Aussie Apple resellers receive boxes with "DO NOT OPEN" warning

[AppleInsider]

Australian resellers began receiving mysterious packages from Apple on Friday with a warning across the top that breaching the boxes ahead of June 10th would be a violation of their non-disclosure agreements with the company.

mactalk.com.au, which posted the below photo to its forums, notes that June 10th in Australia is actually around the same time of Apple chief executive Steve Jobs's June 9th WWDC keynote in the US. The site adds that it believes the boxes contain a single demonstration 3G iPhone to be displayed by the resellers immediately following the company's announcements.

Earlier this year, the Australian Apple fan site published a report in which it said that local resellers had started to receive guidance from the Cupertino-based company regarding a local 3G iPhone launch during the final week of June.

The report added that the touch-screen handset would arrive unlocked for use on many of the nation's wireless carriers and that Australian Apple resellers, unlike those in the US and Europe, would be privy to market the device to their customers.

In recent weeks both Vodafone and SingTel have announced deals with Apple to market the next-generation iPhone in Australia.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[GregAlexander]

Why would they deliver a sample iPhone? Most of the rumors are that it won't look much different... not enough difference that people would go out of their way to see one is there????? Interesting...

Anyway, that's quite an early delivery... 4 days till they can open it. I can understand that it's a long weekend so delivery was on the last working day before Tuesday. Then Tuesday at 4am or so Steve gives his talk and they open the box... but surely it's a huge risk on Apple's part to be 4 days early? (is it possible they meant to deliver Monday evening but forgetting Monday is a holiday they said deliver on the previous working day?)

I guess I'll check back midnight on Tuesday morning to see what it was.... before Steve speaks.
(though quite possibly every reseller will be instructed to open it only afterwards)

[emerge3d]

that means lets crack-er open ova a beer digga!

[sigs21]

FAKE...

Apple would not risk... steve being upstaged....

[southerndoc]

Give me a break here.

A couple points:

1. Why would Apple print out a shipping label on a regular piece of paper and tape it to the box? Everything I've ever received from Apple has been an actual shipping label, not a homemade job of just taping a piece of paper to the box. THIS SCREAMS FAKE.

2. Why would Apple place the shipping label on the bottom of the box?

I'm surprised AppleInsider posted this photo. It's clearly fake.

[BlueLaw]

Hello All,

Just wondered why this article is so confident in its facts?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2084...next-week.html

You think it’s just bad journalism?

[zeasar]

Originally Posted by southerndoc

Give me a break here.

A couple points:

1. Why would Apple print out a shipping label on a regular piece of paper and tape it to the box? Everything I've ever received from Apple has been an actual shipping label, not a homemade job of just taping a piece of paper to the box. THIS SCREAMS FAKE.

2. Why would Apple place the shipping label on the bottom of the box?

I'm surprised AppleInsider posted this photo. It's clearly fake.

Maybe the actual shipping label is on the other side? And that's why this warning label is at the bottom?

But any how it does look/sound fake to me, I mean, its not like Apple hire spys to check up on every single pre-release product package they send out, or electronically GPS tags every box so it sends out a signal when its being opened. I would open it straight away.

[Walter Slocombe]

Why is it a fake?

why is it not misdirection?

Why hasnt Brendan (Ireland) posted that it IS a REAL LIVE i(Pad) Touch

or as Steve will announce it inside Brendans head "An iPatch"

Why Hasnt Temp Insanity been opened??

My god! Its full of Stars!

[Guartho]

Originally Posted by zeasar

or electronically GPS tags every box so it sends out a signal when its being opened. I would open it straight away.

If it's an iPhone, it could send out a signal when it's turned on for the first time.

Count me in the "it's fake" category though.

[netniks]

You would score a huge scoop if you could confirm the contents as that of the 3g iphone.

I think whether this is legit or not depends somewhat upon how important the Australian market is to Apple. If they feel that they want or need to have new iphones to display without any delays on Steve’s announcement, then I could accept that this is the real deal.

but c’mon,.. it’s not like we can’t make a pretty good guess of what’s in the revised iphones, anyway.

[bdkennedy1]

If someone from here would have read the MacRumors story on this last night you wouldn't have bothered to post this story. It's photoshopped.

How embarrassing.

[Bergermeister]

Sorry lads, the photo was not taken in an elevator nor a coffee shop and therefore is obviously a fake.

[Ohcomeon]

Originally Posted by BlueLaw

Hello All,

Just wondered why this article is so confident in its facts?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2084...next-week.html

You think it’s just bad journalism?

Very bad journalism. Would expect better from a paper of the Telegraph's stature.

[Virgil-TB2]

I'm not saying this is real or fake, but none of the reasons posted here as to why it's an "obvious fake" have any merit whatsoever IMO.

