Apple iPhone to munch on Helio’s market share?

It’s amazing how much buzz the iPhone is making, even though Apple hasn’t even officially announced the thing yet. If a recent report from UBS is to be believed, Apple may be launching their own wireless service to accompany the iPhone, either as its own network (unlikely) or as an MVNO leeching off of Cingular’s GSM airwaves. In any case, if they launch as their own brand, Apple Wireless (or whatever they decide to call it) could take a huge bite out of Helio’s upscale MVNO market.

Both companies will offer glossy cell phones with a definite focus on multimedia. Since both are seeking the same “high-end image”, it is very likely that people considering a fashionable, trendy, musical cell phone solution will turn to a bigger and more trusted name like Apple over a lesser-known name like Helio. After all, Apple owns three-quarters of the MP3 market already, and iPhone is basically an iPod that doubles as a phone.

Now imagine if the iPhone were to rock high-speed UMTS too… Would that spell doom for Helio?