Due to delays, Apple had to cancel the event planned for the last week of February and postpone the release of the much-anticipated iPhone SDK. It looks like a new announcement date has been set - March 6^th.

One of the biggest gripes about the iPhone is its closed-source nature. With the announcement of an SDK, we will finally see third-party applications making their way to the iPhone. These new apps will allow users to take full advantage of their shiny, touch-screen toys.

Apple’s invitation to the event was sent via email and worded like this: “Please join us to learn about the iPhone software roadmap, including the iPhone SDK and some exciting new enterprise features.” It will be interesting to see exactlywhat enterprise features Apple is dreaming up.

In addition to all of this, yet another 3G iPhone rumor has sprung up. Analysts are predicting a 3G iPhone by mid-year, and that EDGE production will ramp down early so Apple can clear out current iPhone inventories.

It’s an exciting time for the iPhone, and we hope to keep hearing good news in the coming weeks and months that we can pass on to you.

Financial analysts are predicting a 3G iPhone by midyear due to ever decreasing inventory of the current iPhone model in addition to growing demand for a 3G model. A 3G iPhone would also greatly boost the phone’s presence in European countries, making it seem like the next obvious step for Apple.

3G technology allows for high speed wireless access, which would greatly improve the user experience of the iPhone. 3G is not widely deployed in the US currently, and having a 3G iPhone would greatly widen the potential audience for the device. It would also provide just the boost needed to reach the 10 million iPhones sales goal by the end of 2008.

We hope to see a 3G iPhone very soon, perhaps even as early as the last week in February.
Photo: http://www.iphoneros.com

As the company puts it, the XPERIA X1 “redefines premiumness,” and from the looks of the phone we wouldn’t say anything less.

The X1 has all of the features that the iPhone is missing, and then some. This one really does seem to be poised to become the phone of all phones.

The XPERIA X1 has a 3 inch VGA touchscreen sporting a resolution of 800×480. A fully functional QWERTY keyboard slides out from the side for all of your messaging, emailing, and web browsing needs. Of course to do that you need a fast connection as well, so, unlike the iPhone, the X1 supports 3G HSDPA for data transfer speeds up to 3.6Mbits.

The phone has an ‘always on’ internet connection, the ability to send and receive files while in a call, streaming video support, and a video call feature.

For more details, check out the product page here.

No word on price or availability yet, but we can’t wait until the X1 makes its way Stateside. Well done, Sony. Another picture after the jump. Read more »

Today Garmin announced their brand new nüvifone, a GSM HSDPA smartphone running Garmin’s own operating system centered around GPS navigation.

The phone will feature a 3.5 inch touchscreen display with three primary icons displayed on it - “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map.”

As far as data, the nüvifone will use a 3.5G connection to power an integrated web browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions. The device will also tap into Google local search to provide all sorts of points of interest close to the user.

“The nüvifone is an all-in-one device offering unmatched integration of utility and function in a single mobile device,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for - a single device that does it all.”

We’re excited to see this thing on the shelves in late 2008. It looks like it has great potential to compete with the iPhone, especially if it’s priced just right.