I like to call them "superphones" but the industry phrase is "smart phones," and the best of the bunch still exist in our collective imagination and in sparkling light-on-black press photos on the internet: the Apple iPhone (due out June 29), the LG Prada ("late summer") and the Foleo, a companion to the Palm Treo (more "late summer").

While many of the details are known, of course, I haven't actually touched any of these superphones. But that's part of the deliciousness. I can already tell you which one I want to have in my big purple knitted bag immediately (the iPhone) and which I'm fine admiring from afar, and on the cover of US Magazine (LG Prada) and which I might only buy if I was far more idle and in possession of way more disposable income than I now have (Palm Foleo).

The news is now official: Apple, Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) has announced that the iPhone will be ready for customer purchase beginning June 29th. The television commercials have begun, as of Sunday June 3rd, and will be followed by other media advertising. For investors, the next leg of growth for the ensuing years will be in place.

The iPhone will have almost no effect on the quarter ending June 30th, as only two selling days fall into this quarter. Apple intelligently wants to recognize the revenues from the iPhone over a 24-month period, matching the contractual obligations from customers who sign up with the sole carrier provider AT&T (NYSE:T). Apple will recognize iPhone revenues over the two-year period in order to decrease "lumpiness" in its future quarters, as iPhone sales could be seasonal in nature once the initial early adopters are satisfied.

The June quarter consensus estimates are calling for revenues of $5.29 billion and earnings per share of $0.72. The chances are quite good that Apple will beat those numbers if its semi-conductor suppliers are still under pricing pressure, to Apple's benefit. Semi-conductor pricing, however, cannot be counted on long term, and investors will discount any earnings beat if it comes from supplier issues.

The Apple retail stores, all 177 strong are gearing up for the June 29th launch of the iPhone.

From the beginning, the Apple iPhone launch date has been a moving target: first rumored to be as early as January, it then skipped around June, from June 11 to June 22 to June 20. In Steve Jobs' uncertain speech at the D conference last week, it sounded like the very end of June. But who could be sure? Finally, this morning, a rumor with some teeth from Engadget: June 29 was the date. And then the confirmation: the television commercials, one of which featured the all-important June 29 date, were posted on Apple's web site. And a few minutes after I drooled over the photos, there the date was on my very own TV (NBC, if you're wondering).

As a first-time Apple fanatic (the iPhone will be my first ever Apple purchase, and I've been drooling since January 9), I'm disappointed that I have to wait until June 29, when I was oh-so-hoping I'd have it by mid-June at the latest (I'm eight months pregnant and very much expecting to deliver the news of my new baby's birth via iPhone). But, as my husband says while watching the dripping-with-touch commercial: "boy, that's a cool phone!" and I'm predicting great things and long lines to secure one of these beautiful specimens. As the guys at Switched.com say: "these new previews of the phone and its capabilities make a somewhat acceptable consolation prize" for the later-than-hoped date.

Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) will score big on this one, and even though the date is later than hoped, at least it's not delayed beyond the fuzzy target of "late June" and at least the iPhone is real, it's really almost here.

Everyone wants to know exactly when the iPhone will be released, and, hey! It's so much fun to speculate. Who knew CNBC, the source of all financial (supposed) fact and opinion, would announce a launch date that was confirmed only by one iPhone store representative.

Talk about having your fingers do the walking. When the AP sought to confirm this fact, they were given estimates ranging between June 11 and June 22 from eight different stores in the New York area. No one in the financial press, popular media, or blogosphere has yet been able to find any more firm news. Is it true?

I, for one, don't believe it for a second -- taking one's information from an AT&T (NYSE: T) store rep (though they're all lovely people) seems about as reliable as getting it off the subject line in one of your spam e-mails. I'm still planning to have my cash socked away by June 11th (the start of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s Worldwide Developer's Conference and, many believe, the real launch date of the iPhone) just in case. If you're an investor, the launch date is only liable to cause an effect on the stock if it's much earlier or later than expected -- and much earlier seems highly unlikely.

Update: The iPhone release date of June 29 has been confirmed as of June 3, 2007.

Click through for our gallery of iPhone release date news and rumors.

When will the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone be released? When will AT&T (NYSE: T)/Cingular stores have it available for sale? How much will customers pay if they're signing up for two-year contracts? Will it be delayed? If it will, what does that even mean?

Although it appears that the iPhone will be available for sale in AT&T/Cingular stores and website, and on the Apple web site [update: and Apple stores] sometime between June 11 and June 30, there still is no solid date --

Update: The iPhone release date of June 29 has been confirmed as of June 3, 2007.

-- what's more, customers won't be able to pre-order and so will have to (in all likelihood) stand in line on a day yet-to-be-determined in order to get their hands on one of the hot items. I know I'll be in line, but here's the ironic part: I won't be able to live blog from my iPhone, because I won't have it yet. Click through our gallery to learn everything there is to know about the iPhone and its projected launch date!

Everyone wants an iPhone. Well, maybe not everyone, but I've been startled by the number of completely non-tech-focused blogs where I've seen dreamy love directed to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s soon-to-be category-killer. You may think the iPhone craze was a flash in the pan? Nope. This seems to have some major staying power.

Take my friend Citymama, who (I'm sure she'd admit happily), is not the sort to be normally found toting around the latest and geekiest tech gear. She sings the iPhone's praises on a parent-focused blog, mentioning the ability to play Laurie Berkner and is thrilled about "plenty of space to store my grainy pictures of soccer dads losing their shit, nannies behaving badly ...and photos of my kids, of course." Best of all: you can baby blog from the playground. Awesome.

The knitting blogs, never the height of gadget culture, have been all abuzz. At Paideia's Closet, the potential issues with the iPhone are innumerated but when it comes right down to it: "I can't help being wowed. It just looks so beautiful, so elegant, so intuitive, and, like most current Apple products, would be such an upgrade from what I currently have, that I still want one." Friends of mine who spend most of their blog space analyzing an imperfect sweater pattern or debating the merits of Manos del Uruguay over Malabrigo yarn? They can't help talking about the iPhone.

Blogs as divergent from tech as JacketFlap, the Children's Book Publishing Blog are even in on the fun. Amidst posts on home libraries and stealing books? Ian says, "I want an iPhone ... I want it now."

I want it now, too. But it's still 107 days until the announced June 1 launch. Yes. I am counting. Are you?