14 DAY TRIAL // Well, it looks like we finally have an official date for the iPhone release, and it is going to be just before the end of June. Surprisingly, the exact date did not come from a slip or from 'inside information,' but from Apple's own ads. Much like they decided to announce the product long before it was ready, Apple has decided to start advertising it before it ships.
Apple's three iPhone commercials are unusual, and not only because they are being aired before the product is actually in stores. Unlike the majority of Apple ads that only briefly show the product, if at all, these ads do an extensive job at showcasing the features of the iPhone. From checking e-mail, to listening to music or watching videos, the ads do a good job of showing off the multi-touch interface of the device. Quite different from the 'Get A Mac' Ads that are humorous and memorable, these ones focus on getting information about something that is very new across to the general population. As such, they are less interesting to those who already know about the iPhone and have been eagerly watching its progress.
Apple is focusing heavily on the non-phone capabilities of the iPhone, especially the digital media player aspect, which it bills as being better than any iPod. In fact, Apple does not even touch on the phone side of the device except at the end of each ad in order to drive back the point that this is also a phone.
With the official date of June 29 at the end of each ad, there can be little doubt when the iPhone launch will be. Apple has pushed it back as far as possible without actually having to go out of their June release, probably in an effort to polish the device as much as possible.