WWDC 2009 Will Not Have New iPhone, Steve Jobs

All of the rumors up until now have pointed toward the announcement of a next-generation Apple iPhone at WWDC next month. However, that does not appear to be the case any longer.

Apple has announced that the Worldwide Developers Conference will be hosted by a team of executives led by Philip Schiller. In the press release, Apple reveals that the keynote speech will involve discussion of the iPhone 3.0 operating system and the new OS X Snow Leopard operating system. Steve Jobs might be there, but he won’t be there in any official capacity.

I wouldn’t put it past the team in Cupertino to surprise us with some unannounced announcement, but Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray says that they “do not anticipate the launch in early June.” So, no new iPhone right? Well, not exactly.

From what we hear, Steve Jobs will be returning from his leave of absence closer to the end of June and it is very possible that Apple will host a special event to announce a new family of iPhone products. This could very well include the oft-rumored iPhone Nano.

This way, his Royal Steve-ness have have the honors of ushering in yet another generation of iPhones. This would be right in time for the contract renewals from the people who bought the first iPhone two Junes ago.