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Apple builds a mystery

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New York Times

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 6, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO - With its coveted gadgets and resurgent stock price, Apple has cast something of a spell on both consumers and investors.

At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins here on Monday, Apple executives will try to sustain that magic.

It will not be easy. Although he's fond of surprises, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, whose star power has been known to amplify Apple's message, isn't likely to be there.

For now at least, Apple appears to have a comfortable lead in the simmering smart phone battle. In the last two years, it has sold more than 37 million iPhones and the similar-looking iPod Touches, and the devices have become its most profitable product category. Apple's stock has nearly doubled in the last six months, largely on the iPhone's inexorable momentum, although it is still down 28 percent from its high in December 2007.

Analysts point to Apple's dwindling inventory of iPhones in stores and predict that Apple will introduce a new iPhone model next week. Its new tricks could include the ability to record video and an internal compass.

The big questions include whether Apple is working on any entirely new product lines (like a much rumored tablet computer) and how Jobs' health is faring.

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