False alarm: iPhone NOT delayed until October, Leopard NOT delayed again until January

This one doesn't bode well for Mac fans and the iPhone-hopeful: we have it on authority that as of today, the iPhone launch is being pushed back from June to... October (!), and Leopard is again seeing a delay, this time being pushed all the way back to January. Of 2008. The latest WWDC Leopard beta will still be handed out, but it looks like Apple-quality takes time, and we're sure Jobs would remind everyone that it's not always about "writing a check", but just how much time are these two products really going to take?

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.

[Bradley @ May 16th 2007 12:38PM]

I agree. At least its made a comeback since the rumor was posted...

[kirk @ May 16th 2007 12:37PM]

technically, unless you sold you shares of apple ... you haven't lost anything.

[Kelemor @ May 16th 2007 1:11PM]

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.

[Strife @ May 16th 2007 11:54AM]

Apple fails.

[farfisa @ May 16th 2007 11:53AM]

Maybe Jobs wants to be the only one with an iPhone for just a little while longer...

[anonymouspimp @ May 16th 2007 11:54AM]

*Insert Apple Fanboy Excuse Here*

[laszlo Panaflex @ May 16th 2007 11:55AM]

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.

[James Whited @ May 16th 2007 11:54AM]

Um, sources please, Apple has nothing on this their press site. I'll believe it when I see more solid proof.

[andy @ May 16th 2007 11:55AM]

BS

[St3phen @ May 16th 2007 11:55AM]

On what is this based? It's not even April 1. This is not very funny.

[McGinley @ May 16th 2007 11:55AM]

This is getting ridiculous.It will bring the hype to new heights in October.

[FregTK @ May 16th 2007 11:56AM]

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?

[Hank_Swabbo @ May 16th 2007 12:00PM]

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.

[William Robinson @ May 16th 2007 12:18PM]

This is a false story meant to move Apple's stock down for Options Expiration (this Friday).

[Dax @ May 16th 2007 11:58AM]

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.

[kevo @ May 16th 2007 11:58AM]

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!?)

[St3phen @ May 16th 2007 11:58AM]

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

[Screed @ May 16th 2007 11:58AM]

Oooouuuuch! (If true) I feel punched in the kidneys!

Clearly "something" in Leopard is wholly married to a function in the iPhone.

[Panathas17 @ May 16th 2007 11:59AM]

C'mon, been waiting enough apple.....

[Andy J @ May 16th 2007 12:00PM]

Also,
Jobs announced the iWatch delayed until he can tell time.
Jobs ends the press conference by blowing into a Conch shell.

[Kevin @ May 16th 2007 12:00PM]

I have no problem believing engadget on "faith" as they are usually right... but i'd love to see some proof!

[nick @ May 16th 2007 12:01PM]

Sources please.

[Core 3 @ May 16th 2007 12:02PM]

fake

[o rly @ May 16th 2007 12:00PM]

No excuse unless 3G and possibly GPS are added.

[kevin @ May 16th 2007 12:05PM]

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)

[anonymouspimp @ May 16th 2007 12:04PM]

Man... when will Microsoft learn how to set release dates???

Wait... what? Apple?

Oh the irony!

[JohnSmith @ May 16th 2007 12:14PM]

Well you know Windows has been copying Apple for so long... turn about is only fair pay.

[kirk @ May 16th 2007 12:35PM]

i guess someone wants to cause a dip in the stock price so they can snap some shares up.

[cmariotti @ May 16th 2007 12:24PM]

Not surprised. Just surprised that people are surprised. And that if this was Microsoft making a similar delay, Fanboys would be all over it.

[modenadude @ May 16th 2007 12:11PM]

That's because the Apple fanboys have serious, serious self-esteem issues.

[Darnell @ May 16th 2007 12:07PM]

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.

[Mo-Beat @ May 16th 2007 12:10PM]

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.

[St3phen @ May 16th 2007 12:09PM]

"kevin," that's the problem. Engadget (not TUAW) links to no "statement" whatsoever. At this point, this is wholly unsubstantiated.

[themartorana @ May 16th 2007 12:16PM]

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.

[Wyseguy @ May 16th 2007 12:15PM]

This is a hoax. Check Apple's PR site later today (http://apple.com/pr)

[jsu8459c @ May 16th 2007 12:49PM]

If true, I think Apple has reached its zenith.

[Hayes @ May 16th 2007 12:13PM]

im as big of an apple fanboy their is, but this is just hilariously inexcusable. What a joke. Good job apple, good job.

[Ross @ May 16th 2007 12:15PM]

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....

[Yev @ May 16th 2007 12:15PM]

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.

[Tom @ May 16th 2007 12:14PM]

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...

[Craig @ May 16th 2007 12:15PM]

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.

[Kevin @ May 16th 2007 12:15PM]

Oh Ryan Block! You silly silly man!

[Ondra Soukup @ May 16th 2007 3:53PM]

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*

[William Robinson @ May 16th 2007 12:19PM]

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.

[stockymcstockerton @ May 16th 2007 12:29PM]

good job engadget you temporarily sent apple's shares down 1.2%!

[Patrick @ May 16th 2007 12:35PM]

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.

[PopTart @ May 17th 2007 11:45AM]

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?

[thegrey @ May 16th 2007 12:16PM]

Way to go Ryan, you knocked down APPL stock price by $5

[St3phen @ May 16th 2007 12:16PM]

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?"

[nick @ May 16th 2007 12:18PM]

Maybe you guys should verify your information with more than just one source next time.