This image was lost some time after publication.

In advance of a rumored new, faster and possibly very different iPhone in June, European retail partners have begun slashing prices on the fetish object in order to encourage sales while potential buyers wait for the latest model, reports the Times of London. T-Mobile has cut prices a drastic 75 percent, to only €99 ($155), which is cheaper than you can get it on this side of the pond. Many of the retailers still expect to take losses on marked-down and unsold inventory, and blame themselves for ordering too much inventory amidst the hype generated by Steve Jobs's reality distortion field. The Times article also serves up on speculation on what the new iPhones might look like.

Think flip phones and sliding keyboards, speculates reporter Jonathan Richards, citing anonymous industry insiders who say that it will be "radically different." Supposedly a flip model with a larger screen and a thumb-keyed model would suit those looking for a laptop replacement and heavy emailers, respectively. Color me skeptical — Jobs didn't cultivate his legions of consumer acolytes by asking what they might want, but telling them what they should want. (Photo by AP/Joerg Sarbach)