New iPhone in Best Buy system as "Project Charlie?"
updated 09:00 am EDT, Fri May 15, 2009
ATT Project Charlie Leak
Apple's next-generation iPhone may already be in Best Buy's inventory system under a codename, a view of the retailer's management system shows. A photo indicates three devices attributed to AT&T that show only as Charlie 1, 2 and 3, and all are given a "Project Charlie" description rather than the usual phone details. The entries are said by a source of Phone Arena's to likely be placeholders for the iPhone until Apple makes them public.
The codename lines up with Apple's project history; as the third-generation iPhone, the product would be "Charlie" using the phonetic alphabet. Three entries are also consistent with a lineup similar to Apple's existing strategy, where two capacities exist along with a second color option for one of those models.
Best Buy is one of the few third-party retailers allowed to stock iPhones beyond Apple and AT&T, with Walmart being the only other exception.
secrecy
05/15, 09:15am reply
i love that apple is still able to keep things under such tight wraps preceding launches. i know it aggravates a lot of consumers and investors, but i think it adds a level of excitement other companies wish they had.
EternalGuest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2009
aha!
05/15, 09:24am (2 replies) reply
This is proof! Well, proof that the geniuses who run Best Buy is under the impression there will be a new iphone coming out sometime in the next 6-12 months.
Or at least proof that whoever enters the information into the system is under this impression.
Or at least proof that someone is coming out with a phone that works with ATT and they think it will come in three models.
Actually it is just a meaningless bit of speculation and nothing more. But, hey, whatever gets your panties moist.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
don't get your hopes up
05/15, 09:39am reply
I worked at bestbuy in 2000, they still had Newton MessagePad 2000's in the inventory as "shipping soon."
Don't buy this at all.
ibugv4
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2003
not to be critical but...
05/15, 10:07am reply
Uh dude that was TEN years ago. Best Buy is probably not the same company they were back then, and we sure as h*** know Apple isn't.
joecab
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2004
Who cares?
05/15, 10:34am reply
We all know a new iphone is coming out in June. This leak tells us nothing more than we already know, and even does a crappy job at doing that.
luckyday
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2008
Could it be?
05/16, 02:03am reply
Could Project Charlie (PC) be a Zune phone instead?
ejulien
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2009
Charlie = 3
05/16, 02:48pm (1 reply) reply
Charlie stands for the letter "C", which could mean the third version of something, which could correspond to iPhone 3.
carloblackmore
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2005