Strategic packaging- or just supplier contracts? The 16GB iPhone.

So is it strategic packaging - or just related to contracts, suppliers and channel status? Apple's evil genius is such that none of us know for sure.

Apple increases iPhone, iPod touch storage capacity - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

The iPhone is now available with 8GB (at $399US) or 16GB (at $499US) of storage. The iPod touch is now available in three models; 8GB ($299US), 16GB($399US) and 32GB($499US).

Note that the 16GB iPhone and the 32GB iPod touch are both $499, while there's a one hundred dollar difference between the 16GB iPhone and the 16GB iPod model...

The strategic message here is that there won't be any more iPhone changes until iPhone 2.0 due sometime in 2008 (I'm guessing September/October, but I wouldn't be shocked if it slipped into 2009).

So those of us waiting for a sign have it. I don't need that extra 8GB for music or video of course, I want room for old-fashioned locally resident applications to grow.

Now all that remains is to see that the SDK is real, and that Apple is giving developers the (secure and signed-for-in-blood) keys to the kingdom -- including the calendar and contacts data stores and the synchronization frameworks.

Why must I wait for the real SDK?

The MacBook Air is proof positive (the I/O limits in particular) that Apple isn't making products for the likes of me. Happily I know there's a world of developers who are eager for a paying customer -- and who can live off a smaller base. A working SDK means they'll be beating down the door to my open wallet.