Apple's hotly anticipated 3G iPhone may be en route to the US according to analysis by ImportGenius.com.
Since mid-March, Apple Inc. and its logistics partners have imported 188 ocean containers of a product type never before declared on its shipping manifests. [...] On March 19 Quanta delivered 20 ocean containers of merchandise, described on the Bills of Lading as "electric computers," to Apple, Inc. Neither Apple, Quanta, nor any other company has ever used this product description for any shipments to the U.S. [...] Over the last few months shipments of "desktop computers" and other devices did not fall off, indicating that these "electric computers" represent a new product for the company rather than a simple renaming for their Customs declarations.
The site speculates that the term "electric computers" refers to the new iPhone. While this may be, there have also been rumors of a new device that may see a WWDC launch.
Interestingly one of the shipments of the "electric computers" reportedly weighed in at 7140 kg for 504 units. This would mean each unit weighs approximately 14 kg or 30 lbs, although it is unclear whether the shipping container weight itself is included. It would also be surprising if the 3G iPhone would have been completed and shipping as early as March.
ImportGenius is a web application that allows businesses to search international trade records, according to CrunchBase.
The companys database contains every shipment entering the United States, allowing busineses to access contact information for each of their competitors overseas suppliers, or each of their overseas suppliers U.S. customers. Access to the database is sold as a monthly subscription.
ImportGenius.com is new to the Apple rumor scene, and the reliability of their information is unknown at this time.
