Rumor: Hon Hai wins iPhone contract?
A Chinese newspaper reported Wednesday that Apple has awarded a contract to build the elusive iPhone to Hon Hai, a contract manufacturer based in Taiwan.
The Commercial Times says Apple has ordered 12 million iPhones from Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, with an eye on a first-half 2007 unveiling. It was hard to find a direct link to the Commercial Times story, but outfits like Bloomberg and Forbes picked up the story, as did a host of the usual bloggers and enthusiasts.
Rumors have been circulating for months--if not years--about the iPhone, which would be Apple's take on the smart phone/music player/do-it-all-and-in-style device. The Appleites have been pointing toward a MacWorld introduction for the device, but now some are saying early January might be too early for a widespread rollout, and that Apple CEO Steve Jobs might just announce the product at MacWorld. Apple tends not to announce products before they are available, but it broke with tradition earlier this year when it discussed its iTV product during the launch of the movie section of the iTunes store.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
