Sturdy-jawed tech tyke and PiperJaffray analyst Gene Munster has been stirring up rumors again with his latest prediction that Apple will launch a "budget" iPhone at the beginning of 2009, priced between $200 and $300, as part of a rapid expansion plan designed to drive sales over the next two year.  Expecting the lower-cost model to hit stores by the end of January 2009, Munster suggests that by that point Apple will have three distinct smartphones in the iPhone range, one of which will be the 3G iPhone and another the company's attempt to move beyond the $400 price point.  It's possible that this higher-cost iPhone could be the much-rumored iPhone-style tablet, although Munster did not suggest that in his report.

"The iPhone is the driver with the greatest potential.  We believe the iPhone will replace the iPod as a driver of significant growth for the company" Gene Munster, analyst, PiperJaffray

As for the 3G iPhone itself, Munster anticipates that hitting stores at some point between June and September "with new features"; it's possible that this is the version the analyst suggests will launch, at some point in 2008, in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Italy and Japan.  He hedges his bets regarding a Chinese launch, citing the stumbling negotiations as key problem.

Gene predicts that these new markets could "effectively double" the iPhone's potential market each year, pegging total sales during 2009 at 45 million.

[via Electronista]