Just because the iPhone now has an official release date doesn’t mean we can’t spend the next 25 days engaged in feverish speculation—there’re still more known unknowns and unknown unknowns than anything.
No less a source than the Gray Lady herself reported this morning that we could see news on third-party software for the iPhone at next week’s Worldwide Developer Conference:
A person briefed on Apple’s plans said that at its software developer conference this month, Apple intends to announce that it will make it possible for developers of small programs written for the Macintosh to easily convert them to run on the iPhone.Some have suggested this might mean that developers could create widgets, a theory advanced on this very blog a few months back.
Meanwhile, iPhone conspiracy theorists have been dissecting the ads that Apple posted last night, with Macenstein pointing out one interesting disparity: all the pictures we’ve seen of the iPhone’s home menu interface show eleven application icons, but in one shot from the ads the bottom row has four apps on it (shown above). What’s the mysterious twelfth application? My guess: Mary Magdalene. Oh, wait, wrong conspiracy.
Finally, if you’re looking to score an iPhone all for your very own, it’s time to start planning where to go. Most people are aware that the iPhone will be available at Apple Stores, but CEO Steve Jobs himself shared an insider tip with blogger Arianna Huffington:
“Don’t go to an Apple store,” Jobs told me. “It will be a madhouse there. People will be lined up around the block, sleeping on the sidewalk to get one. Go to an AT&T/Cingular store. Most people don’t know that they will be selling them too.” Uh, they do now, Steve.Noted, Steve-o. Thanks. I guess I’ll be waiting in line at an AT&T store on the 29th so I can…er…not buy an iPhone.
I've always believed myself that the majority of iPhone programs were widgets. My belief is that they were created for the purpose of the iPhone, and Apple slipped them into the Mac OS to get us ready for them to appear on the iPhone. So when the iPhone showed up, we would be saying… oh hey… yep… that's OS X. After all, seeing the videos so far, it all smells of dashboard, and I like it. But that's just my opinion.
If you listen carefully to what Steve says and doesn't say at D5, rich clients that use web services are on the horizon for Apple. Widgets are pretty stupid in my opinion on the Mac, but third party widgets on the iphone make complete sense as Walt says above. At the same time, I think apple will be adding real rich cllents to use web based apps--like google apps on the iphone with a very apple-like interface. Think about it. I think we'll see a lot of partnering with Google and Yahoo for the iphone and the apple tv in the next year.
Oh, back on topic. I'm second on an unoficial waiting list at a cingular store in DC. Half my office is. They say they won't honor this in the press. I'll let you guys know.
How does Steve know that everyone standing in line will be a potential customer? Maybe they are just waiting in line to go inside the store and play with it since Apple and Steve in particular has starved fans access to the device since it was revealed in January at MW.
Jack, Google and Yahoo have partnered with Apple on the iPhone, they announced their partnership in January at Macworld on stage, Jerry Yang and the CEO of Google Eric Schmidt (can't spell his last name). Also, Steve revealed at D5 that You Tube will be available for the Apple TV this month.
So weird, I'm a staunch Windows user and I know more about Apple dealings than the entire world combined, am I....uh oh!
What about people who can't wait in line... do we have to purchase in person or will the Apple Store online take orders?
Andre: yes I know they announced partnerships with Google and Yahoo. I'm simply saying we're going to have a lot more of this kind of thing...rich local apple made clients that use web based data...not using a browser to use maps is already announced; you tube will not use a browser and will be encoded in H.264 for the apple tv. We all know this. I'm saying that Steve said in his interview with the Bill, that there will be other huge examples of this in these kinds of devices, not just in theory: he said, yes I know what some will be, but I can't say.
And they also changed the calculator's little circles from brown to black. And the clock icon doesn't have that glossy black stuff all around, unless that's just because of the picture being messed up (which I doubt).
I have a really strong urge to just press one of those rounded square buttons...