It’s been June 17 for quite some time now, and no word of iPhone 3.0 being released officially. Admittedly, Apple never said anything about a certain hour of the day, but the company generally offers the updates soon after the clock strikes 12.

Yesterday, Softpedia reported that Apple had already placed iPhone OS 3.0 on its servers (reason unknown), making it available for free download worldwide. However, the .ipsw file in question (which is still available for download, by the way) can only be applied to the new iPhone model (iPhone 3G S), which, as of yet, is not available. Labeled “iPhone2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw” , the file roughly 300 megabytes in size contains obvious references to the iPhone 3G S. The software is incompatible with current iPhone models. Any attempts to apply to an iPhone 2G or 3G are not recommended.

Forums are reaching critical tension, with users relentlessly posting new threads with questions in regard to the new software update. Pretty much everyone was hoping for a release as early as June 17, 00:05 am. iPhone OS 3.0 will be available for all iPhone models, including the 4GB and 8GB first-generation iPhone, the 8GB and 16GB 3G model and, as mentioned earlier, the new iPhone 3G S, slated for a June 19 release.

For iPhone users, the update will deliver more than 100 new features, including Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS (available later this summer, only for 3G handsets), Spotlight Search, landscape keyboard for Mail, Messages, Notes and Safari, expanded parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store, video-recording and editing capabilities, the ability to capture and send audio recordings on the go with the new Voice Memo app, the ability to wirelessly download movies, TV and audio programs and an enhanced version of iTunes. Students will be able to download learning materials on the go, using iTunes U.

While iPhone owners get the update free of charge, iPod touch users must pay $9.95 for the upgrade, whose iPod-aimed additions include a Stereo Bluetooth capability and Peer to Peer (P2P) gaming, among the numerous features common to both the iPhone and the touch.