Don’t Hold Your Breath for a Verizon or Sprint iPhone

A lot of changes are happening in the iPhone area, and there’s a ton of speculation about what’s coming for the 4th-gen iPhone.

Firstly, the 8GB iPhone 3GS might be on it’s way out of production. The Apple.com site no longer allows it to be selected as an option to view details about. Speculation is that it will be replaced with another $99 iPhone, possibly a version of the upcoming 4th-gen iPhone. However, Wal-Mart plans to sell the 16GB model at $97, starting yesterday.

Of course, there’s also speculation about whether any other American carriers will get the iPhone. First it was Verizon getting it,and now rumors suggest that Sprint might get the next-gen iPhone, aka iPhone HD, in June. However, an analyst at Piper Jaffray says that this is unlikely. Apple Outsider also gives an interesting technical explanation for why a Verizon iPhone is probably unlikely any time soon. (Note: Apple Outsider’s Matt Drance is, if I’m not mistaken, a recently former Apple employee who appeared in some of the iPhone development how-to videos.) AT&T’s exclusivity contract is said to be ending, but I believe it’s not for a couple of months yet.