Analyst Says "The iPhone Is Coming" So Look Busy

Not wishing to be a sour old minx, but I don't think it would be to-the-core shaking to say that the last Apple keynote was a bit of an anti-climax. What seems like a billion salivating fanboys (and more than a few interested-despite-themselves Microsofties) now begin taking a very deep breath in the hope that September 12th will see some exciting unveiling. The cynics amongst our ranks – those who haven't yet been beaten out with birch twigs – might mutter something about Apple needing a big, headline grabbing release to take away the sour taste of exploding batteries and a variety of Intel-powered MacBook woes.

Step forward into the light Mister Shaw Wu, an analyst from American Technology Research, who has decided now is the time to lend his research-clad shoulder to the rumours of an Apple Cellphone. Half-informative details abound: three colours, possibly white, black and titanium (to match the existing core Apple line); a candy-bar form factor similar to the Nano; and the so-called "right blend" of phone and PMP. Wu also suggests that while the branding will be Apple, the FCC filing will be via the OEM manufacturer (as Microsoft has done with its Toshiba-made Zune).

Not wishing to harp on about it, but if we're talking imminent timeframes might I hold-them-up-against-the-light-and-exclaim-at-the-similarities between a September 12th Apple announcement and the production of a working Onyx concept phone. And, while not wishing to drop lead balloon hints, the intuitive gesture interface Onyx so creatively employs would certainly satisfy Steve Jobs' desire for an harmonious user experience. Don't forget, SlashGear has an exclusive demo of the Onyx unit as soon as it's ready.

Analyst: Apple's iPod phone set for production [via ilounge.com]