10 reasons why we'll see a new iPhone this June

We on TechRadar love a rumour as much as anyone else, but the sheer volume of articles relating to 'actual' reasons for a new phone makes us want to weep.

For instance, O2 was supposed to be selling all its stock of the iPhone in preparation for a new one. Then it unveils a new 24-month contract, and people think this proves its multi-year deal with Apple is over. You just can't win with iPhone conspiracies.

But recently things have taken a turn for the more 'solid', with bigger names coming into play and more people of the belief we'll be seeing a new iPhone in the summer. Whether this is the oft-mooted iPhone nano or an overhaul of the current style, we just can't tell, but here are TechRadar's reasons to believe it's all going down this June...

1. The developers' conference in June

OK, it could be just a conference for developers. But then again, we thought that last year was just a conference, until the belief started to grow that we'll be seeing a new iPhone around the same time it was announced last year. Past actions might not be a marker of future plans, but hey, this is Apple...

2. New screen shots

We've all seen a photoshopped screenshot in our time, and this could likely be nothing more. But a recent report of an iPhone screen showing the use of a video camera has been backed up by various hackers finding screenshots from the new device when poking around in the iPhone 3.0 firmware, so these pictures seem to hint at a new hardware upgrade.

3. New NAND chips order

This time last year, Apple decided to really annoy many of the tier-one manufacturers by inexplicably buying up mountains of NAND flash chips that eventually turned up in the iPhone 3G. Well, it's doing the same thing this year, buying 100 million 8Gb chips from Samsung, which can then be combined for internal memory, easily making a huge SSD.

4. LG's 'confirmed' OLED deal

LG might not have spoken out about the deal per se, but several spokespeople have been said to have 'confirmed' the use of OLEDs in both the new iPhone and a mooted Apple netbook too. It hardly seems a stretch to think that Apple would want to use the latest (and coolest) cutting-edge tech in the new iteration of the iPhone: super-high contrast ratios, brilliant colours and lower battery consumption make it the sort of thing Jobs would want... no, he would slam his fist down and DEMAND it.

5. Steve Jobs' expected return

Talking of the big Jobs himself, the return of the Real Steve Jobs was supposed to be happening around the middle of the year, as he took a six month leave of absence at the tail end of last year. So when does he come back? That's right, June, and who better to take the 'One More Thing'-ing of Apple's sexiest new device than the Big Jobs on High himself?

6. iPhone 2.1 and 3.1

You can't deny the workings of internal device IDs (mostly because you're probably like us and have very little idea what they are) but the hackers fiddling with the new firmware have found very real references to the old iPhones (iPhone 1.1 etc) but also new ones (iPhone 2.1 and iPhone 3.1).

This raises the exciting possibility that Apple will be releasing not one but TWO new devices in a couple of months: it makes sense when you think that Jobs Lot would maybe refresh the old iPhone for the stalwarts and overhaul the hardware to entice a whole new set of customers through the shiny white Apple Store doors.

7. Rumours of a new camera

Let's face it: a 2MP camera with no flash on what's supposed to be one of the best phones in the world is just rubbish. So it's hardly a stretch to think that the next iPhone, whenever it comes, will have an upgrade.

But analysts have been picking at the bones of reports from the supply chains and have 'found' references to two new iPhones (again), including one dubbed a 'junior' iPhone (possibly the nano) and another new handset. Rumour is these will come with a 3.2MP camera and a 5MP for the new flagship model.

8. Support for next-gen Wi-Fi

The difference between Wi-Fi standards might not be of much interest to some, but radio component specs from the rumour-mill-goading iPhone 3.0 software have said that there's support for a new low-power 802.11n chip, although it's meant to be for the new iPod touch, with the current iPhone and iPod touch using an 802.11g chip.

However it's hardly a leap to think the same power source will be used in the next iPhone especially as Apple is constantly thinking of ways to drop the battery usage thanks to the power-guzzling touchscreen.

9. iPhone firmware 3.0

We've picked it to death for evidence of the new iPhone, but the very EXISTENCE of the new firmware is enough to spark rumours of Apple's latest baby. It follows a very similar path to last year where we were treated to news of a new software set for Apple's portable devices, only to be rewarded for our patience and Apple lust with a pat on the head, a Jelly Tot, and the iPhone 3G. We're jiggered if we can think what the next handset will be called though.

10. Schiller's list

One more thing: we have to travel all the way back to the Macworld Expo to see where all these rumours started, thanks to marketing executive Phil Schiller chatting to the NY Times. He said a lot of Apple-related things, but right at the end he mentioned that 'Apple marches to annual certain product cycles'. And one of the cycles he mentioned? The iPhone cycle. In June.