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Will The iPhone App Store Open For Business On Monday?

Opinions vary on whether or not Apple will make the iPhone Application Store a reality on Monday, June 9, after Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote address concludes. Some say yes, others don't think it will be ready for another few weeks. Which will it be?

Just four days from the keynote, and the 3G iPhone rumors have reached fever pitch. 3G. GPS. Thinner. Thicker. App store. No App store. Available June 9. Available sometime after June 9. Stereo Bluetooth. What the heck will Steve Jobs share with everyone on Monday? Only he and a select few know for certain. In the meantime, all we can do is speculate.

I am certain it will have 3G and GPS, two features the current iPhone lacks compared with many other smart devices. I am somewhat ambivalent about other features. Stereo Bluetooth would be nice. Better camera software would also be welcome, as would the ability to capture video. And, of course, the ability to receive MMS messages and access instant messaging programs.

As for the app store. I have to agree with The Unofficial Apple Weblog's position, which is that the App Store won't be available for a few weeks. TUAW reports:

"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."

This makes sense to me for several reasons. First, I've been told by a reliable source that the 3G iPhone itself won't be available until June 18, so it fits that the App Store might not become available until that same time. Second, conversations I've had with certain analysts have included phrases such as "late June" for the release of the device and any additional functionality. These seem to confirm TUAW's beliefs.

Ars Technica agrees. It's Chris Foresman writes, "I have no doubt that the company may be announcing its app on Monday, as I'm sure a gazillion other developers will be, but the iPhone SDK isn't officially out of beta yet. My bet is that Apple will announce the official SDK next week and give developers some time to make sure their apps are tested and ready before opening the store for business. Apple has already told us to expect it near the end up June, and I still do."

We'll have some news on Monday for sure, but no App Store. At least, not yet.

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