188 containers of 'electric computers'
May 23rd 2008
ImportGenius, an import tracking and analysis firm, reports that Apple and its logistics partners have imported 188 ocean containers of a product type--"electric computers"--never before declared on its shipping manifests.
"They have never before reported this product on their customs declarations," says Ryan Petersen, ImportGenius.com. "The fact that they are importing millions of units, combined with dwindling stocks of the first generation of iPhones, clearly supports the ... predictions."
Specifically, Peterson's referring to CitiBank analyst predictions, but it's the collective wisdom of both the blogsphere and mainstream press (Barrons) that Apple will announce the 3G iPhone on June 9th at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Other tantalizing details have also been uncovered by Import Genius:
• Apple's regular shipments (ie "desktop computers") haven't fallen off, indicating that these other 188 containers are likely something new
• Each container holds 40,000 units
• Quanta and Hon Hai, Apple's iPhone OEM partners, are the source of the containers
• Shipments of "electric computers" were received on March 19, 27; April 28 and May 6, 17
• A number of shipments went to Ingram Micro, Apple's biggest US distributor
• Another Apple distributor, Schenker AG, took delivery of 67 containers from Shanghai
• Containers containing electric computers were delivered to Vancouver, Canada
All of these delicious details and only one thread, the 3G iPhone, that ties them altogether? We'll simply have to wait for Steve to deliver...
What's your take?
