False alarm: iPhone NOT delayed until October, Leopard NOT delayed again until January
By Ryan Block 
posted May 16th 2007 11:49AM
posted May 16th 2007 11:49AM
Update:
Here's the story. A trustworthy source supplied us with an actual internal Apple email that went out to thousands of Apple employees earlier today (published after the break). The fact that this was an email sent within Apple's internal email system to its employees is not in question. Let us reiterate: this was an ACTUAL email distributed within Apple's internal email system to Apple employees.
As it turns out, the internal memo Apple employees received was actually retracted by Apple shortly after it was sent out. (Also published after the break.) We received confirmation from Apple PR that this initial email sent out to Apple employees was incorrect, and they let us know that the iPhone and Leopard are both still on track, and should meet their expected launch timeframes.
Presumably Apple is now on the hunt for whomever was able to spoof its internal email system.
Original Apple email
From: Bullet News
Date: May 16, 2007 9:09 AM CDT
To: [redacted]
Subject: Mac OS X Leopard and iPhone Delayed
Mac OS X Leopard Delayed Until January
iPhone Delayed Until October
REGIONS: Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Japan, Latin America, United States
GROUPS: AppleCare, Retail
Apple issued a press release today announcing that iPhone which was scheduled to ship in June, has been moved to October and the release date for Mac OS X Leopard has been moved to January next year. A beta version of Mac OS X Leopard will be given to developers at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Apple email redaction
From: [redacted]
Date: May 16, 2007 10:47 AM CDT
To: [redacted]
Subject: NEWS: Disregard Bullet*News Sent May 16 at Approximately 9 a.m. Central--AP/CA/EU/JP/LA/US
You may have received what appeared to be a Bullet*News from Apple. This communication is fake and did not come from Apple.
Apple is on track to ship iPhone in late June and Mac OS X Leopard in October.
I agree. At least its made a comeback since the rumor was posted...
technically, unless you sold you shares of apple ... you haven't lost anything.
or people should just drink a beer and go...damn my stock is heading back up......cant wait for it to be at 110 dollars.
Apple fails.
Maybe Jobs wants to be the only one with an iPhone for just a little while longer...
*Insert Apple Fanboy Excuse Here*
I can see the iPhone being pushed back, but pushing Leopard back even further, that's crazy. Personally, I would be ok if the iPhone was pushed back to ad 3G, as it stands right now, I am waiting for the 3g version.
Um, sources please, Apple has nothing on this their press site. I'll believe it when I see more solid proof.
BS
On what is this based? It's not even April 1. This is not very funny.
This is getting ridiculous.It will bring the hype to new heights in October.
This simply does not make any sense.
Apple only pushed Leopard back a few weeks ago, and confirmed the iPhone shipping even more recently when they released their quarterly earnings.
Is someone pulling your leg?
If this is actually true (which is at best a 50/50 shot), my guess would be they're holding back to launch with 16GB so that the 1st Gen iPhone is not obsolete by XMas '07.
This is a false story meant to move Apple's stock down for Options Expiration (this Friday).
Im skeptical of this report. Apple just insured its shareholders, as did AT&T, that the iPhone would ship on time. A lot of the fanfare surrounding the iPhone will be greatly depreciated by October.
So long as 3G and MS Outlook mail/calendar support are added, I'm happy waiting since I am waiting for that anyway. (Who really cares about push Yahoo!?)
I call shenanigans. Unless there are problems with the FCC certification, there's no way Apple will miss it's commitment with AT&T (neé Cingular) Wireless
Oooouuuuch! (If true) I feel punched in the kidneys!
Clearly "something" in Leopard is wholly married to a function in the iPhone.
C'mon, been waiting enough apple.....
Also,
Jobs announced the iWatch delayed until he can tell time.
Jobs ends the press conference by blowing into a Conch shell.
I have no problem believing engadget on "faith" as they are usually right... but i'd love to see some proof!
