AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson confirms 3G iPhone for ‘next year’

We’ve been talking about the next-generation iPhone for almost as long as the current iPhone has been on-market. The 3G version of the Apple iPhone has been rumored time and again for a launch in early 2008. And, we’re expecting Steve Jobs to drop the 3G-bomb on us during his January Macworld keynote.

But, all that talk about a 3G iPhone has been rumor and hearsay. That is, until AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson slipped up and uttered those precious few words - “You’ll have it next year.” Stephenson confirmed the existence and near-term arrival of the next-generation iPhone with 3G data speeds at a meeting at Churchill Club in Santa Clara, California. As far as price is concerned, AT&T’s Chief could only say that Steve Jobs “will dictate what the price of the phone is.”

And, as any good CEO should do, Randall Stephenson took the time to undermine Verizon’s recent announcement that they’ll be opening up the CDMA network to “any app, any device” in 2008. The AT&T CEO said that Verizon’s plans were “overblown” and that AT&T is “probably one of the most open networks in the world, not just the U.S.” Take that, Verizon.

Apple’s doesn’t usually talk about future product developments or releases, and keeps those in-the-know on a tight leash. So, that begs the question - did Steve Jobs give Stephenson the go-ahead to confirm the 3G iPhone’s launch-window? Or did Randall Stephenson goof-up and let the cat out of the bag? Either way, we’re already saving up our couch-change for that 3G iPhone in 2008!

[Via: Bloomberg]