NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple is expected to launch a high-speed wireless version of iPhone in the second quarter and to produce as many as 8 million of the devices in the third quarter, according to Bank of America.


Apple shares rose $3.95 or 2.8 percent at $144.20 after the prediction in a research report about the third-generation phone from Bank of America analyst Scott Craig. Shares in AT&T Inc , the exclusive U.S. carrier for iPhone, were up 1 percent at $38.03 on Friday.

"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," he said in a note to clients.

AT&T said last year that it expects to be able to sell a 3G version of iPhone in 2008, but it declined comment on specific launch dates on Friday.

Apple representative Jennifer Bowcock declined comment.

Craig said that now he expects production volume to be much higher than his previous estimates. He said Apple planned to build more than 3 million high-speed iPhones in May followed by more than 8 million in the third quarter of the year.

Craig, who had previously estimated 8 million iPhone units for the whole of 2008, said that was starting to look conservative unless some of the plans were pushed back.

Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said that Apple would likely bring out its high-speed iPhone in June around the time it is expected to launch an upgrade to iPhone software.

Apple has said it expects to have sold 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. It said in January that it had sold more than 4 million iPhones since the phone was launched in June.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
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