Steve Jobs keynote set for June 9; 3G iPhone on tap?

Dying to know once and for all when we'll get a new iPhone? We'll probably know come June 9, when Steve Jobs takes center stage at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco—at 10 a.m. PST, to be exact.

Apple just announced the date for Jobs' keynote, and that's as close as Apple's gotten to acknowledging the immanent release of a new iPhone—or of anything at all, for that matter.

Indeed, through all the rumors and speculation, Apple has remained tight lipped as ever about its iPhone plans, stating only that Jobs will cover the latest developments of OS X "Leopard" and the still-in-beta iPhone SDK, which promises a bounty of new iPhone games and applications from third-party developers next month.

Of course, everyone expects Jobs to finally unveil a 3G version of the iPhone, which (if the rumors are right) could include everything from speedy HSDPA access and built-in GPS to a thinner (or thicker) profile, more memory, and a new, glossy back panel.

That said, the bloggers at Moconews say they're more excited about what third-party software developers have in store than in any new hardware, especially now that the iPhone SDK beta has been in the wild since February—and I've gotta say, I'm with Moconews on this one.

Personally, I'm so-so on a 3G iPhone if it means a thicker device that eats up more battery life. Maybe I'll eat my words once I see the thing, but if 3G and GPS means a thicker, heavier iPhone that dies after a few hours...well, I might just stick with EDGE and Wi-Fi. (Then again, if over-the-air podcast downloading is part of the deal, that's another story.)

But I can't wait to see what third-party iPhone developers have been up to. We've already seen some games, IM apps, and even a program that turns your iPhone into a Blu-ray remote. I'd be the first in line to download an offline RSS reader, or a mobile office suite. The possibilities are endless, and when the promised iPhone app store is unveiled next month, I'll be like a kid in a candy store.

And don't forget the planned Exchange features coming in the new iPhone firmware, also due in June, along with rumors of wireless syncing for .Mac events and contacts.

So while I was absolutely planning on buying the iPhone 1.0, I'm actually on the fence about iPhone 2.0—well, for now, at least. Feel free to cackle if I change my tune come June 9.

Related:
Apple Executives to Showcase Mac OS X Leopard and OS X iPhone Development Platforms at WWDC 2008 Keynote [Press release on Information Week]