Since its announcement, we've all been speculating about the iPhone 2.0 firmware release date, but Apple has been hiding the date under our noses all along.

"iPhone 2.0 software will be available on July 11 as a free software update via iTunes® 7.7 or later for all iPhone customers," Apple notes in the original iPhone 3G press release (8th paragraph).

Many have told me (3 times 10 times) that this date most likely is a stall date; in other words a "latest possible ship" date for the release. We noted last week that the iPhone 2.0 firmware has already gone gold master (received shipping status); however, we might not see the new firmware until the iPhone 3G is released on July 11th.

Thanks for the tip, Austin!

MacNN noted in a recent post that AT&T is listing the iPhone as having a 1.4 Mbps connection (down-stream) while other 3G phones such as the Motorola Q have upwards of 3.6 Mbps connections. If you are thinking that this is a typo on AT&T's website, think again, because it was also mentioned in their press release about the iPhone (PDF link).

The mobile phones, of course, have a slower connection compared to the 3G cards that AT&T offers. Some of the 3G cards can connect as fast as 7.2 Mbps down. So while Apple is touting their "3G speeds approaching WiFi speeds" you have to wonder why is AT&T limiting the bandwidth on the iPhone 3G so much.

Update: MacNN updated their post shortly after this posting. MacNN's sources are saying that the 1.4 Mbps speed is "observed" speed over the network.

Ars Technica is reporting that Apple has considered plans to sell the iPhone 3G directly on US college campuses. Some campuses do already sell Apple products in their on-campus stores; however, this varies by university.

If Apple marketed the phone directly to the students, this could definitely move Apple closer to the 18 million goal for 2008. Ars Technica also notes that a recent AppleInsider post speculates that a Best Buy deal could be in the works after the "old" iPhone's "grey-markets" put a hold on those plans. However, we know of one college that Apple probably won't be waiting in line to market their iPhone 3G to.

[via Ars Technica]

Now that the WWDC Keynote has ended and live coverage has ceased, the Apple Stores around the world are returning to normal after an interesting Stevenote. Some of the changes on the store that we've noted are:

• 3G iPhone details, pricing and availability
  
• MobileMe pricing, availability
  

Have you noticed anything new in the Apple Store? Be sure to give us your comments. WWDC coverage here on TUAW is just getting started, join us at 3:30pm EST for a live chat with the bloggers to discuss today's event.

In a keynote speech today, Steve Jobs announced the next version of the iPhone, complete with 3G networking, better battery life, a slimmer profile, and global positioning system support.

The phone features a black plastic back, solid metal buttons, the same 3.5-inch LCD display, and a headphone jack mounted flush with the enclosure (which should make third-party headphone vendors happy).

With GPS, the iPhone can be tracked across a Google map as a pulsating blue dot. The iPhone can still derive location data from cell phone towers and WiFi networks.

In terms of battery life, the iPhone 3G offers five hours of 3G talk time, 5 - 6 hours of browsing time, seven hours of video time, or 300 hours of standby time.

The new iPhone will be available in 70 countries over the next several months via a variety of carriers, including Canada, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and many others.

The iPhone 3G will start $199 for an 8GB model. The 16GB model will sell for $299, and is available in a black or white backing. It will be available in all countries starting July 11.

We're all eagerly awaiting what must be the worst kept secret ever in mobile technology announcements next week, but up until now some of the detailed features of the iPhone 3G have been subject to speculation and debate. Earlier tonight, Engadget posted a preliminary firmware spec of the next iPhone; it includes tri-band HSDPA for near-global high speed data coverage, and an A-GPS unit for the location awareness we crave.

Interestingly, the internal build number on the firmware is quoted as "n82ap" (as compared to the original iPhone's "m68ap" designation). Remember back in February, when Erica noted an "N82" platform indicator in the iPhone's supported platform list? Isn't that special.

We've all heard the rumors that the iPhone 2.0 firmware would be out at WWDC 08, but we have received some information that begs to differ. According to the information that we have, it will be released late June/early July. This is because of Apple's deal with the cell carriers -- currently, Apple has to give the cell carriers a "first look" at the new firmware before it can ship; normally this takes around 1-2 weeks.

According to our sources, the 2.0 firmware went gold master this week, which means it will be in the hands of the cell carriers for 1-2 weeks. If Apple doesn't have to fix anything in the firmware, then it will be released to the public -- otherwise, they will have to fix the problems and start the process over again.

TUAW has also learned that the original details of the iPhone 2 which were posted on Engadget are, in fact, real. The second generation iPhone will include 3G and GPS functionality and will come in a glossy-black case. We have yet to learn any details on pricing.

Update: While we have reason to believe that this picture is real, this is still a rumor and should be treated as such. What we're confirming is Engadget's description of the new iPhone, but as pointed out in the original post the pictured item is most likely a third-party case.

[photo via iPod Observer & Engadget]

My relationship with my iPhone hasn't been an easy one. On the one hand, it's an absolutely brilliant platform -- I just love programming for it. On the other hand it's a money hole. To keep it legit, I'm forking over a wad of cash each month to AT&T and from there on to Apple (not to mention the $99/year new iPhone play tax). One of my biggest decisions on that end involved giving up my data plan. Leaving the $20/month data plan behind as my "optional extra" has saved me $240 over the course of the year.

