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New iPhone back in black?

Well, it never was all-black, but the 3G version might be, according to a new report that also says a GPS chip is on the way.

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Google, as the most prominent company on the Internet defends its search juggernaut while expanding into nearly anything it thinks possible. He has previously written about Apple, the traditional PC industry, and chip companies. E-mail Tom.
Tom Krazit
The back of the iPhone might be turning black with the arrival of the 3G model. CNET Networks

Apple might have decided to make a few cosmetic changes to the next-generation iPhone.

As Lawrence Peter might say, it's deja vu all over again as we await the arrival of the 3G iPhone. Engadget has the latest, claiming they've been in touch with a tester who says Apple plans to ditch the aluminum exterior in favor of a "glossy black" plastic-like material and, more significantly, add a GPS chip.

I'm not sure what to make of the decision to drop the metal look until I can see the actual product, mock-up images notwithstanding. But the addition of a GPS chip would be a solid move, and probably unlock some interesting applications that could take advantage of GPS and the accelerometer inside the iPhone.

Two other minor changes, according to Engadget, will be that the new iPhone's headphone jack will be flush with the exterior, and not recessed like the original unit. And the new model will apparently be slightly thicker, although no metric was provided to shed light on exactly what "slightly" means.