Monday, June 7, 2010

Ahead of the Bell: Apple Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs is expected to show off the next version of the iPhone Monday when he takes the stage to kick off the company's annual conference for software developers.

Apple hasn't confirmed its plans, but in the last two years the company has used the San Francisco conference to unveil new generations of iPhone.

Every major Apple event prompts a wave of speculation about what the company might announce. This time, analysts and Apple-watchers are armed with more reliable advance information than usual. An Apple engineer left an iPhone prototype in a Silicon Valley bar; the person who found it sold it to the prominent technology blog Gizmodo for $5,000.

Gizmodo posted details and photos online that point to an iPhone with more squared-off sides, a clearer screen, a front-facing camera and a bigger battery.

Apple won't say what it plans to reveal Monday or whether the prototype is similar to the next generation of its smart phone.

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