"...said the device will debut earlier than expected in the form of a "big bang" introduction that will surprise even insiders..."

Well, not any more!

This would be a good trick, host a low key WWDC, reinstate earnings, then jack the price back up with a iPhone and maybe some movie downloads.

How will insiders be surprised even before this "leak"? This has been one of the most consistent rumours for quite some time. When Steve Jobs makes this announcement you won't hear gasps of surprise and astonishment from the crowd, you'll hear loud applause followed by a collective sigh of "finally"!

Or perhaps that statement is meant to indicate that industry insiders have only slightly more mental activity than a garden nome. I would be as surprised to find out that iPhone is on it's way at Apple Expo as I was to see the arrival of the Mac Pro the other day. But an industry insider, if as clueless as most stock analysts, just might be totally caught off guard. I hope Apple have some defibs on hand.

if apple goes with the MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) strategy as the article states that some analysts predict, then it would mean that you would have to change cell service in order to buy/use the phone. that would be a severe dampener on sales because, even if a potential buyer were willing to do that, they would have to wait until their contract was up, which could be up to 2 years.

not the best strategy for high device sales because many people are tied to their current service provider for various reasons (family plans, work, broadband, etc.)

i doubt that apple would be stupid enough to release the iPhone exclusively to one provider. it is much more likely that they would provide iphones for at least a couple, if not a few, of the major providers.

unfortunately, i feel like verizon could be slow to adopt a product that would blow their v-cast service out of the water. ..depends on how long it takes them to realize that their service is c***...

Agreed. Apple could and should provide the phone to many of the top providers, unlike what happened with the Moto ROKR being a Cingular only phone. As for Verizon, they have one of the best phone networks around in the US, which is appealing. But their plans are akin to highway robbery. And they also tend to have the least attractive or up to date phones of any provider out there. It's a shame, because they could be so much better than they are, but the corporate mentality has a stranglehold on them apparently. All they want to do is nickel and dime their customers to death.

"i doubt that apple would be stupid enough to release the iPhone exclusively to one provider. it is much more likely that they would provide iphones for at least a couple, if not a few, of the major providers."

Exactly. That would be as stupid as making the iPod compatible with only one online music store.

Oh, wait...

I think it was a nice move for apple to come out with the apple iPhone. The iPhone has most features consumers have been waiting to have. I also think the price will not deter people from buying the Apple iPhone. I even think they will sell more then the 10 million Apple iPhones they expect to sell within the next year.