I'm also surprised that someone hasn't pointed out that the box size and shape run counter to the argument that there is only a "single new iphone" inside as stated.

[ascii]

Just because something would be easy to fake doesn't mean it actually is fake. I say it's real - it's a serious website and source is someone they know.

[Tantrum]

The only people who have customer-ready, complete 2nd Generation demonstration iPhones this weekend are Mr. David Pogue of the New York Times and Mr. Walter S. Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. They both have a heap of legal documents from Apple's attorneys that guarantee their confidentiality.

Their professional reputations are on the line if they spill the beans and their employers have signed cross-guaranteed pledges worth at least $5 million each as compensation to Apple if their stories violate embargo. All this, despite the fact that they have a track record of discretion. They have a dedicated Apple tech support on call 24/7 to answer any question they may have on the device.

Have you seen any rumoring or revealing articles about iPhones from them in the last 2 weeks?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I'm not saying this is real or fake, but none of the reasons posted here as to why it's an "obvious fake" have any merit whatsoever IMO.

How about this, Australia is an island populated by descendants of criminals so Jobs would never trust new items to be shipped there days ahead of a major event, especially if it could ruin his big reveal on Monday.

PS: I also believe in phrenology.

[PG4G]

You do have to remember that MacTalk has received tip-offs before and they have, every time, proved legitemate.

And that line about Australians, i take personally. Be it sarcastic or not.

[Solar]

It's a trick. Get an axe.

[satchmo]

In the words of Elaine Benis from Seinfeld "fake, fake, fake, and fake"

[merdhead]

Originally Posted by PG4G

You do have to remember that MacTalk has received tip-offs before and they have, every time, proved legitemate.

And that line about Australians, i take personally. Be it sarcastic or not.

Australia is a nation of immigrants actually. And as for you, if you can't take a joke, you're not very Australian***.

My theory about whats in the box: anyone seen that movie 'Seven'?

[ *** in proper Australian this would be "Fuck you if you can't take a joke" ]

[solipsism]

I hope my candidness is not taken the wrong way, but while I truly an sorry that you are offended I can not honestly be sorry for the joke itself. It's the nature of most jokes; you add hyperbole to a grain of truth for comedic effect. The real crime here is that the joke wasn't that funny.

[SpamSandwich]

If it's real, it could be a way for Apple to suss out leakers. I don't think it's real, personally.

[bdkennedy1]

Originally Posted by ascii

Just because something would be easy to fake doesn't mean it actually is fake. I say it's real - it's a serious website and source is someone they know.

Just because some people say it's a fake doesn't mean they're are saying that just because it's their opinion. It is actually fake.

1. The bottom edge of the label is blurred.
2. The text in the center of the stamp halfway under the label is blurred while the surrounding text is clear.
3. The text on the label doesn't conform to the curves of the label itself.
4. That is the bottom of the box the label is affixed to.
5. Apple shipments aren't sent from that address.
6. Apple doesn't affix mailing labels to packages with packaging tape.
7. Apple doesn't send out "store samples"

[Chris_CA]

with a warning across the top that breaching the boxes ahead of June 10th would be a violation of their non-disclosure agreements with the company.

That's not what is says at all.
The box/contents is covered under the NDA and is not to be opened until Tuesday.

Maybe Apple sent a slightly different model to each store and when the pictures/details get leaked, they will know exactly who did it?
They could move the icons around on each one to to identify it.

Also, isn't it kinda like storing wrapped Christmas presents in an 8 year old's bedoom and telling him, "we are going out for a few hours but do NOT look in your closet where your Christmas presents are."

[icfireball]

I'm not able to outright denounce this as a fake.

What would be the point of faking that? It's not like they're disclosing any information by doing so.

Also, if you notice, the stamp on the box (under the bottom of the label) says "Shang Hai." If you've ever purchased an iPod or iPhone, you know it comes from China.

And, I'll bet if it is a demo iPhone, Apple has installed a time-based activation device that only allows the phone to be activated (turned on) after a certain date or time. Sure it can be hacked, but no company would take the risk of tearing apart their demo device. Also, no Apple supplier wants to piss of Apple by opening a product early.

Evidence for it being a fake
– You'd probably be hearing about other companies getting similar boxes
– The iPhone probably won't ship until at least a week after the keynote as indicated by the AT&T and Apple vacation blackout days.
– Why would opening a box early break Apple's "Non Disclosure Agreement"? The NDA indicates knowledge is GIVEN by Apple to a supplier in advance and the supplier agrees not to disclose the information. Here Apple is giving them a box... and they don't find out what's inside until everybody else in the world can? That doesn't sound like a very useful NDA if you ask me.

