Wednesday, August 05, 2009, 02:15 pm

8GB iPhone 3GS rumored to be replacing lower model

By Sam Oliver

Alleged internal information from Rogers Wireless in Canada suggest that an 8GB model of the iPhone 3GS will launch soon, perhaps replacing the current $99 iPhone 3G offering.

In pictures sent to The Boy Genius Report,, it appears that the new 8GB iPhone 3GS will be sold in place of the existing iPhone 3G model. The alleged document says that Rogers has "launched" the new model, and is "aiming to reduce" inventory of the existing stock.

"It seems that Rogers in Canada is in the process of shipping iPhone 3GS 8GB flavor handsets to stores," the report states. "Again, unconfirmed, no idea on pricing (we have no clue where to start on that) but we felt it was newsworthy to at least let you guys know what we’re hearing."

It is possible that Apple priced the 8GB iPhone 3G at $99 only to sell the remaining inventory, with the intention of replacing it with a speedier iPhone 3GS model.

At WWDC in June, when Apple unveiled the new iPhone 3GS, the handset maker dropped the price of the iPhone 3G to $99. The 16GB iPhone 3GS sells for $199 while the 32GB model retails for $299.

The announcement of a $99 iPhone was met positively on Wall Street, though Apple has not revealed its sales numbers. However, the successful launch of the iPhone 3GS suggests the less expensive model has not detracted from overall sales.