While it is unlikely that Apple (AAPL) will unveil an iPhone 5 next week at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the company announced this morning that it will unveil the fifth iteration of its iOS mobile operating software.
The announcement, which also noted that Steve Jobs (currently on medical leave) will introduce new Mac software called Lion as well as a mysterious iCloud music storage service, is the first time in recent memory that Apple actually and officially disclosed what it will reveal at the WWDC ahead of time.
Accordingly, speculation is rampant across the web as to whether iOS 5, Lion and iCloud will comprise the meat of Jobs’ keynote address or are simply appetizers. Recent rumors are indicating that while a truly next generation iPhone will not be announced, a more modest device with the potential name of the iPhone 4S could debut.
Here is the official Apple release that will fuel banter and pontification for the next six days. Stay tuned all week and and beyond for ongoing WWDC coverage.
CUPERTINO, California—May 31, 2011—Apple® CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software – Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS® X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®; and iCloud®, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.
WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers. Mac® developers will see and learn how to develop world-class Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to greatly enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. All developers can bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers.
For more details, visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 website at developer.apple.com/wwdc.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
