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:50PM]

it would be crazy if they put lte tech in it, the iphone 4g...

[draftdubya Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:50PM]

I think they should stick to one carrier. The reason is when the RAZR hit other carriers it went all downhill from there

[Target0362 Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:58PM]

@draftdubya

well thats diferent. The iPhone is a SMART PHONE, hence why it needs to be on many careers

[sfox8 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:53PM]

Not trolling or anything but really, why does Engadget find this news exciting? Did people REALLY think Apple wasn't working on a new iPhone? Especially with the rising marketshare of Android, why would they not? This doesn't surprise me one bit. Maybe the CDMA version but we all knew that was coming eventually too.

[thesafecigarette Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:53PM]

Would be even crazier if AT&T had an nationwide LTE network.

[thesafecigarette Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:54PM]

@thesafecigarette
Sorry I guess my reply button didnt work

[TheSunman89 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:53PM]

Soo...this is good and bad....

[jubby2000 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:56PM]

Sooo... AT&T cripples their Android phones, and Apple lets Verizon hop into bed. You suck AT&T. You... You just suck.

[pika2000 Posted Mar 30th 2010 12:42AM]

@jubby2000 Last time I check, AT&T doesn't make phones.

[jubby2000 Posted Mar 30th 2010 1:07AM]

@pika2000
Wow... Thank you Sherlock. You solved it.

[n19htmare Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:58PM]

WSJ is Apple's right hand bitch.

[threetee14 Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:03PM]

the iPhone needs to come to Sprint or T-mobile... i don't like AT&T or Verizon's expensive data/voice plans.

[allston232 Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:37PM]

@threetee14

You should hope that the iPhone doesn't come to Sprint or T-Mob. Since that would ruin the internet experience for every body else. I like Sprint because, I think it's a "hidden" jewel." See what iPhone does to AT&T?! "The fastest 3G around."

[Faceless Troll Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:04PM]

I'm pretty sure my contract is up sometime this summer . . . this might be enough to convince me not to switch carriers.

[NomoreiThings Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:04PM]

OUCH !!!!! apple and verizon's shares rose???? POOR at&t
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62S58F20100329

[Mustafa Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:05PM]

This news is too close to April to be comfortable.

[Target0362 Posted Mar 30th 2010 2:49PM]

@Mustafa

what if it was in march or may? April has nothing to do with anything

[fourthletter Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:06PM]

Yes we all believe what we read in Newspapers and this story and others concerning Apple are never planted by people trying to manipulate stock prices, really you don't say ?

[Vakarian Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:08PM]

If Apple for some reason didn't launch a new iPhone this summer i might jump over to Android. My old 'n slow iPhone 3G has seen better days both in performance and storage, and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I need a new iPhone noooooow! Help me out here Steve

[archie4oz Posted Mar 29th 2010 6:08PM]

"It's also stated that the world's first CDMA iPhone will be manufactured by Pegatron Technology"

The iPhone is already a "CDMA iPhone," just happens to be WCDMA. Perhaps they should just call it an IS-2000 iPhone or IMT-MC iPhone... :P