Apple has sent out invites to selected members of the media to gather for a special press conference this Friday, July 16th. The company won't say anything as to what the conference will be about other than it will relate to iPhone 4. Apple's latest version of the iPhone 4 has had a rocky launch this year with embarrassing leaks before it's release and complaints of reception issues quickly after. The company recently addressed those complaints in an open letter to users two weeks ago, suggesting the issue was merely a software fault, but convincing tests performed in a lab by Consumer Reports recently cast considerable doubt. Apple's follow-up this Friday should prove to be interesting to say the least. At this point there is still no set date for a Canadian launch of the iPhone 4, just the original hint of the end of July. Hopefully Friday's conference will also offer more details on that situation too. 

Update: Several people have asked what I expect we'll see from Apple during their press conference tomorrow.

I expect the briefing will be a lesson on iPhone engineering, that CEO Steve Jobs will try to strike an honest tone with the kind of humour he exhibited at the original iPhone 4 announcement. The briefing will be small, limited only to a group of American journalists that Apple feels has the technical experience to understand the demonstration they'll be delivering. 

Scenario A - Apple's last word on the iPhone 4 was adamant. They have done all the testing they can within their own labs and the issue is merely a software issue. Tomorrow will see the release of the promised patch and a full, technical explanation as to why they think this is the case. Since the software fault has been present in all the previous iPhone models too, and AT&T has received a great deal of flack for reception issues, I expect we'll see someone from AT&T on stage to help heal that wound.

Scenario B - The test results from Consumer Reports make a convincing case that Apple was wrong in their letter, making it a second time they've stumbled. If this is true, then Apple will spend tomorrow delivering a full engineering explanation as to what is going on once and for all. Since the issue is easy to fix with just a piece of duct tape, I don't expect we'll see a recall, but instead a change in the iPhone's manufacturing going forward that will add a piece of casing material to block the weak spot on the lower left hand corner. I expect Apple will then offer a free add-on clip for existing iPhone 4 users to snap onto their exiting iPhone 4s to solve the issue and, rather strangely, this will make those first models more coveted because the add-on piece will make them as one of the "first" iPhone 4s.

Either way, Apple will be delving deep into how the iPhone 4 works and showing a bit of humility as this is an embarrassing circumstance for them no matter how to approach it. Should be very, very interesting indeed. 

A Canadian Delay? - Earlier I wrote about my observation that there seems to be a two week window where companies like Apple, Nintendo, and others have to make decisions about delays and launches within Canada. The two week window for the iPhone 4 (going off of a end of July launch) would begin tomorrow.  A few people have described tomorrow's conference as a last-minute one, but my guess it was planned for this date, for just this reason, all along. I expect a delay to be announced for Canada and other international markets.