A recent article on MYiPhone.com speculates that Apple, which now holds a nice position with Disney per Steve Jobs' recent addition to the company's board, could see boosted iPhone sales as a result of recent buyouts this year.

Disney, which has filed patents for an upcoming streaming-video handset that looks like a flip phone, seems to be cooperating with Apple. In addition to this union, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, whose company recently bought out Internet video staple YouTube.com, joined Apple's board of directors back in August of this year.

Where the iPhone is concerned, Apple would provide the device, Disney will provide some of the content (as it's been doing to the delight of parents looking for family-friendly video downloads by way of the iTunes Store) and Google will provide mobile searching and video advertising for the device through its classic search engine strengths as well as its new YouTube assets. Moving beyond speculation of a combined phone and music device, the iPhone could become a full-fledged broadband mobile video device as a result of these combined efforts.

Not a bad thing and we'll see what's on the horizon come January at the Macworld Expo.