Sources please.
fake
No excuse unless 3G and possibly GPS are added.
the "statement" linked by TUAW is completely bogus.
and even if it were true, i'd bet that apple actually could have solved the problem by writing more checks (i.e. hiring a larger engineering staff)
Man... when will Microsoft learn how to set release dates???
Wait... what? Apple?
Oh the irony!
Well you know Windows has been copying Apple for so long... turn about is only fair pay.
i guess someone wants to cause a dip in the stock price so they can snap some shares up.
Not surprised. Just surprised that people are surprised. And that if this was Microsoft making a similar delay, Fanboys would be all over it.
That's because the Apple fanboys have serious, serious self-esteem issues.
I cannot wait any longer. There are a whole crop of smartphones popping upa nd I will have to pull the trigger on one of them this summer. If it isn't the iPhone, then so be it.
I'm an Apple fanboy and I don't do excuses.
Yo brah, we're supposed to trust your good authority?
You really ought to back this one up with something better than that. This is some serious claims.
"kevin," that's the problem. Engadget (not TUAW) links to no "statement" whatsoever. At this point, this is wholly unsubstantiated.
It makes plenty of sense - iPhone for the XMas season, Leopard to headline MacWorld. Apple likes releasing products around events, and WWDC (when the iPhone doesn't support third party development) is not the iPhone event, and Leopard in October is based around nothing - hence a much smaller frenzy.
This is a hoax. Check Apple's PR site later today (http://apple.com/pr)
If true, I think Apple has reached its zenith.
im as big of an apple fanboy their is, but this is just hilariously inexcusable. What a joke. Good job apple, good job.
Ok, how about this for proof that Engadget is right? For those of you keeping up with Apple.com and Cingular.com, major changes regarding the iPhone released date have occurred. A) Apple.com USED to feature the commercial "Hello." that announced the iPhone coming this June. THAT has been removed. B) Cingular.com used to tell people the iPhone was "Coming June." It now reads: "Coming SOON."
I think, SADLY, Endgadget might be right....
What hedge fund is your source !!! You people have no clue, I cannot believe you would disseminate information like this without siting your source !!!
SCUM, this is the last time I am reading this crummy website.
Wow, talk about some irresponsible reporting. If you don't have a source to attribute a story like this to, then you should be very careful what you say. I would definitely be consulting a lawyer on this one...
Engadget is getting horribly sloppy with their news reporting as of late.
First it was the HD-DVD WalMart player, then it was Universal going neutral, now it's this?
Come on guys. Get your act together. You're rapidly losing credibility.
Oh Ryan Block! You silly silly man!
And the source ? Allright...fine, can I just substract anything "Apple" from my engadget RSS or I just have to delete it all. I think I'll do that, haven't heard so much bullshit from Engadget in last few weeks.
*goes to gizmodo*
Don't believe everything you hear: iPhone and Leopard NOT delayed
By Jacqui Cheng | Published: May 16, 2007 - 11:05AM CT
This morning, an internal memo was sent to some Apple employees saying that both the iPhone and Leopard had been pushed back again. The iPhone was allegedly delayed until October and Leopard—previously delayed from June to October—was now delayed until January.
Certain sources appear to have also gotten wind of this "news," but apparently did not wait for the alleged press release that was to come with the announcement. Here's a tip guys: When the memo says there will definitely be a PR to accompany the "news," wait for the PR.
As it turns out, the internal memo was (apparently) a hoax. Apple sent out a followup memo to its employees saying:
You may have received what appeared to be a Bullet*News from Apple. This communication is fake and did not come from Apple. Apple is on track to ship iPhone in late June and Mac OS X Leopard in October.
According to Apple, both the iPhone and Leopard are still on track to ship as previously expected. Now, back to your regularly scheduled program.
good job engadget you temporarily sent apple's shares down 1.2%!
