MR STEVE Jobs kept his word. Apple’s chief executive officer who took six months medical-related leave in January this year said he would return to work end-June and would not be making public appearances during this period. 

So the Apple Worldwide Developers’ Conference which started here on Monday proceeded sans Mr Jobs. The job of opening WWDC fell to Apple’s senior vice-president of product marketing, Mr Phil Schiller.

Yesterday at the WWDC.
ST Photo: Grace Chng

In January, when he replaced Mr Jobs to deliver the keynote address at the Macworld expo also held here, he appeared stiff and tense. This week, Mr Schiller looked more relaxed and confident – and a little trimmer - on stage as he unveiled Apple’s latest line-up of notebook computers and the iPhone 3GS.  

The news did make headlines in all the major print, TV and online media. But there was no Page One coverage save for the USA Today which had the iPhone 3GS on the top banner on its front page with news about the new device making the lead in the business section. 

There were no Page One story about the gizmo or Mr Schiller on the major dailies like the New York Times or Washington Post, or even The San Francisco Chronicle. 

Was the announcement of the new iPhone 3GS not important enough or was Mr Schiller not cool or glam enough to draw the attention of the print media? 

I think it’s a little bit of both. While Apple thought it had a breakthrough product, the price drop of the existing iPhone 3G to US$99 (S$145) from US$199 was the exciting news. 

It looked like Apple was reacting to rivals like Blackberry-maker Research In Motion, HTC and Nokia which have released new products recently to snag more of the smartphone market, the only segment in the cellphone business to register growth this year. 

Apple has responded by not making a more affordable iPhone. Instead, it took the opposite approach. It came out with a high-end, feature-packed phone which will appeal to current users looking to upgrade. 

At the same time, it reached out to new consumers by pricing the phone at a compelling price. At US$99, the iPhone 3G now comes within reach of the masses whose phone contracts are ending and are eyeing to change their phone. 

I’ve spoken to Mr Schiller and has seen him make public appearances but, no insult to the man, he’s not mercurial like Mr Jobs. 

So when will the world see Mr Jobs again? 

Apple's head honcho in action at MacWorld 2008.

As a public-listed company, Apple has to release a statement when Mr Jobs goes back to work full-time. He may have exclusive interviews then with the key media like Wall Street Journal, New York Times and CNN. 

But his first public appearance could be in September when Apple usually releases new iPods for the Christmas season. 

Until then, the guessing game will continue.