iPhone shortage: supply woes or new model?

According to Yahoo! News the iPhone is in short supply at many of of the Apple U.S. stores and its online store which could indicate a component shortage or a clearing of shelves for a new model. While the impact is limited so far with supplies still okay at AT&T stores, a prolonged shortage could still lead to lost sales of up to 40,000 units weekly.

The most likely explanation for this unusual situation is a production shortfall, possibly due to a component shortage. However, recent reports of iPhone shortages have fueled speculation that Apple is readying a new version of the device that will run on faster 3G wireless networks. The accelerated timetable of iPhone inventory levels appearing fairly lean is consistent with Apple's tendency to wind down inventory ahead of an update.