Look, we're not definitely saying that Apple's gonna announce a new iPhone in 16 and 32GB capacities on Monday -- we'll leave that sort of certainty to Unkie Walt -- but we will say that the evidence is starting to get overwhelming. Today's whispers bring us "iPhone32gGbV3" and iPhone 16GbV3" inventory placeholders popping up in mammoth UK retailer Carphone Warehouse's systems, with each size notably coming in both black and white editions. That's the first inkling we've seen of color choices, but we're not making too much of it, since it's entirely possible whoever entered this info was just hitting all the possibilities. We're also not seeing anything to indicate that rumored cheaper 4GB version either, so there's a lot still up in the air as we get closer to the Philnote -- keep a sharp eye, we'll let you know.

Who says everyone has to report bum quarters these days? The Carphone Warehouse -- which is only Europe's largest, most recognizable independent mobile phone retailer -- has just reported that retail sales during its most recent quarter were up 13 percent to just over £1 billion ($1.48 billion). Moreover, its connections were up 3% to 3.7 million and subscription connections rose 3% to 1.3 million, though revenues of its TalkTalk Group were down slightly (2%) to £347 million ($514 million). Still, bigwigs at the firm aren't ignorant to the market, noting that "weaker trading conditions" are likely to continue, and thus, affect future numbers. Still, we'd say these guys deserve a round of golf claps for just breaking into '09 in the black.

[Via mocoNews]

It looks like the age of the free prepaid phone is nearly upon us, with Carphone Warehouse offloading Motorola W180s for the ridiculously low price of £2.88 (about $4) when purchased with £10 worth of Orange airtime. Granted, you're not going to turn any heads with the W180, but you might get a raised eyebrow or two once folks find out how little you paid for the darn thing. And hell, it's even got an FM radio built in -- where are you gonna get an FM radio for $4?

[Thanks, jc]

If you blinked at some point over the past two years you may have missed it, but somewhere in there, Sony Ericsson had a flagship retail location in the heart of London. Actually, they still do -- it's not closed quite yet -- but it'll be gone by the end of the year, just one casualty of the manufacturer's cost-cutting measures in an effort to turn its weak financial position around. Worried about the prospects for immersing yourself in the Sony Ericsson lifestyle after the new year? Rest easy -- the company says it has no plans to get rid of its 200-plus stores in Asia.

[Via Slashphone]

A recent Reuters article doesn't mention a specific model (although we have our hunches), but one thing's for sure: some kind of Comes with Music handset is launching on October 17th. We had previously assumed that October 2nd would be the go-live date for the intriguing music bundle, but retailer Carphone Warehouse has now made clear that Britain won't be able to buy in until a few weeks later. As predicted, a Nokia spokesman declined to comment, so we'd go ahead and pencil (key word: pencil) this one into your increasingly crowded datebook.

[Via MobileBurn]

Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse have already gotten cozy west of the Atlantic to collaborate on Best Buy's Mobile locations, so what's the next logical move? Collaborating on the east side, that's what, to the tune of $2.1 billion. The money will buy Best Buy a solid half of Carphone's retail business, giving the combined company enough horsepower (theoretically, anyway) to take on other retailers across Europe; existing stores will retain the Carphone Warehouse name, but new, larger stores to be opened in 2009 and beyond will be branded Best Buy. Carphone looks to use that nice little cash infusion to make fresh investments in landline and broadband operations -- but with both landline and wireless business struggling from market saturation and a downtick in the economy, how long is this all going to take to turn into black ink?

[Via mocoNews]

Yeah, we know, this one's a pretty monstrous stretch, but we are so stoked about Nokia's N96 that we figured you'd be just as happy as we are to get some news -- and by news, we mean hopeful rumor. Well the folks at the Carphone Warehouse Insider page have plopped the N96 in all its black glossy glory on the watch list and the date they've set for release is August 2008. Sure, this could slip forward, back, or even get canned, but we'll take what we can get as a tentative date is hair better than no date, right friends? Place your release date bets down in the comments section and the closest to the real deal will get a hardy pat on the back coupled with a rousing thumbs-up.

