On Monday, Steve Jobs will take the stage for WWDC, Apple’s yearly developer conference. Anticipation is rapidly rising for the event, where the Apple CEO is expected to make major announcements, most notably about the iPhone. We’ll be on-site, covering the entire conference live.
Things are a little more complicated this year though, thanks to the lost iPhone prototype case. It’s a virtual certainty that Apple will announce the new iPhone, but could Apple surprise us with a Verizon iPhone? What about a cloud-based iTunes? Could Apple TV be getting some air time next week?
Here’s our preview of what we think Steve Jobs will drop next Monday at WWDC.
The New iPhone
We’d be beyond shocked if Apple doesn’t announce a new iPhone next Monday. In all likelihood, it’s going to be almost exactly like the prototype phone that Gizmodo got on its hands on in April. That means it’s going to have a front-facing video camera, HD video recording, an LED flash, and a more industrial look and feel.
It’ll also come loaded with iPhone OS 4.0 and its many features. Multitasking, folders and enterprise features will all come with the new iPhone. We also bet that Apple will also include some video chat software to take advantage of that front-facing camera.
As for the actual release date, a month ago we were told that the new iPhone could be released next week. We’ve been digging for more information since then and, after talking with our sources, we believe the most likely sale date for the new iPhone is now June 25th, about three weeks from today.
Predicting the sale date of an Apple product is always tough, but you can expect your local Apple and AT&T stores to have the device before the end of June.
Verizon iPhone?
Don’t expect Apple to say much, if anything, about a Verizon iPhone. There are countless rumors surrounding a potential iPhone collaboration between Apple and Verizon, with launch dates set as later this year to 2012 and beyond. However, recent comments from Verizon suggest that there will be no iPhone in the immediate future.
We haven’t heard much new information on a Verizon iPhone. Our bet is that this event will be focused on the new iPhone itself and that a Verizon iPhone will get its own event later this year. Even if it were to be announced next week, it likely wouldn’t be available this month.
We’re hoping that we’re wrong about the Verizon iPhone, but we suggest you don’t get your hopes up.
iTunes Live, Mobile Me and the Cloud
Earlier this week, Apple shut down Lala, a music streaming service the company acquired late last year. At the time, we speculated that the closing of Lala might indicate that a cloud-based version of iTunes could launch next week. Discussions over a web-based iTunes have been going on for months.
With Google’s Android OS now offering users the ability to stream their music collection from their desktops, next week seems like the right opportunity for Jobs to reveal Apple’s new cloud initiatives. Not only do we think it’s like you’ll hear iTunes.com announcements next week, but Mobile Me could get some major enhancements to keep it competitive with Android.
This is the year Apple takes the cloud seriously.
Other Potential Announcements
While the focus will be on the next-generation iPhone, it doesn’t mean that Steve Jobs won’t pull a few other surprises out of his hat. The MacBook Air hasn’t been upgraded in a year, making it a prime candidate to get some attention at this year’s WWDC. There are also rumors that Safari will finally get extensions.
What do you hope Apple announces during next Monday’s keynote? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to tune in on Monday for our live coverage of WWDC.
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