14 DAY TRIAL // A not so shocking report (given that it's Apple we're talking about) points out that our favorite Cupertino-based computer manufacturer "has been positioning millions of units of a mysterious new product--almost certainly the new iPhone--in key markets since March". Interesting indeed, as the same report mentions, is that no "credible images" of this new product have yet been released to the media.
Forbes' Brian Caulfield points out that Apple is confident it will sell 10 million iPhone units this year. Analysts are also betting on the company's reaching this landmark. Why? If Apple is so secretive about it, how come investors are putting all their money on the iPhone?
The answer could lie with Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook's confident note to investors during Apple's quarterly earnings call (April 23) that Apple would sell 10 million iPhones before the year was out. Clearly, the man knew about the millions of iPhones already making their way to retailers, Caulfield reports. "It's almost certain Jobs will unveil the latest version of the iPhone June 9, putting the gadget up for sale shortly thereafter. Ryan Peterson, co-founder at start-up ImportGenius.com, was the first to get the details of how Apple will make this happen", the same report reveals.
A research note spotted by Barron's in February this year revealed that Apple had spent $550,000 on Jobs' jet expenses during the most recent quarter. 2007 fiscal saw Jobs being reimbursed for 776,000 - that's for the whole year. "Jobs began racking up serious mileage on his corporate jet during the company's final quarter of 2007, as he likely finalized deals with distribution partners in Europe and Asia, and perhaps scrutinized the first 3G iPhone handsets to come from his partners' factories", Caulfield writes. Jobs had spent just $203,000 during the previous quarter.
So either Apple's CEO was shipping the iPhones himself by jet (which isn't very likely), or he had to secure a lot of markets (which is very likely).
The same report also mentions the first shipments of the "new devices" which began arriving in mid-March. Most recently, 188 containers labeled 'electric computers' were spotted shipping from China. 67 of those are to arrive in Canada (Vancouver, BC), ImportGenuis reports. Apple is said to have chosen to dub the devices "electric computers" in order to avoid the hype terms like "cellphone" or "telephone" would create.
Apple is widely believed to launch its new device during WWDC '08 when the company also releases iPhone firmware 2.0.