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Apple Hints At 3G IPhone During Earnings Call

  • Forbes, Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:30 AM
Thanks to the strong sale of its Macintosh computers, which rose 51%, Apple turned in strong first-quarter earnings of 37% on Wednesday. Meanwhile, sales of its iPod are definitely slowing, while sales of its iPhone were described by one analyst as "soft." Nevertheless, Apple, which sold just 1.7 million iPhones in the quarter, maintains its plan to sell 10 million units this year.

The lofty prediction all but confirms that the 3G iPhone will be available sometime later this year. "Apple might as well put out a press release," according to Forbes, which notes the thinly veiled attempts to dodge questions about the new phone by Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer during the company's earnings call. Cook confirmed that the 3G phone was a forthcoming product after explaining that supplies of the iPhone had been running low because Apple actually sold more phones than expected in the quarter. Total iPhone sales are now 6.8 million.

"We can't comment on new products," Cook said (twice). "But I will reiterate we are confirming that we will hit sales of 10 million iPhones, and obviously part of that is rolling out to more geographies." Analyst Sharon Cross said she was so sure the new iPhone is coming that she bet Apple would sell 13 million phones this year. The probable release date is June 9, the day that Apple kicks off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

Read the whole story at Forbes »

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