The iPhone 8 launch event is only a week away but that isn’t going to slow down the rumor mill. If anything, the rumors are starting to come fast and hard. As the official reveal gets closer and closer we can expect more and more leaks and rumors. This newest leak from MyDriver claims to show iPhone 8 units being shipped from China to the United States. It would make sense that some shipments are beginning from China. The iPhone 8 release is expected before the end of September and Apple will need to do their logistics work behind the scenes to ensure that their stores are stocked in time for the official release date.
First, check out the pair of photos for yourself and then we can discuss futher:
As you can see, the photos don’t really show a lot. The claim is that these photos are of iPhone 8 units being shipped out of Foxconn’s Zhengzhou Technology Park which is one of the major manufacturing areas that produces products for companies like Apple. I tried to zoom in on some parts of the images to see if I could get more information. For example, if the label said “Destination: Cupertino” then we could feel a little more confident that these are, in fact, iPhone 8 units prepped for shipping. Unfortunately, the image becomes too blurry to read when zoomed in. So, for all we know, these are boxes of iPhone 8 units, or stuffed animals, or fidget spinners.
The only information we can really glean from these images is that some boxes of something are definitely being shipped somewhere. Morrison Express is the shipping company shown in the image. They are California-based which is a loose connection to Apple. However, Morrison Express could ship products for companies from anywhere in the world and Apple can use shipping companies from California or elsewhere. I wouldn’t read too much into that geographic connection.
Given the very strict photography rules at Foxconn factories, I’m also curious about how such a clear image was taken so brazenly. The camera on the tripod suggests that perhaps there were some promotional photos or videos being shot which may make it easier for someone to grab a photo to leak. Still, if Foxconn was getting promo material shot, I don’t think they would do it while shipping out the top-secret iPhone 8 units.
There are a lot of aspects of these photos of iPhone 8 units that don’t pass the smell test for me. That’s not to say they aren’t real. The timing of these shipments would certainly line up with Apple’s schedule. The iPhone 8 is reportedly going to be released for sale on September 22nd. That gives Apple just a few weeks to get iPhone 8 units out to their retailers around the world. I don’t claim to be knowledgeable on global shipping logistics but I would imagine that iPhone 8 shipments would already be underway in order to ensure a timely release.
While these boxes on a pallet don’t tell us much, they do help build hype for the iPhone 8 launch event next week. All will be official very soon. Until then, gear up for plenty of leaks and rumors as the tech world focuses on Apple over the next week.
Image source: MyDriver
