T-Mobile Germany: clearance sale on 8GB iPhone

Starting April 7, T-Mobile Germany will drop the price of its lower-tier iPhone to $156, from $628. The newer, 16 GB version retains its $784, price tag.
The move to discount the cheaper iPhone may be driven by two factors.
Apple Inc. is widely expected to launch a 3G version of its handset this year perhaps as early as May-June. Analysts have also said that the European market for high-end phones this spring is cooling and a dramatic cut in the 8 GB iPhone could also address slow overall sales.
Analysts will closely watch Nokia Corp.’s April 17 earnings report for signs of weakness in global handset sales. The Finnish company has forecast handset market growth at 10% this year, but most analysts’ estimates range from a gloomy 4% to a conservative 9%.
Apple has set a global goal of selling 10 million units from its June 29 launch last year to the end of this year.
The duration of T-Mobile’s sale could bolster the speculation that the 3G iPhone is imminent. The sale, which requires a two-year contract with minimum monthly tariffs of $46, will last from April 7 until June 30. The minimum monthly plan is the cheapest of four promotional plans and comes with tight limits on “free” voice minutes and data usage.