This morning at Moscone Center in San Francisco, Apple is expected to introduce its newest member of the iPhone family as Steve Jobs is set to deliver another carefully crafted keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). As per usual, the highly-anticipated event has sent the rumor mills spinning as Apple has remained tight-lipped about what to expect from today’s announcement (with the exception of a leak or two). So just what should we expect from Apple today at WWDC? For starters, here’s an infographic breaking down previous iPhone events that should give you a picture of what’s to come.
A New iPhone, Right On Schedule
The majority of evidence uncovered so far has lead most to believe that a new iPhone is undoubtedly landing today at WWDC. That last two iPhones were announced in early June and each time saw doubled storage capacity at identical $199 and $299 price points. This year’s model will likely follow this trend, reaching as high as 64 GB of storage for the larger iPhone sibling. Additionally, 2009’s keynote saw the 2008 model drop in price to $99, and many expect a similar price cut this year for the 3GS.
How soon will we see the new iPhone? It could be as soon as today, some have guessed. Last year’s phone was available less than two weeks after its announcement, and the 3G iPhone launched just 2 days after Jobs’ keynote that year. Due to leaked images of what is likely to be the next iPhone, Apple may be attempting to shuffle this next device out the door quickly, but we can’t be sure. Other evidence pointing to a quick release is AT&T’s new data and insurance plans which will launch today.
In the past, an updated OS has also been made available roughly around the same time as the new phone, so expect OS 4.0 to be available soon, if not right away. With the OS update comes much-awaited multi-tasking functionality, as well as many small changes to upgrade the user experience. Keeping with history, Apple will also still likely charge iPod Touch users $10 to upgrade their OS.
Rumors and Speculation
Apple also has a history of making secondary announcements when introducing a new iPhone. In the past years, these products and services has included Apple TV, MobileME and Snow Leopard – so what will the other topic of discussion be today? Some have suggested an updated Apple TV to counter Google TV could make an appearance, or perhaps the next version of Safari could be previewed.
Mostly likely among “one more thing” announcements is a Bluetooth enabled multi-touch trackpad for use with desktop Macs. Late last night, Engadget editor Josh Topolsky posted what look like pretty solid pictures of what Apple could be calling the “Magic Trackpad,” if recent patent filings are any hint. The device could make the entire Apple line touch-friendly, which is a logical next step.
The leaked photographs also suggested that the latest iPhone will feature a forward-facing camera, perhaps for mobile video chat. Will we see a Skype executive up on stage with Steve walking the audience through video chat capabilities, or will this new feature be limited to an in-house iChat app placed on the phone? What could a forward-facing camera do for other fields of technology, like augmented reality? Today’s keynote may answer some of these questions.
The other long-debated announcement we could see today is the iPhone’s departure from AT&T exclusivity – specifically to Verizon’s stronger network. Rumors of a “Verizon iPhone” have existed ever since AT&T customers began complaining about their service, but they’ve reached a fever pitch approaching today’s event. But why stop at Verizon? Though less likely, some have suggested that Jobs could announce partnerships with several leading carriers today.
Stay Tuned!
We will be following the announcement closely this morning, so make sure to stick around for breaking news and analysis from WWDC as it happens.
Photo by Tom Coates on Flickr.
