Posted by Mike Evans in Apple on September 6, 2007

3G Apple  iPhone European launch
Strong rumours have emerged of the spec for the European iPhone. The US version, if you recall, looks fantastic, but the deal breaker is the lack of 3G. Now this might not be too much of a problem in the US, where 3G isn’t exactly ubiquitous, but in Europe, it’s a serious flaw, as we have smartphones that really are smart, as opposed to Motorola Qs.

Using a Web browser over a crawling GPRS or EDGE connection is not a pleasant experience, no matter how fancy the user interface.

All this might change for the European version, though, with rumours predicting a 16GB iPhone being released onto an unsuspecting public, with HSDPA connectivity.

More details after the jump.

You can blame Engadget for fanning the flames of the rumour mill again, but they make a pretty strong case. Apple’s recent $200 price drop for the US iPhone was a bit odd so soon after its launch, but it’s proved that enough people will pay $600 for a mobile phone. It also gives Apple $200 to spend on its new iPhone, safe in the knowledge that it’ll still sell at this price point.

So what can you get for your $200? Well, Engadget have done the calculations, and reckon a tri-band HSPDA radio plus an extra 8GB of NAND flash will still give you loose change, meaning Apple really can drop a super-iPhone on Europe later this year and really out-manoeuvre the competition.

The current rumour slates Apple Expo on September 25th as the launch date and venue for the new European iPhone. We’ll keep you posted, as always.

[Source: Engadget]