[SpamSandwich]

If it's opened early, the iPhone will automatically phone "home base" and identify the leaker.

[success]

I think the joke was funny so there.

[Marvin]

Why are we all talking about a box with a sticker on it? Is anyone still in doubt about the new iphone?

Anyway, simple way to get them to legally open the box is to phone in a bomb threat. Then they kinda have to open the parcel.

This seems genuine - after all, surely Australian resellers would confirm if it wasn't. It's also not going to be the case where the contents will be released trivially because it's one box and the reseller could lose their job/company etc.

If someone sent me a parcel like that and my job and company was at stake, I'd guard it pretty heavily. Sure take a picture of it and give people something to talk about - oddly people seem to say more about a closed box than an open one.

[Jensonb]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I'm not saying this is real or fake, but none of the reasons posted here as to why it's an "obvious fake" have any merit whatsoever IMO.

I'm also surprised that someone hasn't pointed out that the box size and shape run counter to the argument that there is only a "single new iphone" inside as stated.

Totally irrelevant. It probably also contains promotional materials as well as protective foam.

As to the Photoshop remarks...
Why in all hell would one need to Photoshop that?

Not saying if I do or don't call fake, not sure yet, but both those arguments are bogus.

[Chris_CA]

Originally Posted by Marvin

Anyway, simple way to get them to legally open the box is to phone in a bomb threat. Then they kinda have to open the parcel.

Sure. I suppose you would start opening boxes if you had a bomb threat?

Isn't that something you would let the police bomb squad take care of?

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by Chris_CA

Sure. I suppose you would start opening boxes if you had a bomb threat?

Isn't that something you would let the police bomb squad take care of?

Besides, the package would be dropped in tank and detonated by the bomb squad. You'd never know what it was then.

[bdkennedy1]

Originally Posted by Jensonb

As to the Photoshop remarks...
Why in all hell would one need to Photoshop that?

You haven't been around here long have you?

This happens every year. There's no reason as to why someone would do it, they just do. I have absolutely no idea why someone would photoshop a label on a box instead of just making it by hand, which would have taken less time, but they did.

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by bdkennedy1

Just because some people say it's a fake doesn't mean they're are saying that just because it's their opinion. It is actually fake.

1. The bottom edge of the label is blurred.
2. The text in the center of the stamp halfway under the label is blurred while the surrounding text is clear.
3. The text on the label doesn't conform to the curves of the label itself.
4. That is the bottom of the box the label is affixed to.
5. Apple shipments aren't sent from that address.
6. Apple doesn't affix mailing labels to packages with packaging tape.
7. Apple doesn't send out "store samples"

1, 2, 3 and 7 are wrong. 4 and 6 are irrelevant, 5 I don't know about but I am guessing you are wrong on that too.

I put this photo through the photoshop wrangler and nothing of what you speak crops up at all. Most of your argument centres around variations in focus, but that can be the case in legitimate pictures also for a variety of reasons from stuff on the lens, to a bad lens, to a bad compression.



The only clear Photoshop artefact in the whole image is in the area of the blacked out label.

Unfortunately for the people crying "fake," it appears as if it's the result of a blur filter being used first, followed by the black square for good measure. I therefore repeat ... it might be fake but there hasn't been any evidence presented to prove that yet. (IMO of course)

Also @ Jensonb ...

The fact that a box purported to contain "a single iphone" is big enough to hold five or more is not "totally irrelevant" or "bogus" by any means. The existence of various contrary explanations for that doesn't automatically make the assumption that it might not contain a "single iphone" wrong. In fact, Occam's razor would give more weight to my interpretation than yours.

[Chris_CA]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I'm also surprised that someone hasn't pointed out that the box size and shape run counter to the argument that there is only a "single new iphone" inside as stated.

The box could also be packed with marketing material (brochures, banners, placards, etc.)

[SpamSandwich]

Hey, it's not against the NDA to shake the box!

[gugy]

FAKE

Apple would not risk spoiling Steve's keynote. Even with a NDA, there is no way. Too much risk.

Monday can't get here sooner enough.

[iansilv]

Why would someone go to the trouble of faking a photograph of a box?

If it is fake, I would imagine someone took a picture of a real box with a real label they made and taped it to a brownbox!

[the3rdParty]

they should bring the box round and we can either go to see the dentist next door (who has a fine digital x-ray set up) or we'll take it up to the airport and stuff it thru the baggage scanner..... debate solved in an instant!



or does the NDA specify that the package cant be irradiated?

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by iansilv

Why would someone go to the trouble of faking a photograph of a box?

If it is fake, I would imagine someone took a picture of a real box with a real label they made and taped it to a brownbox!

Same reason why Shaw Wu gives out half-baked AAPL stock analyses. He needs the attention.