[Via Trustedreviews]

Perhaps getting just a little bored with its ginormous operation as Europe's largest phone retailer, Carphone Warehouse has decided fire up its own MVNO to do battle with the very carriers whose phones it offers. Called "Talkmobile," the service is actually Carphone Warehouse's second MVNO (its first, Fresh Mobile, concentrates on prepaid service) and runs atop Vodafone's rather expansive network. Naturally, all MVNOs need a unique angle if they want any shot at scooping some subs from the competition, and Talkmobile's is pricing; in fact, its most expensive plan is just £18 (about $37) and offers a free phone to boot. Oh, and get this: contracts range from 18 months down to just 9 freakin' months. If we were any of the UK's stodgy traditional carriers, we might wanna sit up and start taking down notes here.

[Via textually.org]

We're not exactly on top of the fashion world around here, so when the fashion and phone industries collide, it often makes for an awkward experience. Such is the case here, where luggage maker Mandarina Duck (who?) has teamed up with Carphone Warehouse and Alcatel to craft a line of branded handsets. Nothing special here -- quite the contrary, actually, with Bluetooth and an integrated MP3 player being the major talking points. Also included is an unusual bag clip charm, allowing the lucky owner to attach the phone to a carry-on (Mandarina Duck brand, of course). Get it starting next month in three horrifying shades -- Cherry Red, Purple, and Green -- exclusively from the Carphone Warehouse for a to-be-determined price.

[Via Pocket-lint.co.uk]

Oh man, here we go. Another rumor about that 3G European iPhone. This time, the source is Guy Kewney of Newswireless who, until recently, doubled as eWeek.com's European wireless editor -- i.e., he's the real deal. As the story goes, Apple is set to announce a four-way deal: Vodafone and T-Mobile on the carrier front with Carphone Warehouse out in front as the MVNO. Hmmm, well, this kind of deal would certainly provide Apple's upstart mobile phone with far broader coverage than a Vodafone exclusive could muster while providing a solid brick-and-mortar base on a continent (mostly) void of Apple stores. Best of all for Europeans, the announcement expected on Monday will be 3G. That's right, while you're queuing up for EDGE data, Europeans might be unwrapping an HSDPA iPhone in a 4-way press release. Here's the rub, bub: do you really think Apple will provide Europe a 3G iPhone before the end of the year and not release it in the US at the same time? Now the tough choice: stand in line for your 2.5G iPhone or wait and see what happens on Monday with this rumor (and we repeat, it's just rumor at this point). Decisions, decisions.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Yo, Nokia, anyone home? One of the world's largest independent retailers of cellphones is thoroughly outing your 8600 here, and you seem to just be sitting idly by without an official announcement in sight. No bother; we guess the important thing is the phone, not the announcement -- we're just not totally used to it going down this way. As a refresher, the 8600 (codenamed "Luna") looks to be Nokia's newest piece of high-end envy, likely slotting in just below the 8800 Sirocco to satisfy the needs of the "I can't quite afford a Vertu" set. Carphone Warehouse's preorder site confirms that it'll have a 2 megapixel camera, 128MB of onboard storage, media player with integrated FM radio, A2DP, and a quadband GSM radio -- refreshing to see after North America got slighted with the Sirocco's tri-band internals. Depending on the selected O2 plan, prices range from zilch all the way up to £299.99 (about $596). For a phone this attractive, we're really liking the sound of "free."

Despite a concerted effort to lock up iPhone exclusivity following Apple's January announcement (also known as "the most important day in history" to some), it appears that Cupertino has given the UK's Carphone Warehouse nothing but cold shoulders. The mobile retail giant has officially given up hope of having the iPhone all to its very own, admitting that Apple is probably looking to sign with a carrier more than it is a retail outlet. In even thinking it'll get the iPhone, though, we still think the company might be a bit optimistic -- isn't there a chance that Apple is going to bypass independent retail entirely and sell the handset exclusively through its own stores and an exclusive carrier partner, same as it's doing here?

[Via mocoNews]