Is this an attempt at clever marketing?
Apple's iPhone device has managed to find itself in the middle of an unsolved mystery. Late last week, the UK iPhone-exclusive mobile operator, O2, simply stated "iPhone no longer available" at its online store.
Now, the handset finds itself "currently unavailable" from Apple's own stores, in both the UK and the US.
Various reports around the internet have told of Apple store representatives in the US advising customers that "the iPhone is sold out, company-wide".
However, is it a stock shortage or has the current iPhone been discontinued to make way for the forthcoming 3G-capable replacement? Apple has so far given no explanation for the iPhone's mysterious vanishing act, but many now believe the shortage to be little more than a publicity stunt leading up to a forthcoming product launch.
We believe the 3G iPhone is imminent, but will Steve Jobs be waiting until June 9th to announce the much-discussed handset at the Worldwide Developers Conference?
The one-year anniversary of the iPhone's launch takes place on June 29th, could this be the release date for its successor? It's a whole lot of speculation right now, but if indeed this is a publicity stunt from Apple, it's working, and working well.
