First iPhone 4 in official retail box spotted at Walmart
The official packaging of Apple's iPhone 4 has been revealed days before the product is set to launch, thanks to a photo taken at a Walmart where the devices have already arrived.
A tipster to Engadget sent the photo, along with the information that the iPhone 4 has arrived at Walmart's storehouses.
The box labeled "CDMA" in the background is unrelated, housing an LG 290C handset. While rumors of a Verizon-compatible CDMA iPhone continue to persist, there will not be a surprise this week.
Walmart joins Best Buy and Radio Shack as the U.S. retail locations where customers can purchase the iPhone 4 on day one. Unlike Best Buy and Radio Shack, Walmart did not offer preorders for the new handset, leaving availability to the first customers who arrive on launch day.
The iPhone 4 has an official release date of June 24, though an e-mail sent by Apple to customers on Tuesday suggested that those who preordered directly through the Cupertino, Calif., company may receive their handset a day early. FedEx shipment notifications for early buyers state that delivery will occur on June 23, and the date was reiterated in the note from Apple to its customers.
Walmart, the largest retail chain in the U.S., has been an important part of Apple's sales for some time. Their partnership started in 2005, when the retailer began a pilot program selling Apple's short-lived HP-branded 20GB iPod. Over time, the nation's largest retail chain began carrying Apple's full line of iPods, and in 2008 some of its stores began selling the iPhone 3G.
Earlier this year, the company revealed it also hopes to sell the iPad by the end of 2010. Currently, availability of Apple's touchscreen tablet at brick-and-mortar stores is limited to its own retail stores, select Best Buy outlets and other assisted locations, including Apple Specialists.
A tipster to Engadget sent the photo, along with the information that the iPhone 4 has arrived at Walmart's storehouses.
The box labeled "CDMA" in the background is unrelated, housing an LG 290C handset. While rumors of a Verizon-compatible CDMA iPhone continue to persist, there will not be a surprise this week.
Walmart joins Best Buy and Radio Shack as the U.S. retail locations where customers can purchase the iPhone 4 on day one. Unlike Best Buy and Radio Shack, Walmart did not offer preorders for the new handset, leaving availability to the first customers who arrive on launch day.
The iPhone 4 has an official release date of June 24, though an e-mail sent by Apple to customers on Tuesday suggested that those who preordered directly through the Cupertino, Calif., company may receive their handset a day early. FedEx shipment notifications for early buyers state that delivery will occur on June 23, and the date was reiterated in the note from Apple to its customers.
Walmart, the largest retail chain in the U.S., has been an important part of Apple's sales for some time. Their partnership started in 2005, when the retailer began a pilot program selling Apple's short-lived HP-branded 20GB iPod. Over time, the nation's largest retail chain began carrying Apple's full line of iPods, and in 2008 some of its stores began selling the iPhone 3G.
Earlier this year, the company revealed it also hopes to sell the iPad by the end of 2010. Currently, availability of Apple's touchscreen tablet at brick-and-mortar stores is limited to its own retail stores, select Best Buy outlets and other assisted locations, including Apple Specialists.
Comments
The more you use Super Chain Stores the more the leaks.
Lol yup. They days of apple's super secrecy might just be over.
Lol yup. They days of apple's super secrecy might just be over.
Yup, this iPhone 4 leaks are the orgy of Apple leakage we've ever know..
Is it good, or bad.?
Personally, I'd like to see one or two close-to-be-true photo leaks, or perhaps several rumors to get through the days of waiting for the actual unveiling event by Steve Jobs himself.. But I don't know, it feels like there's something bad put into my mouth when the real deal leaks got into the internet.. It just me though..
I dunno about it, but if it's real white box has always meant white phone...
That only makes it more suspicious, since the white iPhone 4 is in very tight supply when Apple started the pre-order..
I dunno about it, but if it's real white box has always meant white phone...
The new box has one side colored black and the other being white. It's the same box for both phones.
Yup, this iPhone 4 leaks are the orgy of Apple leakage we've ever know..
Is it good, or bad.?
Personally, I'd like to see one or two close-to-be-true photo leaks, or perhaps several rumors to get through the days of waiting for the actual unveiling event by Steve Jobs himself.. But I don't know, it feels like there's something bad put into my mouth when the real deal leaks got into the internet.. It just me though..
Dude, I agree with you. I don't want to see a Vietnamese guy playing with the real thing 3 wks before Jobs introduces it.
holy shit! the box is in 3D!
Actually laughed out loud.
What is the big deal with a photo of an iPhone box at Wal-Mart. It isn't like it was a leak. The phone comes out in 1 day (mine delivers tomorrow). It isn't a big secret anymore. People know that Wal-Mart is going to sell them.
Chill out people.
Lol yup. They days of apple's super secrecy might just be over.
Clearly they are. There isn't a soul on the planet, at least in the tech-saavy crowd, that didn't know just about every detail of the last few Apple products before they ever hit the El Jobso announcement stage. I wonder now if a lot of the B.S. rumors that come out (magic trackpad, aTV 2, etc) aren't some lame attempt by Apple to divert attention from the real leaks, since they obviously can't control the real leaks.
