The Lead-Up to WWDC

Soon enough, Tim Cook will take the stage at Moscone West in San Francisco. Every year, many of us find ourselves shrouded in scuttlebutt – of which Apple is the focal point – however, I’m trying to read less of that tripe. Even if it feels like an over reported and tired subject – which it is – I still find it fascinating how so many people are so desperate for the smallest nugget of news about a yet unreleased product that may or may not exist. Those days where you were wowed and excited because you had no idea what Apple would be announcing are well behind us. Yes, there was a time before the superfluity of “news” sites reporting on mostly unsubstantiated rumours.

It’s pretty likely that we’ll see iOS 6 announced today, in conjunction with a much needed refreshed Mac lineup. If you somehow feel let down that there should be more announced this year, what can I say – you don’t understand Apple as well as you thought you did.

iOS 6 will no doubt be a huge, yet evolutionary step for Apple. I’m very much excited to see what new things they have been able to cook up in the past year. One of the great things about being an iOS user is that our devices continue to mature and become useful as the years go by. iPhone 3GS users are still reaping the benefits of iOS 5, which is now a three year old phone. Whilst the hardware is showing its age, it’s able to run iOS 5 well enough. It remains to be seen if iOS 6 will drop support for the 3GS. I remain skeptical of this, as it would mean Apple is full ready to stop selling the device – which already is selling in large enough quantities due to it being subsidized by carriers and offered to customers for free on new contracts. Then again, my own carrier is now offering an 8GB iPhone 4 for free on a new contract. Considering this, it wouldn’t surprise me that Apple would stop selling the 3GS later this year and make the lower end iPhone 4 the new entry model.