Please explain to me how it is Engadget's fault that the stock took a hit? Last I checked, it was not their fault, rather those who believed an uncited story, panicked, and sold. Should Engadget have tired a bit harder to confirm? Perhaps. However, news outlets do this stuff all the time. When you are worried about getting "scooped" you publish what you have if it is from a source who has previously been trustworthy.
Also, for the people claiming Engadget should be held liable, get a clue. Unless they published the story knowing it was false,with the intent of harming the stock (especially if they planned to buy or short the stock), then they did nothing wrong.
I don't see people complaining every other time a "rumor" is posted. If it's a rumor about a wide screen iPod, people cream their pants. This isn't the Wall Street Journal, and people who take every word published on a blog at face value have no one to blame but themselves.
Patrick, you provided your own explanation, but only partially. Engadget would be liable if they knew this story was false, as you say. Engadget employees may have simply meant to do harm to the stock, but they might also have meant to profit from it. No matter the causes or justifications, a thorough investigation is warranted. The results thereof will tell whether or not other lawsuits will follow and in which direction they will be aimed.
If "news outlets do this stuff all the time," then why did it arouse such extended breathless discussion on countless other business news outlets? Are those other outlets envious (which wouldn't surprise me), or is it that they recognize lax, or perhaps even unprofessional, editorial policy when they see it?
I would remind you of R. Foster Winans, once a writer of the WSJ's "Heard on the Street" column, who used his information-gatekeeper position for personal investment profit. For his trouble, he won himself about $1,000 less than his annual salary and 15 months in jail on 59 counts of securities law offenses. Clever conspiracies may be hatched and executed all the time, but, in the interests of people who trust their hard-earned money to others to use wisely, said conspiracies must be discovered and prosecuted.
Also, please keep in mind that engadget's original story was presented as a report based on surreptitiously obtained evidence provided by a reputedly reliable source, not as a rumor heard informally from someone who might sorta know.
Finally, for those who hold Steve Jobs as their personal Satan, here's some grist for your conspiracy mill: engadget is owned by AOL, which in turn is owned by Time/Warner. T/W's CEO Richard Parsons said recently at NAB in Las Vegas, ""The Googles of the world, they are the Custer of the modern world. We are the Sioux nation..." Does Chief Sitting Dick (a moniker offered merely as an entertaining term of endearment), in his apparently grandiose and romantic visions, spy Apple down in the Little Big Silicon Valley riding beside General George Armstrong Google? And if he does, then did this little news item effectively serve as his virtual first arrow of an ensuing grand and glorious battle?
Way to go Ryan, you knocked down APPL stock price by $5
So lemme get this straight. Engadged comes-up with unsubstantiated rumors that wouldn't even qualify for MacRumors' Page 2, posts it as news, then calls Apple PR and has them make a statement in response to Engadget's post about an unsubstantiated rumor? I can just imagine how that call went.
"Hey, we just posted a story on our blog stating that both the iPhone and Leopard are delayed. What is your reaction?"
Maybe you guys should verify your information with more than just one source next time.
Ryan, you just made someone a BOATLOAD of money. I hope you sold apple short before you posted this story. Bastard.
Thanks engadget. My stock just dropped.
I hope it isn't pushed back. I couldn't stand another six months of hype and fanboys.
As soon as it comes out, it'll soon be forgotten when reality hits home.
Not cool to post such a story without being 99.9% sure it was true...c'mon guys I expect more from Engadget.
Just to say that Apple is known for blowing false information into insider's ears in order to uncover them. I agree with the previous comment: 50% chance this info is correct, 50% your source is going to be out of a job and bankrupt in no time... ;(
Seriously .... Leopard put off by 7 months? How much more Aqua tweaking does a team of 100 engineers really need?! My God. I don't believe it one bit.
- J
Wow, Ryan. Good deal on the stock. No kidding on the huge hit this shenanigan caused. Expect to hear from Apple Legal. Oh, and Engadget: Maybe you should hire bloggers who, oh I don't know, check their sources before posting inflammatory unsubstantiated information that cause real losses to real people.
