“Loose lips sink ships” we were told during the war; they could also stunt iPhone sales, as Bank of America spills the beans on its expectation that Apple will launch the 3G version of the handset in Q2 with full-scale sales taking place in Q3.  The manufacturer of the handset is believed to be Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., after a source “familiar with the situation” and an unnamed employee both informed Dow Jones Newswires that the company has secured the exclusive contract for a “more advanced version” of the iPhone.

“Our latest channel checks point to a significant production build of a 3G iPhone beginning in the month of June after a initial small build in May” Scott Craig, analyst, Bank of America

While Apple declined to comment on either story, both analysts and the market have responded positively to the rumors.  Apple’s share price rose by 2.8-percent to $144.20 after the news broke, and while Apple are aiming to sell eight million iPhones by the end of 2008, some analysts are suggesting that manufacturing of the high-speed model in Q2 and Q3 alone will exceed eleven million handsets.

[via iPhone Buzz]