Apple iPhone 2.0 + SDK : Coming June 9, 2008

My sincere apologies for my rather lengthy absence over the past month or two, daily routines this year have exacted a heavy price from my overall self. Putting that aside, let’s get this show back on the road, shall we? I’m pretty sure most of you Apple iPhone enthusiasts out there would probably have heard by now, regarding the explosion of developments in the iPhone software scene since the revelation of the iPhone SDK a while ago, as well as the whispers of suspense surrounding the mysterious upcoming 3G revision of the Apple iPhone. Well, in a sentence, the iPhone SDK, combined with the 3G release, is as of now THE BOMB which is expected to skyrocket the iPhone to unprecedented scales of newly-discovered popularity, be it among casual consumers or entreprise users. All of this, Coming June 9th, 2008 at the WWDC ’08 Conference in San Fransisco. Read on for more on this…

Alright, before I actually get down and dirty with all the details, be reminded that some of these are mere speculations, albeit rather obvious ones according to various sources, nothing in black and white directly from Apple. Here are some of the top rumours and discussion topics which have been spreading across forums worldwide regarding the recent developments in the iPhone scene.

#1 - The BIGGEST topic of all, is of course the 3G iPhone which has been long awaited since the iPhone itself launched back in 2007. Of course, Apple officials have declined to comment on this thus far, but many hints have led to the inevitable conclusion that Apple is indeed finally succumbing to the demands for 3G in its 2nd generation iPhone expected to be announced in June, such as mainland Chinese manufacturers revealing Apple’s bulk purchase of 3G radios and online images indicating an overhaul in the Apple iPhone’s exterior design to allow integration of the additional components. And of course, there’s that suspicious stocks depletion issue of the current iPhones throughout Apple Online Stores and retailing outlets internationally. Are these signs of a new iPhone to come? I’ll let you guys be the judge.

#2 - The iPhone SDK, nothing to gossip about here… Well, perhaps not about its validity, since it has very well existed and has been distributed since early March 2008. However, though with this in mind, many users still have yet to realize the significance of this matter. Simply said, the SDK is the mythical key to the gateway of 3rd party iPhone software development, LEGALLY. Right now, the suspense lies upon the thousands of developers, big and small, who will finally be unveiling their applications at long last, without legal issues and EULA restrictions, all distributed through the upcoming App Store which Apple has announced. Additionally, iPhone software developers will now have something to cheer about, with the venture capital KPCB (Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers) announcing the $100,000,000 iFund. Keep an eye out, guys! We have tonnes of new and LEGAL apps coming our way….

#3 - SINGAPORE’S GETTING THE iPhone!! Yeap, it’s official alright, recently revealed by Singtel. And if that’s not enough, it’s been said that the arrival of the iPhone in Singapore may be as soon as September this year! The past few months have been some very ones for Apple iPhone enthusiasts worldwide, as more and more telecommunications providers have successfully acquired the exclusive contracts from Apple to carry the iPhone. Currently, confirmed countries which will receive the iPhone within the next couple of months include Vodafone (Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey), Telecom Italia (Italy), Optus (Australia), Singtel (Singapore, India, Phillipines), Teliasonera (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia), Le Matin Online (Switzerland), Rogers Wireless (Canada), America Movil (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay), T-Mobile (Austria)…… And the list goes on.

#4 - In addition to suspense over what Apple has to reveal at the upcoming WWDC, investigations by MacRumours have discovered some unusual activities in Apple’s shipping manifest. According to reports, some 188 containers of an unknown product type have been imported by Apple into Canada and the United States very recently. While this has been reported as an unusual major spike in Apple’s product imports, U.S. Customs Records describe these shipments as “electric computers”, which neither Apple nor its logistics partners have ever used as its product descriptions. Considering this, plus the deprivation of iPhone stocks worldwide, though I dare not say for sure that these are indeed the new iPhones everyone’s been waiting for, this clearly hints that whatever Apple’s bringing in those containers, they most definitely are not of Apple’s current product line. Sound rather fishy, don’t you think?

With all that to drool over, there’s always one rotten fruit to spoil the whole basket. Effective May 14th 2008, AT&T outlets worldwide have been instructed to limit each customer to ONE iPhone each, instead of the previous limit of THREE units. And just when we thought it couldn’t get worse, the fools at AT&T central command have also decided to only accept credit cards for iPhone purchases. I repeat, cash and cheques are no longer valid. How will this affect us? Price hikes, I assume, due to the increasingly difficult acquisation process of iPhones overseas. That is, if the iPhone doesn’t decide to touchdown here soon…

Well, that’s all the headlines I have for you guys right now. I’ll leave you guys to ponder upon the information above for the next few days leading up to June 9th, when all our guesses and suspicions will finally come to rest. I bid everyone good day for the next 2-3 weeks as I’ll be doing my mid-term. Hopefully by then I’ll be back with more goodies to share with you guys. Thus, what better way to end this entry with some drool-worthy images claiming to be the actual 3G Apple iPhone!

P.S. I believe that last 3 are obviously phoney photoshops, but hey, they look dazzling. Enjoy!

Sincerely to all,

Timothy Goh

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