Sirius XM iPhone app expected very soon

Update 6/18, 9 AM EST: Sirius XM indeed launched its iPhone app early this morning. Alas, Howard Stern, MLB and NFL aren't available as part of the package but you can listen to 120 channels on an iPhone over 3G and Wi-Fi (and on an iPod Touch). We'll have full commentary up shortly but needless to say, some folks are already expressing their disappointment.

Rumors of the impending arrival of an Sirius XM iPhone/iPod Touch app have been circulating for several months, but there's now some hard evidence that the app will be arriving as soon as tomorrow, June 18.

TUAW, the "unofficial Apple Weblog," is citing a customer service e-mail that has gone out to Sirius subscribers who've inquired about an app:

Thank you for contacting SIRIUS regarding whether or not there is a SIRIUS iPhone application available. We are here to help! We appreciate the time you have taken to contact us in regards to this matter! We are happy to inform you that beginning June 18 a SIRIUS Internet Radio application will be available at the Apple iTunes App-Store for the iPhone and the iPod Touch! All Premium SIRIUS Internet Radio subscribers will be able to download the application from the Apple iTunes App-Store for free on their device and access the service at no additional cost! Subscribers who are listening to the Basic Online Service for free must first upgrade to the Premium Online Service for $2.99 per month to access the application on the iPhone or iPod Touch.

We assume XM subscribers will be offered a similar package, but we're in touch with the Sirius XM PR folks to get all the details, including what channels will be available, as soon as the company is willing to release them. The obvious appeal of all this is the ability to get XM Sirius on the go--or bring it to your home audio system via your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Anybody excited to get their hands on this app?

Additional reading: Sirius XM tuning in to iPhone application.

(Source: TUAW via Engadget)