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It seems that iPhone phanatics are starting to feel the need for some 3G speed, as all manner of hopeful rumor seems to be flying about this week, culminating in a somewhat convincing but ultimately Photoshopped fake of a 3G iPhone in the wild (it’s most likely the new LG Vu, which comes to AT&T next week).

But the look of the fake does seem to fit with the prevailing rumors out on the gadgetosphere, with iLounge reporting that the next-gen iPhone will have a glossy black plastic body, and it includes some graphical specs purportedly leaked from some accessory manufacturer that points to slightly different body designs. AppleInsider reports that the 3G iPhone will be much lighter–110 to 120 grams (3.9 to 4.25 ounces) compared to the current model’s 158 grams (5.6 ounces)–and that Taiwan Economic News has its sources saying that the new iPhone will be manufactured by Foxconn with initial run of 300,000 to be followed by 3 million in June (and up to 25 million orders overall). And Ars Technica reports confirmation (via CNet.com.au) that Australia will be getting the 3G iPhone by the end of June and has a rundown on the likely 3G frequencies that will be built into the new model.

But the week’s juiciest rumor comes from Fortune magazine, which says that AT&T will be subsidizing the cost of buying a 3G iPhone by $200 for those who sign up for 2-year contracts–bringing the price down to $199 for an 8 GB model. The catch being that you’d only get this by purchasing through AT&T, and not via Apple (online or at one of its mall stores). CNet’s One More Thing blog posits that this may point to Apple selling unlocked models at a higher price, and letting AT&T gather two-year subscribers with the subsidized price. The Fortune article’s anonymous source also pointed to a release date around June 27 (close to the original iPhone’s 1-year anniversary) and that it will be 2.5mm thinner and include a GPS chip.

Finally, it seems that Jobs and Apple might have even grander plans for the iPhone, according to Newsweek/Forbes:

Apple is knitting together a broad coalition of companies around a vision of computing that goes far beyond today’s hot-selling iPhone and toward a future that combines wireless broadband and touch-sensitive interfaces with built-in motion sensors.

Cisco is experimenting with software that will allow users to “flick” documents from their iPhones to their desktop computers. Intel, which supplies the processors for Apple’s desktop and laptop computers, is experimenting with ways to tie motion sensors to maps, allowing users to “fly” through the landscape. Electronic Arts and Sega are building games that can be manipulated by players waving their phones through the air.

In other bits and bites from the week that was in Apple-y goodness:

• Apple’s near weekly release of new and refreshed product brought us new iMacs that have been upgraded to Intel’s Penryn line of processors. PC Magazine has already put the new model to the test and, compared to other all-in-one machines like the Gateway One and Dell XPS One, retains its title as “king of the all-in-one.”
• If you want to get your Star Trek geek on, check out this tricorder iPhone web app (sadly, it doesn’t provide any true scanning features like a true Starfleet issue medical and engineering tricorders).
• AT&T is starting to roll out free Wi-Fi for iPhone users (membership as its privileges) at its hotspots at Barnes & Noble and Starbucks (which AT&T recently took over from T-Mobile). But even if you don’t own an iPhone, Insanely Great Mac shows you how to get the free Wi-Fi on your laptop (as long as you are able to get the digits off of a friend who owns an iPhone).
• Apple’s iTunes Store this week gained access to new movies for purchase and rental on the day of their release from a good range of major studios (including Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox). Does this mark the tipping point toward the death of the DVD?
• PC World lists 18 features that Windows Vista doesn’t have but should–Mac OS X has 16 of them already, including virtual workspaces, screen sharing, built-in podcast capture, etc.
• Online backup service Mozy has finally finalized the version 1.0 of its backup application for Macs, enabling you to back up your most important files (whether they be financial or your collection of family photos) to an off-site/online location. You can get 2 GB of free storage, or unlimited space for $5 a month (via TUAW and TidBITS).
• In other backup fodder, Matt Neuburg at TidBITS highlights a modified version of the GrandPerspective utility, which allows you to visually identify large chunks of data being backed up by Time Machine that you might not want (i.e., they were one-time chunks that don’t need backing up) in order to open up some room on your external hard drive.
• Looking for a new RSS reader? Check out Times, which is designed to present your feeds in the style of a newspaper–which might be just the thing for users new to RSS (via TUAW).
• Weekend reading: BusinessWeek’s cover story on how Mac usage is accelerating in enterprise/corporate environments.

• And finally, Lenovo decided to have a little fun at the expense of Apple’s MacBook Air (and its single USB port) to promote its X300 ultra-portable.

–Agen G.N. Schmitz