That much is expected of Jobs. But what should we expect from his WWDC 2010 keynote? Here’s my short wish list:
An Unexpected iPhone 4G
Gizmodo knocked the wind out of Apple’s biggest potential WWDC news, the launch of a new iPhone. What we know so far is that the phone’s hardware improvements — most notably a front-facing camera and higher-resolution screen — will bring the so-called iPhone 4G up to speed with the latest Android phones. To avoid disappointment, the next iPhone needs a killer feature. Maybe it’s the rumored touch-sensitive back panel, or something else entirely. I’d also like to see a different, more palm-friendly design than the one spotted in prototype.
AT&T iPhone Tethering
A beta for iPhone OS 4 hints of AT&T support for iPhone tethering, at long last. I’m sure it won’t be free, but $15 per month would be reasonable for a few gigabytes. To take it one step further, AT&T should make it super simple to buy a month of tethering at a time. The more AT&T tries to rope people into long-term commitments, the less attractive it’ll be.
iPad OS 4 Details
Jobs was all about the iPhone when he outlined the next iPhone OS upgrade in April. iPhone 3GS users will get their long-awaited multitasking,
Return of the Mac
WWDC is typically the venue for announcing new MacBooks and MacBook Pros, but Apple already took care of that in April. A new version of Mac OS X also seems unlikely, as Snow Leopard launched less than a year ago. What’s left? Maybe a refresh of the MacBook Air, hopefully with better battery life. It’s long overdue even if the ultrathin craze has passed.
The Elusive Verizon iPhone
I still think that an iPhone for Verizon Wireless is unlikely to debut this summer, but rumors persist, and there’s no denying that a Verizon iPhone announcement at WWDC would be a crowd-pleaser. If it happens, I’m calling it as Jobs’ “one more thing” showstopper announcement at the end of his keynote.