I’ve chosen to archive the old news update topic and begin a new topic following the release of the 3G S and the reports on SJ’s health issues. What other news might impact AAPL in the new trading week?
Second source reports Jobs liver transplant in Tennessee
Sat, 06/20/2009 - 14:04 — Cleve Nettles
CNBC, almost exactly 12 hours after the WSJ, published their take on the Steve Jobs liver transplant operation. Result: Exact same information. They also threw in that he had flown to Memphis in late March - which could be obtained from his personal jet flight logs.
Does anyone else out there get the feeling this is an Apple timed/planned/coordinated leak? Friday evening and Saturday morning after hours releases (stock market closed, etc), no source identification, and the exact same scant information at both news agencies. We know CNBC are pretty much just paid Apple PR mouthpieces.
It feels like we’re being fed the somewhat shocking news in pieces. It will be interesting to see what Apple’s PR team does this week. We anticipate more information coming out slowly with a final Press Release, possibly by Jobs himself in email to Apple employees form, shortly. Just like last time.
Whatever the case, it will be good to see Steve Jobs back at work.
Apple’s stock is actually up in after hours trading.
Update Sunday: Today, Gruber has a long version (thanks commenters) though his final conclusion (rogue Apple board leak) we’d have to disagree with. We’re thinking that there was probably some negotiation with Jobs and the board about how this got out. Though Jobs never wants to disclose his personal info, the board or a member wouldn’t backstab him so blatantly without expecting some retribution later. Remember, Jobs was forced into releasing his health information originally (though somewhat “cryptically”) in January. No matter how bad his health is, Apple/the board are better off with a happy Jobs. The “Tim Cook possibly joining the board” information could easily have been part of the deal - he’s certainly due for a reward for running the company flawlessly for the past 6 months..
Oh, and if you are interested in the stalker details of the Tennessee house information, you might want to have a look at Cult of Mac.
I have a theory. I think we won’t here from Apple regarding SJ nor will we hear # of iPhones sold. The reason is that Apple is preparing us for his slow retirement with these stories and they messed up big time in estimating the success of the iPhone
What are you saying really. Last year Apple via contract was building around 800K per week with a surge to 1M per week. Look back at the numbers. I doubt they could not sell .5M. If you follow the rumors production started earlier then last year which was mid month in May. So assuming some ramping problems we still have two to four weeks of product which is about 1.6 to 3.2m. I’m sure Apple estimated demand which is why they launched in only 8 countries. They are the best at logistics in the business. The numbers will be great.
Bottom line they did not make enough to sell 500k this weekend.]
Or… There were more than 500k available domestically, but because of the many additional retail distribution points this year versus last year (Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores), product distribution (in addition to units sold via of pre-order) didn’t match with places of physical demand.
I have no doubt when pre-orders are included along with shipments to retailers (whether or not the phones are sold to a consumer and activated) are counted, the unit numbers for three days will exceed 500k.
What are you saying really. Last year Apple via contract was building around 800K per week with a surge to 1M per week. Look back at the numbers. I doubt they could not sell .5M. If you follow the rumors production started earlier then last year which was mid month in May. So assuming some ramping problems we still have two to four weeks of product which is about 1.6 to 3.2m. I’m sure Apple estimated demand which is why they launched in only 8 countries. They are the best at logistics in the business. The numbers will be great.
Agreed.
Including pre-orders and shipments to domestic 3rd party retailers (including AT&T stores, Wal-Mart and Best Buy), I’d be astonished if sales did not reach beyond 500k for the three days. Those numbers will also include online orders that have shipped but have yet to be received by consumers. It will continue to be busy days for the folks at FedEx well into next week.
I wonder how many people even considered going to WalMart to get the 3GS? If i were to get my picture taken standing in line, I wouldn’t want it to be at WalMart.
EDIT: I think some areas of the country, certain malls,certain cities, probably ran out of phones earlier due to a larger population of fan boys and AFB members.
I wonder how many people even considered going to WalMart to get the 3GS?
Good question.
There are millions of US consumers that don’t live within an easy drive of an Apple store but do live within a convenient drive of a Wal-Mart.
I don’t recall every shopping at a Wal-Mart, but if I lived in a rural locale a great distance from an Apple store I’d be there in a flash if I wanted to buy a 3G S iPhone and didn’t wish to order one online.
I wonder how many people even considered going to WalMart to get the 3GS?
Good question.
There are millions of US consumers that don’t live within an easy drive of an Apple store but do live within a convenient drive of a Wal-Mart.
I don’t recall every shopping at a Wal-Mart, but if I lived in a rural locale a great distance from an Apple store I’d be there in a flash if I wanted to buy a 3G S iPhone and didn’t wish to order one online.
I spent over 20 years in the military and my last assignment happened to be near the birthing ground of Walmart. Let me just say the Walmart store was where people hung out on the weekends. Walmart in rural America is much different then in urban areas. They are where people shop and the $99 Iphone is the perfect device. Realize that most of rural america is not serviced by 3G. The $99 iphone is a subscription to the future of always on internet.
I also went to my local Walmart. They never got a shipment for the weekend and had no idea when they would get any.
I just don’t think they sold more then 500K for three days and they will not make an announcement until they reach a million later in the week.
Sponge I agree with what you are saying and I can’t fantom the difficulty of determining the probability of the stock tomorrow. How do you balance a probable rumor of a liver transplant of SJ vs a plus million sale of the Iphone or other Idevice. I applaud those who can trade through these events. But to me it is not a bet on Apple as much as a bet on knowing which way the mo will go. From an engineering technical view. the Iphone 3Gs is a blockbuster and probably is the device Apple wished they delivered from the get go, but engineering has many tradeoffs. i would tell you the folks in marketing want the new device before it is ready so it is more of hold off the wolves. All engineers are hesitant to show their bosses the latest and greatest unless they want a promotion.
I also went to my local Walmart. They never got a shipment for the weekend and had no idea when they would get any.
I just don’t think they sold more then 500K for three days and they will not make an announcement until they reach a million later in the week.
You’re local Wal-Mart is also near an Apple retail store. It wasn’t an inventory fulfillment priority. I’ll say it again:
Between pre-orders that were delivered on Friday, in-store sales at Apple retail stores, AT&T stores, shipments to other retailers such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart (whether sold through to customers or not) and online orders that have shipped and have not yet been delivered plus all of the above in the other countries that debuted the iPhone starting Friday, there’s no way the company didn’t ship 500k units as “sold” in the lead up to the release and from Friday through Sunday night.
Activations are a different number and are not necessarily related to the number of units considered “sold.”
This of course does not include sales of the 3G iPhone and the number of new activations on new and existing 3G handsets.
