Apple’s iPhone Could Be Digital Music’s Tipping Point. Will We Find Out Today?

Will Apple unveil a cell/iPod hybrid today?  What cell carrier will Jobs & Co. pick? Why should you care?  Even the educated rumors are split about whether today is the day for the announcement. The fact that the iPhone or whatever it will be called is coming is not really in doubt.

Why should you care?  If Apple gets it right  – and they usually do – the iPhone could be a tipping point:

• Tipping Point #1 – It will be sexy enough to make people pay attention to the fun f have having you music available to you 24/7.
• Tipping Point #2 – It will raise the bar for other device manufaturers and cell carriers to raise the bar and improve the cell/music experience.

• Tipping Point #3 – All of the will lead to more downloads as well and ringtones, ringbacks, etc.
• Tipping Point #4 – It will make iTunes combo so popular that it will: a) force more major labels to embrace mp3’s if for no other reason than to blunt Apple’s dominance, b) force the courts to make Apple liscence or open up its closed DRM, or c) do both.

So Steve Job’s MacWorld address today is worth paying attention to. Engadget will have exhaustive coverage as will Macworld.  Poise the finger over the F5 refreash key (or Apple+R) and you might see the future.