Chinese-language paper The Economic Daily News reported on Tuesday that two chip manufacturers are going to receive microchip orders from Apple sometime in March, therefore enthusiasts are likely to be able to buy the new iPhone nano as soon as this summer. In other words, since factories will apparently start work on the new must–have gadgets in March, a June announcement is simply a must.

The manufacturers are Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corporation. American Technology Research analyst Brian Marshall believes that the iPhone nano will not initially be launched in the United States. According to Marshall, wireless industry insiders have confirmed that the device is not yet being tested by AT&T, suggesting that US customers will face an indefinite wait for the new device. Marshall also speculates that China may be an ideal market for the iPhone nano's initial release.

Apple has long been known for its quite annoying habit of teasing customers and not reveal much as far as future plans and releases are concerned. For instance there was a flurry of similar rumors floating around before the Macworld events last week, though there was no mention of any plans during Apple's keynote. Nano rumors are out in dozens since December last year when Piper Jaffray Gene Munster said that he didn't expect an iPhone nano to surface this month, but he did expect one to be announced by the end of the March quarter.

The new model will reportedly have a smaller screen and a more affordable price tag, obviously rocking lower storage for those not after stashing stacks of tunes, apps and movies on their phone. Last month, FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger said the iPhone nano would serve as that device and include a base band controller from Qualcomm rather than Apple's traditional supplier, Infineon.

"Our contacts see a lower-cost version of the iPhone, possibly in mid [second quarter]," he said. "Some call this device the 'iPhone Nano'; whatever one calls it, we believe this device is on its way."

Apple has yet to establish a definitive track record for new iPhone launches but so far has used its WWDC event in early summer to release details both of the final launch for the original iPhone as well as the introduction of the iPhone 3G.

There's a theory that the real iPhone Nano is merely the knock-off versions sold in markets in China and other places in Asia, which has proven so popular that demand has grown for cases. But Brian Marshal of Broadpoint AmTech expects Apple to launch such a device at some point this year, and thinks Asia might be the first place it arrives, as pointed above.