And to all of you who bought this (especially the "haters"): think first. Then post.
What a waste of time. Apple said you must be crazy Of course it still out in JUNE....
If it weren't for the fact that your BS comments provided us the oppty to buy more stock I would say you jerks should be sued. Maybe you will be anyway. Which short fed you the "info"? LOL
The iphone is on tract for a LATE JUNE launch I can verify that 100%. However, you probably won't be able to get your hands on one till the middle of July...especially since the Cingular DATA trainers have yet to even touch one yet, and takes about 3 weeks when pushed to get the DATA courses out to folks. We will only be doing online training at this time with the IPHONE, no hands on yet, kinda sucks but that's how it goes.
Wow.
This is a very, very low point for Engadget.
Way to go, Ryan.
You shills should go to jail for this. You should be responsible and check with Apple before you run garbage like this. You are a cheap freaking rag and cost folks billions of dollars with either your criminal behavior or negligence.
What a joke. Engadget posts unsubstantiated rumor, AAPL drops. Engadget later posts correction, stock fails to fully bounce back. Reckless and irresponsible, Engadget. Thanks a lot.
Your "source" doesn't happen to sit in an office in Redmond by any chance?
trying to give me a heart attack? I would have been a bit upset. I'm so looking forward to the iphone.
I know its gonna lack alot from what i am use to but its just the next new thing thats hot and I want it!
What it doesn't bode well for is the integrity of apple hating blogs like engadget and gizmodo and their fanboy sheep in the forums.
Well their stock price took a huge hit at about 12 pm EDT (down 2%) but it's now only down 0.50%...
Regardless of when the iPhone is released, I will not be able to use it to make or receive a call when I'm at work. At lunch today my phone was telling me that I was connected to the network, which itself was a miracle, but it was just a trick - any attempt to actually make a call failed. When I'm in my office it doesn't even show as having a signal, nor within 100 yards or so of our building. Meanwhile my Sprint and Verizon using colleagues are receiving working signals not only in their offices, but all around our "campus" and even in our lab in the basement, filled with computers, power racks, etc. Apple is going to have a lot of really unhappy first time Cingular users on their hands, and Apple's going to be the one getting the angry calls, I suspect. I mean, I'm willing to accept the limitations of Cingular's network, only because I'm using a "pay as you go" phone that provides super inexpensive service, and the phone didn't cost much either. If I'd paid $500+ for a phone and had service this crappy, I'd be pretty damn upset about it.
Ahh Engadget, hallmark of Journalism, Accuracy and Excellent Grammar.
Looks like someone fell for the "honeypot" leak bait. Ouch! That's a career-ender!
i really don't want to be a dick, but can't we at least try and act like journalists?
way to knock $4 off the share price. you guys should go to jail for this bullshit.
on the upside...about 1/2 hour ago it was a good time to buy stock. :S
Looks like someone just exposed a leak at Apple.
Oh the humanity. My nerves are shot.
Amen, Patrick.
It's clear that engadget had the memo, and were hoodwinked just like everyone on the mailing list, and this info didn't get cleared up for about 1 and a half hours.
The venom really flies when it's Apple news.
I guess every Apple stock holder surfs engadget. LOL!
"Should Engadget have tired a bit harder to confirm? Yes, if they consider themselves to be credible journalists."
Fixed it for you.
This is not a simple issue of somebody making an honest mistake and then retracting the erroneous story. Simply saying "sorry" is not going to fix the consequences of publishing a story that is untrue.
To say that the stock will recover to normal levels is not good enough...There are a lot of people/traders with stop loss orders, these will trigger an automatic sell order when the stock comes DOWN to a certain price or a certain percentage. It is the same "fail safe" system that would halt trading if something abnormal were noticed in the market (say God forbit, a terrorist attack). Many stops orders were activated by the dissemination of this article. Traders found their orders executed only to see the stock end just a few centes under for the day.
