Apple sets the stage for — maybe — a new iPhone

iPhone watchers of the world, mark your calendars for June 8 through 12. Those are the dates for Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, as well as the likely launchpad for a brand-new iPhone.

Apple announced the dates Thursday and unveiled its WWDC09 Web site, complete with details about all the technical seminars, hands-on experience, and networking events that Mac OS X and iPhone/iPod Touch developers can expect to soak in during the five-day conference.

Left unsaid, of course, was that last year's WWDC served as the coming-out party for the iPhone 3G, and given all the recent rumors of a new iPhone model—not to mention the fact that these things tend to go in one-year cycles—I (along with everyone else who writes about tech for a living) would be shocked if Apple didn't have a new iPhone to show off.

Veteran Apple watchers also expect to see details on "Snow Leopard," the latest version of the Mac OS, which Apple has described as an under-the-hood overhaul rather than a collection of flashy new features (although recent rumors point to a significant user-interface revamp).

Anyway, back to the iPhone—what should we expect, feature-wise? So far, the rumors have been pretty vague. There's been chatter about a new, higher-resolution camera that would finally allow for video recording (now that would be a welcome addition), as well as buzz about faster data speeds (possibly though an improved 3G chipset), improved graphics (thanks to—you guessed it—a pumped-up graphics chipset), and possibly a brighter and less power-hungry OLED display (although many are casting doubt on the OLED rumor). Also, I'd say new memory capacities—up to 32GB, at least—are almost certain.

We've already seen an official sneak preview of what's coming in iPhone software 3.0, including cut and paste functionality, MMS (a.k.a., picture messaging), Spotlight universal search, and "push notification" for third-party apps (which lets developers "push" alerts to your iPhone even when a given app isn't running).

And what of all the talk about a possible Mac netbook or tablet? Might we see one at WWDC? You never know, but I doubt it, simply because the idea of seeing a new iPhone and a netbook/tablet all at once just isn't Apple's style. Apple may well have a touchscreen netbook up its sleeves, but I'm betting we won't see it until later in the year. But again, you never know.

Of course, there's another big question mark hanging over Apple besides Snow Leopard and a new iPhone—the future of Steve Jobs.

After months of rumors—and denials—about his health and gaunt appearance, Jobs abruptly stepped down in January for a six-month medical leave of absence, and hasn't been seen since. (Apple COO Tim Cook has taken the reins as acting CEO.)

In his letter to Apple employees, Jobs said he would be out until the "end of June"—and while June 8-12 is closer to the middle than the end of the month, you know people will be watching to see if Jobs makes an appearance.

Then again, it must be said that Apple's been doing just fine without Jobs, making a series of splashes with the new, ultra-tiny Shuffle, the new and improved iPhone software, and a revamp of its desktop iMacs. Who knows—maybe Apple's best, long-term strategy would be to unveil an exciting new iPhone without the—OK, I'll use the cliché—"mercurial" CEO doing the talking.

In any case, let's all remember that Apple has yet to even acknowledge a new iPhone just yet.

So, what features would you want in a new iPhone—and what should they call it, anyway? The iPhone 4G? The iPhone Video? Or … are you happy with the iPhone you've got?