On the other hand, I still have suspicions that Apple was behind the leak of the iPhone 4 out of fear of all the press that some of the new Android phones that were coming out on non-AT&T networks prior to iPhone 4 day were getting.
I've got a Nexus One and an EVO 4G (for testing at this point), and both blow the older iPhone models out of the water in every respect. Given the lack of anything in the new iPhone that these phones don't already offer, other than the (slightly) higher resolution, I'm not sure the iPhone 4 offers much of a challenge to the EVO 4G and the upcoming (July) Samsung Galaxy S, unless you're just a die-hard Apple fan, or don't want to leave AT&T for some reason.
I've actually pre-ordered for June 24th delivery a new iPhone to test out, but given its tiny 3.5" screen and my almost-50 year old eyes, I'm not sure that higher resolution will convince me to keep it. The net and emails are a heck of lot easier to read on the EVO's huge 4.3" screen. Everyone I show the phone to agrees. I'll know for myself in two days!
Yup, this iPhone 4 leaks are the orgy of Apple leakage we've ever know..
Is it good, or bad.?
Personally, I'd like to see one or two close-to-be-true photo leaks, or perhaps several rumors to get through the days of waiting for the actual unveiling event by Steve Jobs himself.. But I don't know, it feels like there's something bad put into my mouth when the real deal leaks got into the internet.. It just me though..
I'm actually over the Apple hype machine. The months of rumors and the over-hyped, over adjectived (super, wonderful, amazing) keynotes by Jobs and crew, along with the almost religious-like Johnny Ives and others videos post-keynote are a bit too much for me as I get older. Screw the secrets and one-more-thing B.S., Apple, just tell me what's coming out, and when, so I can make better decisions about what to buy and what to ignore in the future. I promise I'll wait for your products if they sound like they're better than what the competition is offering.
Sheesh. Just kidding, but I am sure some Verizon-desperate fanboi will notice the same thing and actually believe it. I think I may tweet that just to stir things up with them. LOL.
Actually laughed out loud.
What is the big deal with a photo of an iPhone box at Wal-Mart. It isn't like it was a leak. The phone comes out in 1 day (mine delivers tomorrow). It isn't a big secret anymore. People know that Wal-Mart is going to sell them.
Chill out people.
I agree with you, chill out people. However, in the past, even Apple Stores didn't get their iPhones until the morning of, or late the night before. I remember standing in line for one of the original launch days (2G or 3G, or both, I don't recall) and watching the UPS guy roll in the cartons of iPhones just a couple of hours before the actual opening of the store. Must have been the 2G model, since it was an afternoon launch, and the others were morning launches.
Maybe the larger distribution channel (Apple Stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Walmart) prohibits Apple cutting it so close on pre-distribution, but their tight-lipped no-leaks policy makes giving the phones to Walmart early a certain leak.
By the way, I sincerely doubt you'll actually get your phone tomorrow, assuming tomorrow is Wednesday the 23rd, regardless of what any tracking system says. The last three phones, the courier services were supposed to, and mostly complied with, holding them until the actual first day. That said, there were posts by a lucky few that actually got them early. I used to work for a major delivery corporation in the US, and on things like the Harry Potter novel releases, we'd get pallets of the books a day or two before the release date, with CLEAR expectations that we would not get future shipping business if any of the books got delivered early. Good luck with it, I don't expect mine until Thursday morning...
EDIT: Perhaps I am wrong re: early delivery - I missed this article: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...n_june_23.html, and I ordered from AT&T so I didn't get the email. Even the article saying June 23 delivery agrees that it's an unusual move for Apple, but on the other hand, it could be an attempt to prevent activation server overload on the 24th. I couldn't order direct from Apple because they always have issues with a FAN discount, but a day early delivery is an incentive to go online pre-orders with Apple over other sources if you can get away with it.
In any case, since iPhone 4 will be available through Radio Shack, Walmart and Best Buy, are these stores going to open the box and activate it there in store, or will they be activated once you get home?
Anyone know?
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
About halfway down the 'Tech Specs' page on the right under 'In the box.' It's been there since WWDC.
So does anyone know the activation process for iPhone 4? I loved being able to purchase my original iPhone at the store and then take it home to activate via iTunes. Seems like Apple forced activation at the store for 3G and 3Gs, but maybe I am wrong.
In any case, since iPhone 4 will be available through Radio Shack, Walmart and Best Buy, are these stores going to open the box and activate it there in store, or will they be activated once you get home?
Anyone know?
Activated through iTunes (just like the 3Gs I believe)
So does anyone know the activation process for iPhone 4? I loved being able to purchase my original iPhone at the store and then take it home to activate via iTunes. Seems like Apple forced activation at the store for 3G and 3Gs, but maybe I am wrong.
In any case, since iPhone 4 will be available through Radio Shack, Walmart and Best Buy, are these stores going to open the box and activate it there in store, or will they be activated once you get home?
Anyone know?
I don't know for sure, but they're most likely to force an activation at the store as an anti-buy-unactivated-and-sell-on-eBay tactic.
There's clearly an activate-at-home method to accommodate all of us who've ordered for home delivery, but you had to agree to contract at time of purchase with those, so the anti-eBay issue's already been addressed.