So yes...the stock will recover and hopefully continue a favorable ride, but any people were thrown off unwillingly from the ride and might not have a chance to get back in.
$4 billion? Jeez that's scary...... I guess its evidence of the power of blogging.....
oh.. and something tells me Steve Jobs may be a bit more dilligent on which websites he sends out to Apple event tickets too now.....
I'm an Apple share holder... I wish to really thank the guy who posted this news.
Next time think twice!!! You are dangerous!
Agreed... as much as it totally sucks that people lost money on this story, one must take into account that gadget sites make mistakes ALL THE TIME. One of the primary reasons it's being taken into account now is because is was negative press for one of the most highly-anticipated gadgets of the year. No one's taking note of how all of the small iPod, iMac and MacBook rumors affect the stock.
Plus, for everyone ripping on Ryan/Engadget and questioning their journalism, consider this: How many times have you questioned their journalistic integrity when they report a POSITIVE/COOL rumor that turned out not to be true? Very few times; possibly never. You all should possibly consider how hypocritical that is.
Maybe I don't know the proper meaning of redact, but why does this story still say that the memo was redacted when the official Apple statement says that the memo was fake?
dude... you guys with your comments, maybe if you were working instead of jerking it to websites and waiting to hop on the negative train we would have world peace or something... cut engadget some slack, at least they updated why they reported it like they did... and they do it in a timely fashion...
and for your info.. iam not at work.. iam OUT of work so i can jerk it all day long as i please...
Fair point patrik... fair point.
buy the rumor, sell the news
How does someone send out a internal email to apple employees.. what kind of internal security do they have? maybe it was the "hello i am a PC" man :)
This little "miscommunication" cost Wall Street billions.
Wow, I Engadget seem to have a lot of power over the stock market this article knocked almost 4 bucks off the stock price of apple.
But seriously all the people saying Engadget is liable and there going to get sued, just shut up there not. They received an internal memo with information, they reported it. They received an internal memo retracting the first they reported it.
Besides the price is back to what it was earlier this morning. and you only lost money if you sold your stock when it went down.
Someone must have divided by zero
engadget screwed up, big.
I'm amazed at the amount of people with stock who read engadget. What do you guys do all day?
What do they do all day? They look at their stocks.
Wow, you guys are dumb. Not Engadget, but the trolls who are grilling Engadget. Ryan stated he had a credible source, but the credible source was wrong/fake, not Ryan specifically. Big deal. And you stock market junkies, YOUR STOCK WILL BOUNCE BACK. It was an honest mistake, so go back to work and stop wasting your time on Engadget if you suddenly hate it so much.
Geez.
I guess if anyone still wonders why companies take 'leaks' and 'rumors' of information seriously (and tries to keep people with no, or perhaps other, vested interests from disclosing info - whether it is accurate or not), it's because people by nature panic and it affects a lot of pocketbooks.
I should clarify. They look at their stocks, caress them, and say "Pretty stock!"
I'm now imagining a blind stockholder holding a dead stock ala "Dumb and Dumber."
Doesn't anyone look at email headers? It would interesting to see if the email originated within Apple's network, or was just sent in from the Internet.
spoof means that you're able to make it appear as though the email came from a particular address.
In this case, that address would be internal.
The only way to figure out where the email came from is to trace IP addy's back to the spoofer.
CLIFF'S NOTES: The email header of a SPOOF email will give a VALID internal email addy.
Someones head should be on the block here, but not Engadgets, probably someone inside Apple.
News like that doesn't come out of nowhere. Someone fed the source misinformation (or perhaps it was the source himself) and were probably very aware that the information would a) leak out to the news blogs b) have a big effect on the stock price.
Someone has probably made a lot of money out of all this.
@phil
Shhh...Maybe Steve did it.
I guess this is one way to see where your internal leaks come from?