Read on for more about the iPhone and EDGE and my 3G service dilemma.

AT&T announced today that about two-thirds of its U.S. network will enjoy download speeds of 1.4 Mb/s and upload speeds of 500 to 800 Kb/s by June 30.

Compared to the actual throughput of the EDGE network, it could be about 15 times faster.

According to the press release, 275 markets will be ready by the end of June. As to which cities and towns those are, Ma Bell is silent. It expects to have its nationwide network entirely 3G-enabled by the end of the year. The upgrade is part of a $20 billion network overhaul which has been in the works since 2005.

AT&T also didn't mention anything about a new iPhone, but hinted at "the addition of more 3G-enabled smartphones in the summer and fall of 2008."

[Via Apple 2.0]

In what must come as somewhat, yet not completely, surprising news, it seems people are already starting to line up at Apple's flagship 5th Avenue store in New York for the next version of the iPhone -- supposedly being announced on June 9th. According to our friends at Engadget Mobile, the line is already about 60 people deep but some waiting seemed confused as to what they were actually waiting for -- although others did think they were in line for the new iPhone 2.0.

Could this line actually be for the latest and greatest version of the iPhone? Or, is this just some tragic case of mis-communication? Maybe they think they can get their hands on one of those iPhone refurbs? Or, perhaps the employees at that particular store are bored and just in the mood to mess with customers?

Whatever the answer, if this is actually an indication of the fervor iPhone 2.0 is going to generate, maybe I should start thinking about when and where to line up so I can get mine?

How about you guys, you going to camp out to be the first on your block to get an iPhone 2.0?

3G iPhone rumors are like summer evening mosquitoes: very annoying but also impossible to ignore. Fortune is the most recent buzzing in our ears with a report that the next major iPhone release will include Korea and Japan at the same time.

Specifically, tech news coming from Korea suggests that Apple is in talks with NTT DoCoMo of Japan and Korea's own Telecom Freetel. Both are big players in the 3G market in that part of the world. In fact, NTT DoCoMo is credited with having pioneered 3G mobile phone technology.

Both Korea and Japan are huge markets that Cupertino would certainly love to grab hold of. Of course, this will all be clear in just a few weeks. Most likely.

Now, where's the insect repellent?

[Via MacDailyNews]

Gizmodo is reporting that "sources close to the 3G launch" have provided confirmation that the iPhone 3G will be announced at the WWDC 2008 Keynote on June 9th. While this does sound a lot like a rumor, other factors such as nonexistent stocks of first-generation iPhones, the flurry of non-US iPhone launch announcements last week, and the all-but-confirmed Steve Jobs keynote all point to something big.

Gizmodo also speculates that European launch dates are scheduled to follow close on the heels of the US announcement, with iPhone 3G availability in Spain at the grand opening of the Telefonica megastore in Madrid on June 18th.

June 9th sounds good to me, since I can buy my wife an iPhone 3G for our 29th anniversary on that day! What's your take on the iPhone 3G rumor du jour? Give it a reality check by taking our poll:



Tip 'o the TUAW Stetson to Sharvil for pointing this out!

Apple Insider reports that AT&T customers can now choose Apple iPhone Black. This option appears on the AT&T page for upgrading or replacing phones. It reinforces the black-shell rumor that our big sister blog Engadget has been covering. Conventional wisdom still says "June" for the next-gen iPhone release. Might it be "May" instead?

Engadget continues to do their part in fueling the fire of rumors that we'll see a second edition of the iPhone this summer. First they supposedly touched it themselves, then they nabbed some shape and spec hints, and now they've got yet another set of "leaked" photos, from a Chinese phone forum.

As usual, we have no idea if this is the real thing, a prototype, or just a little Photoshop fakery. The most obvious difference between what Engadget saw first and what's posted here is the color on the back, but then again, why wouldn't Apple release iPhones in different colors? They've certainly done that with iPods.

None of this guarantees anything, but I will say that if I was shopping for an iPhone, the AT&T memo would be enough for me to hold off on a purchase until mid-June at least. There is an iPhone update storm coming, and the thunder and lightning seem to be getting closer together.

Nobody keeps a secret like AT&T, and by that I mean nobody keeps a secret quite so poorly. Boy Genius Report and other sites are talking up an internal Death Star memo that asks employees to hold down the fort during the June 15 - July 12 window. Vacations should be moved if possible, says management, and no additional vacations are being approved during that period.

Since AT&T pulled a similar Mr. Burns-esque maneuver last year prior to the iPhone launch, it's entirely reasonable to pin this year's lockdown on the arrival of the 3G iPhone after WWDC. It's probably not necessary to stake out your place in line just yet, unless you happen to be an elected official or have an injured knee from a previous iPhone queue. If you were planning an iPhone purchase in the next four weeks, however, this is some of the strongest evidence yet that you really should put your credit card down and think it through.

[via Techmeme]