Like most of the trade press, Apple Insider is frothing about the non-existent Apple iPhone.

… an analyst for Morgan Stanley who retains reputable industry contacts, recently corroborated evidence of a dual-model strategy through her own proprietary checks. She told clients in a research note this week the phones will sport a metal-clad enclosure and feature a virtual click wheel touch interface when they arrive during the first half of next year.

Runkle added that the body of the phones will be about one-fourth of an inch thick, a bit wider than an iPod nano, but also thinner than a video iPod. She said the devices will pack a “full screen LCD; 3.5 inch (28×21)” display.

Potentially bolstering the analyst’s claims is a report on Broadcom released thursday by BMO Capital. In it, analysts for the firm said they believe the broadband chipmaker has recently secured a noteworthy design win for an “upcoming stealth phone,” about to be “offered by a major consumer device company.”

The firm’s checks suggest the specific design win was for an SoC that will enable an onscreen touchpad feature for a new type of user interface for the phone. It added that the interface is likely to show up in next-generation media players as well.

We’ll see, just save your $ until January.

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