Apple’s (s aapl) Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is as inevitable as the changing of the seasons, but that doesn’t stop me from getting excited when we get word of a firm date for the event. The Moscone Center’s booking schedule today reveals a block between June 28 and July 2 reserved for a “Corporate Event.”
The timing fits perfectly with Apple’s traditional schedule for the event, which always falls somewhere in late June/early July. In addition, Apple has in the past used the bland “Corporate Event” as the stand-in title for the WWDC. Taken together, this amounts to more than just a rumor, but it remains speculation on the technicality that Apple hasn’t officially commented.
The WWDC keynote speech, which will in all likelihood take place Tuesday, June 29, if history is any indication, has seen the introduction of a new iPhone for the past three years. Most, if not all, industry watchers expect this time around to be no different in that regard. What people don’t agree on is what the new iPhone will have in store for consumers.
TUAW points out one interesting possibility: The keynote would mark the debut of a new iPhone exactly three years later than the release of the first, which many suspect is when Apple’s exclusive contract with AT&T (s att) ends. If true, the timing seems remarkably suited for the announcement of a new partnership with another provider, be it Verizon (s vz), T-Mobile or Sprint (s s).
The international trend has been toward more iPhones on more providers, and Apple would be able to benefit from opening up the sale of its device in terms of both subscriber count and improved service quality, so I’d say a new partnership announcement is likely to be in the offing.
Anyone needing a ticket should check on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280514289185&ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT#ht_1467wt_962
Anyone know how you get tickets to see the keynote or doesn’t it work like that!
How do you get tickets to the keynote? It doesn’t work like that.
Either
a) Pay $1200 to attend the entire WWDC and the keynote is included
b) Become a student attendee (Apple hand picks the most qualified entrants), and go for free to WWDC
c) Get a press pass
P.S. Time to start saving up as I’ll almost certainly have to go on my own dime.
Maybe the reflection “bug” was on purpose — a subtle way of saying “out with the old, in with the new.” Or “2010 will pretty much be like 2009.”
what about the macbook pro? will it get an update until June?
I’m wanting to upgrade to iPhone, but I’m holding out to see whether there will be a deal with Verizon…
@Zach – excellent pick up! One of the little things that can ruin a speaker’s presenting authority if it occurs too many times on the slides. Here on the webpage, it’s fine – doing it too often in Keynote (or – forgive me for I have sinned – in Powerpoint) and you lose credibility and authority. Like watching a movie of passengers sitting in a wide-body plane, then you see a 737 taking off, followed by an Airbus landing. Ok for some, but for aviation enthusiasts it’s a major continuity bump in the road.
I like how the image next to this article shows WWDC 2010, but reflects 2009…oops
Great, can’t wait for 2010 WWDC as I’m in the design stages of a iPhone App.