Recent moves by European mobile operators to cut the price of the iPhone has sparked further rumours that Apple is planning a summer launch of a 3G version of the device. A report in The Times this morning suggests that price cuts by O2 and T-Mobile – the exclusive iPhone distributors in the UK and Germany, respectively – is designed to clear-out stock of the first generation of the device in time for a June launch of the 3G iPhone. Separate reports from last week suggest that Apple is also in talks with Orange France, the exclusive French distributor, over a similar price cut. The Times notes that the 3G iPhone is likely to be in greater demand in Europe than the US because of Europe’s more developed 3G networks. It quotes company sources claiming the new version of the iPhone will come in mutiple form factors, including a flip version and a sliding model that uses a regular qwerty keyboard rather than a touchscreen.

Meanwhile, a separate report in Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that Apple will launch the 3G iPhone in Italy using a radically different business model. Rather than tieing the device to an exclusive operator and locking customers into lengthy contracts, the device will be available unlocked and without a service contract, the newspaper says. It claims the strategy is a response to the high proportion of prepaid mobile users in Italy. Apple has yet to launch any version of the iPhone in the country to date.