3G iPhone landing in US?

Jonny Evans
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May 24, 2008
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Apple has taken delivery of 188 ocean containers carrying a mysterious new class of product, “electric computers”, a product description never seen on an Apple or Quanta shipment before.

These huge deliveries have given rise to speculation the boxes may contain next-gen iPhones, new breeds of MacBook or even the much speculated upon and never yet confirmed Mac tablet. 

We’re not certain on these claims, they’re being propogated by a website called ImportGenius, which claims to have analysed “thousands of US customs records” for Apple’s US imports, through which they identified major imports of the new product type.

“They have never before reported this product on their customs declarations,” says Ryan Petersen of ImportGenius.com. On March 19 Quanta delivered 20 ocean containers of merchandise under the new description. Shipments followed on March 27, April 28, May 6 and May 17, the report claims, adding that shipments of the products described as “desktop computers” did not fall off in this time, suggesting the company’s importing stocks of a new product.

Of course, it's all speculation, Apple and its partners may simply changed what they put on the bill of lading. Still, this rumour is bound to generate yet more excitement as expectation builds toward a new 3G iPhone and potentially other new Apple products making their debut in June. And, let's face it, whatever products Apple plans to sell need to be imported into its various territories somehow...

Comments (13)

Darran (being immature) (not verified) | May 24, 2008 - 6:43am

WhaT is this WiTchCraFt?!!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 24, 2008 - 8:19am

I know everyone is fired up by 3g iphone rumor madness, but let's not forget what we already know. The 3G iPhone is being manufactured at HonHai/Foxconn, NOT QUANTA. This is basically like saying asking if a new Ford product is on the way to dealers because a big truck just left the GM plant.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 24, 2008 - 8:56am

maybe peter petrelli is in one of them

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 24, 2008 - 3:44pm

The report also said there were 504 cartons weighing in at 30 lbs each, which fits nicely with the amount / weight of iMacs in a 40' container. There is no way in hell the new iPhone was shipped by ocean in March.

Just think about it... The software was not ready in March. The new iPhone is probably going to ship by air next week.

Jonny Evans | May 24, 2008 - 4:03pm

 "These huge deliveries have given rise to speculation the boxes may contain next-geniPhones, new breeds of MacBook or even the much speculated upon and never yet confirmed Mac tablet. "

 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 25, 2008 - 5:28am

"The software was not ready in March..."

These might not be iPhones, but your concern for sw readiness is unwarranted. During activation each iPhone connects to iTunes and will have its sw upgraded automagically.

Not an isuue. End of Story.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 24, 2008 - 5:50pm

Quanta usually develops the Macs so maybe new cinema displays for new macbooks?

Anon (not verified) | May 25, 2008 - 1:57am

so don't speculate on impossible stuff and spread rumors which from the beginning, with some knowledge (which you do have), seem implausible. People not so familiar with the matter might just take it up and believe it. Get real on ethical journalism codex!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 25, 2008 - 8:50am

The importgenius article refers to 188 containers each with "an estimated 40,000 units of the new phone":
188*40,000 = 7,520,000

In their Q208 conference call Apple said they sold 1,703,000 iPhones in the quarter, which would suggest annual sales of about 6.8m units so maybe 7.5m with a new-launch spike? (The 2008 target was 10m, I think.) So they're importing into the US sufficient units to dang-near cover their global sales for an entire year and they're doing it 2-3 months in advance of launch???

If we were talking iPods rather than iPhones - or some blending of the two - the numbers might look (relatively) more plausible. But even allowing for a lower price point, approaching holiday quarter, increased sales, etc. etc. the numbers here seem a bit off the mark for the iPhone alone.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 26, 2008 - 6:53am

These are those newfangled electric computers! Not those older, obsolete manually powered Amish ones you could optionally hook to a horse. Apple is cutting edge!

Oli from the-iBlog.com (not verified) | May 26, 2008 - 2:55pm

Looks like perhaps Apple think they're more sneaky than they actually are !

9to5Mac mafkees (not verified) | May 27, 2008 - 11:57am

If the containers are 40 ft long, 188 containers could contain up to 11.000.000 milion iPhones. When you take the size of the iPhone box, the container can host up to 60.000 iPhones.
11 M seems a bit unlikely, I'd say these containers have transported a bigger device to the States.

Do they have the long exspected subnotebook on board?

Jeremy Trucker (not verified) | November 18, 2008 - 9:12am

Next thing you'll know, Apple would be coming up with a phone that'll put the current 3G iPhone to shame. And current owners would ditch them for the newer ones, expectedly.