Walt Mossberg is bemused.  Apparently, according to an interview with the veteran tech journalist, the masses of coverage his “60 days to a 3G iPhone” comment provoked was entirely false: he claims to have no idea when the 3G version of Apple’s cellphone will launch, and moreover no real interest.  Despite rumors that Walt inadvertently broke an Apple NDA by suggesting a two month timescale for the updated handset, the man himself claims his statement was based on the same rumor, vague analysis and speculation that the rest of us have been going on, and that in fact the comment was a throwaway aside in part of a greater opinion on data networks in general.

“If I knew when this date was, why would I announce it in the middle of a sentence at the Finnish embassy, rather than report it in the Wall Street Journal?” Walt Mossberg

It’s a good point, but it ignores the possibility that Walt’s comment was a mistaken disclosure of something he’s been privy to (and now has to backtrack from, in order to preserve his working relationship with Apple).  Conspiracy theorists will undoubtedly have a field-day; the rest of us will probably get back to expecting the 3G iPhone in, ironically, the same June timescale that was strongest contender even before Walt’s “misinterpreted” comment. 

[via iPhone Buzz]