Breaking: Apple To Launch iPhone Apps Store Thursday, July 10

Kudos to Forbes for the scoop. It is reporting that Apple will open the iPhone Apps Store at 9AM Pacific / 12PM Eastern to coincide with the 3G iPhone's availability in Australia. Get your apps on!The 3G iPhone goes on sale in Australia before anywhere else in the world due to the difference in time zones. Apple has decided to be nice and not make the Aussies wait until the iPhone goes on sale in the U.S., and will instead make it available when the iPhone goes on sale in Australia.

MocoNews confirmed the news and is reporting that, "Apple has also given developers the OK to begin releasing news about their new iPhone applications so long as the details remain under embargo until 9AM tomorrow." That means be prepared for a flood of iPhone apps news tomorrow.

This is great news ... if you live in Australia. Apple has not said that iPhone firmware update 2.0 will be available to first-generation iPhone owners. Firmware 2.0 is necessary for current iPhone owners to access and use the Apps Store. The 3G iPhone will have firmware 2.0 installed out of the box. That means if you have a regular, EDGE iPhone, the availability of the iPhone Apps Store tomorrow does not mean you're going to be able to check it out a day early.

Apple may provide the firmware update, but no one knows that but Apple. Still, if we can even surf to the Apps Store to check it out, that would be nice.