The Apple iPhone X is already expected to be in short supply, and now, a recent theft lowers the stock by 300 more units. On Wednesday morning, over 300 iPhone X units were stolen from a UPS truck in San Francisco, according to local reports.
iPhone X units stolen from a UPS truck
According to CBS SF Bay Area, the thieves broke into a UPS truck, when its driver was making a delivery at San Francisco’s Stonestown Galleria shopping mall. Reportedly, a janitor, who saw the thieves stealing, was able to get a picture.
According to CNET, the police are looking for three suspects in hooded sweatshirts, who were driving a white Dodge van. The incident happened between 11 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Pacific time on Wednesday. The suspects have not yet been caught.
“A witness observed three unidentified suspects wearing hooded sweatshirts exit a white Dodge van,” San Francisco Police Department Captain Rick Yick said, “It appears the suspects knew what they were looking for.”
The UPS truck was delivering 313 iPhone X units to the retail store. Based on the iPhone X retail price range between $999 and $1,150 in the U.S., the total value of the theft is estimated to be at least $300,000. Police say that the thieves probably knew what was in the truck, and thus, were tracking it. Apple and UPS are working with the police in the investigation.
The iPhone X comes with IMEI serial numbers for Apple to easily track them, if people were to report in on suspicious sales.
The good news amid all this is that the buyers scheduled to pick up their ordered iPhone X from the store will get the handset in time, says CNET, citing a person familiar with the matter. However, walk-in customers could face a delay in getting their hands on the coveted device. Anyone with information on this robbery can call the police tip line at 415-575-4444.
iPhone X launch day
This theft comes just days before the launch of Apple’s most high-profile product in years – iPhone X – and this is what makes the theft notable. However, stealing iPhones is not a new thing, given their hefty price tag and the popularity they command. Recently, there has been a drop in the reported instances after Apple introduced the “Find My iPhone” and remote lockout feature. So, stealing iPhones even before such services are activated is a safer option for the thieves.
Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone X finally went on sale today around the globe. Large queues of eager customers were seen forming outside Apple stores around the globe. Belgium and France seems like the only exception. In these two places, owing to the anti-terrorism restrictions, Apple is selling only to customers with a pre-order or pickup reservation, notes MacRumors. In Hong Kong, a person was even seen reselling the handset outside a store after buying it in bulk. In comparison, the iPhone 8 got a muted response when it went on sale last month.
The Apple iPhone X is the first major redesign in years, and is being touted as the most advanced flagship device to date. The handset features a 5.8-inch OLED display, faster A11 Bionic processor, wireless inductive charging and Face ID facial recognition.
