Apple today will kick off its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote from Steve Jobs and possibly the unveiling of a new iPhone.
Nothing is for sure when it comes to Cupertino’s announcements, but following a couple of pretty big prototype leaks and the sudden clearance of the iPhone 3G and 3GS at AT&T, consensus is growing that an iPhone 4G is indeed waiting in the wings.
Aside from a new iPhone, speculation has been rampant about other possible unveils. Many believe that Jobs could show off a new Apple TV device, a cloud-based music service for iTunes and possibly a revamp of Apple’s MobileMe service.
A new iPhone, however, is the most likely product for a WWDC debut. Apple recently unveiled iPhone OS 4.0, and in the past, Apple has unveiled a refresh of iPhone hardware in June of 2008 and 2009. The new phone would come amidst a bevy of new state-of-the-art Android offerings. Sprint just announced today that the HTC Evo 4G was the fastest-selling Sprint device ever, with some analysts putting first-day sales at 250,000.
Adam Leach, principal analyst at Ovum, said that the iPhone 4G might face the stiffest competition that Apple has seen in recent years.
“The rise of Google Android over the last two years has been phenomenal and is allowing manufacturers to create appealing alternatives to the iPhone; critically at cheaper prices,” Leach wrote in a statement.
Leach said that Android’s open content model could put Apple’s dominance in danger. He said Android devices offer “greater freedom with available content” and may prove more appealing to some users than the iPhone, which features only Apple approved content.
“This may ultimately be what puts the brakes on unlimited iPhone growth,” Leach wrote.
Looming threats aside, Apple will kick off WWDC today as the largest tech company in the world. According to Nielsen, the iPhone has captured 28 percent the market, bested only by Research In Motion’s BlackBerry OS at 35 percent.
Jobs will deliver his keynote at 10 a.m. Pacific. Check www.wirelessweek.com for further commentary and analysis.