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For those who are not absolutely thrilled with the speed of Internet downloads to their iPhone (News - Alert), Apple has announced that it will introduce a new version next year that will be designed to download from the Internet at a faster rate.

According to AT&T (News - Alert) Inc. Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson, the device will operate on third-generation wireless networks. The San-Antonio-based telecommunications giant is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the US.

“You'll have it next year,'' Stephenson said in response to a question about the debut of the 3G iPhone. Stephenson claimed he did not know how much more the new version would cost consumers and that Apple (News - Alert) Chief Steve Jobs would be making that decision.

Apple’s strategic marketing plan with the iPhone is to sell 10 million devices worldwide. This would give Apple one percent of the mobile-phone market. The company has sold 1.4 million handsets as of sales numbers through the end of September.

The downside for Apple and AT&T is that by making this announcement now, some people may put off buying an iPhone until the newer version is released. Analysts with Piper Jaffray & Co., feel that any shoppers delaying their purchase will not be enough to make a dent in Apple’s numbers.

The battery life of the Apple iPhone has been an issue for both users and for Apple as many competing products offer much greater longevity. At a news conference in London in September, Jobs had stated that the battery life of the iPhone would be too short if it support faster networks. The handset currently supports eight hours of battery life and 3G chips certainly hog power.

“We've got to see the battery lives for 3G get back up into the five-plus-hour range,'' he said at that conference. “Hopefully we'll see that late next year.''

AT&T has been relying on the iPhone to help lure customers away from its closest rival, Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless. Verizon has tricks up its own sleeve as it announced plans this week to open its network to any phone or software maker that meets technical specifications.

Apple and AT&T both hope to propel European sales of the iPhone with this new launch as the absence of 3G has contributed to relatively slow sales. The high price is also contributing to this slump and it is too soon to tell if the availability of 3G technology is enough to overcome this obstacle.

At the end of the day, this announcement will certainly increase anticipation for the new iPhone, whether it will be available in January or in June. The question is – when will you get yours?

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC (News - Alert) and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.