I think Apple's goal was to make the feel more similar to current popular phones. Obviously it is a touchscreen device, but I'm saying a lot more people prefer the feel of an env2/env3 etc.
All I know is I am all over this thing I love the new design~!!! It will be a lot harder to drop with the boxier feel=)
I think that this is Apple releasing them, namely because the first one with no real Apple markings everyone thought was fake and just one of the Chinese fakes, and now it has all the Apple markings on the outside, so it seems like they are trying to "prove" to people this is the real deal. Also, I think they will probably release one that is completely different from this one, but that's just my opinion, although this would fit their "move" to all aluminum casings and whatnot.
I would laugh if this is all a stunt from apple. The day the iPhone 4G gets released everyone is going to be surprised when it's just a thinner 3G (with aluminium back).... i would lol. basically an iPod touch.