June will be the month of the iPhone

June 2007 will be a great month. Besides turning 33 (YIKES!), the much anticipated, much heralded, the "Jesus phone", the Apple iPhone will launch. Being a gadget geek, the iPhone promises to be the ultimate in mobile convergence known to man, at least to Americans. It's the best iPod that Apple has ever created, a revolutionary phone and the internet in your pocket. Now the main question is when is the big date? June 11/12? 6/15, 6/20, 6/29? No one knows.

June 11/12. Apple will be hosting their WWDC conference with Steve Jobs scheduled to give a keynote address 6/11. If history is correct, Jobs loves to put on a show and what a show it would be if Jobs announces that the iPhone would be immediately available to order online from apple.com and att.com TODAY and available for purchase at Apple and AT&T stores TOMORROW. I can just picture the words TODAY and TOMORROW on a huge projection screen with the iPhone in the middle as a backdrop to Jobs' keynote. Moscone Center will erupt, the skies will part and all will be right with the world. The Boy Genius Report reports that AT&T posters mention the 6/11 date.

June 15. WWDC will be over and all the attention will be focused on the iPhone. AT&T claims the iPhone launch window is June 15 - July 15. PR Web also mentions 6/15 as the date.

June 20. CNBC reported that 6/20 will be the date according to an AT&T representative. It turns out later that this AT&T rep is a store employee. Recently I was told by an AT&T store employee the iPhone will only be sold at AT&T stores. Not even Apple stores will carry their own product. So, so much for 6/20.

June 29. This will coincide with Apple's and AT&T's consistent claim of a late June launch. This is supported by Piper Jaffray, which has been fairly accurate in the past. A June 29th launch will allow Apple and AT&T will maximize the hype and excitement over the iPhone by marketing it through the entire month of June. From a marketing perspective, it's a win-win.

Or it could be a mix. Pre-orders could start in early to mid June with store arrivals in late June.

What do I personally think? June 11 for pre-orders via the internet, June 29 for purchase at Apple stores. Regardless, I think we will all know June 11 during Jobs' keynote.