WWDC 2008 Rumor Wrapup: Winners and Losers

After each major event, MacRumors provides a wrapup of rumors to reveal the sources of the most accurate (or inaccurate) information.

iPhone 3G

As widely expected, Apple released the iPhone 3G at WWDC 2008 at $200 with 3G and GPS but no front-sided video camera. The specs for the iPhone had been well predicted, and, as we had warned, the evidence was weakest for the front-sided video camera.

From a spec perspective, both Engadget and Scott Mortiz of Fortune (and subsequently Cult of Mac/Kahney) accurately predicted a number of details about the new phone, including price point, flush headphone jack, case design and features. Their seemingly conflicting "thicker" vs. "thinner" case predictions could both be interpreted with some truth since the edges of the iPhone 3G are thinner but the center is negligably thicker.Fakes and Photos

iPhone case design leaks came frequently during this round of rumors, but it was the first iPhone case leak that turned out to be the most accurate. iPod Observer deserves credit for the first and most accurate case photo released.

Unfortunately, a large number of fake images were posted by a few over-eager blogs. With the increased attention surrounding Apple, sites have become quick to post even questionable photos, which comes at the cost of their future credibility.

Kevin Rose

Digg's Kevin Rose remains a wildcard with regard to Apple rumors. He was frequently the first to report on iPhone rumors during this round, and succesfully described the inclusion of GPS and a $200 price point for the new iPhone. However, he was also the first source for the video-conferencing rumor, which turned out to be inaccurate.

Import Records

One rumor that received a lot of attention came from ImportGenius, who claimed to have found international shipping notices documenting what was thought to be iPhone 3G shipments coming into the U.S. as early as March. As best we can tell, this intepretation was wrong. With a release date in July, it seems clear that the iPhone 3G ramp-up has only begun, as later reported by Barrons.

Snow Leopard

Both TUAW and Arstechnica provided accurate details about Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which was first announced at WWDC. Claims of a January 2009 release, however, were a bit ambitious.

Other Winners and Losers

XSKN, iDealChina: 3rd Party Cases - true
WeiPhone - More 3G iPhone Photos... Now in White - true
iPhoneClub.nl: More White 3G iPhone Photos - true
TUAW: .Mac Revamp - true
DaringFireball + MacRumors: Apple Buys Me.com - true

CNET: App Store to Launch at WWDC - false
MacScoop: No GPS in new iPhone - false
MacTalk.com.au: Australian Resellers Get Mysterious Boxes - hoax
Shaw Wu: Chance of Multi-touch Device at WWDC - false
Page 2: 3G iPhone Specs and Price - false
TUAW: Mac Fusion Developer Mac - false
CrunchGear: 3G iPhone with Video Chat - false

Looking Ahead

Some readers were disappointed by the focus on the iPhone during this year's WWDC, but few rumors had pinpointed any new Mac releases around this time. Intel is expected to launch the Montevina platform on July 14th, while the MacBook is expected to be revised in Q3 of this year (July-September). The fate of the Mac mini remains unknown, as it has not yet seen a revision, despite rumors of an impending update.

The most intriguing rumor remains the prediction that Apple will introduce a Mac tablet in the fall of this year.

The next major Apple event scheduled is Macworld San Francisco which takes place January 5th-9th, 2009. Apple, of course, may hold smaller media-only events in the interim.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
best buy snowflakes

Best Buy's New Weekend Sale Has Record Low Prices on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

Friday December 8, 2023 7:37 am PST by
Best Buy's month-long holiday sale continues this weekend with multiple all-time low prices on Apple's line of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers. In addition to Apple notebooks, Best Buy's event has discounts sitewide on home appliances, TVs, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive...
iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
beeper mini

Apple Puts a Stop to Beeper Mini's iMessage for Android Feature

Friday December 8, 2023 2:24 pm PST by
Apple appears to have closed the loophole that Beeper Mini used to bring iMessage to Android, putting a stop to blue bubbles from Android devices. Beeper Mini quit working earlier today, with users receiving "failed to lookup on server: lookup request timed out" error messages. Beeper said on Twitter that it is investigating the issue, but Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky told TechCrunch that "all ...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
maxresdefault

Review: Two Months With the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday December 7, 2023 12:04 pm PST by
Apple's iPhone 15 lineup came out in September, and while most reviews are done shortly after a new device launches, we like to follow up with a longer term review that gives us an opportunity to provide a deeper dive into what it's like using these phones on a day to day basis for months. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been...
apple watch black friday

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Hits New Record Low Price of $699, Alongside Series 9 and SE Sales

Friday December 8, 2023 8:55 am PST by
Amazon has a few big discounts on Apple Watch today, headlined by a new all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Many of these watches can be delivered by Christmas, with delivery dates around the middle of next week for most models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site ...
iOS 17

35 Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2 Coming Next Week

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 35 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in mid-December. 1....