IMEI Tracking Voodoo = 8 Million iPhones Sold?

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

Following on yesterday's Net Applications MobileSafari metrics, which showed ever increasing iPhone browser share, TUAW now tells us Investor Village has found yet another obscure path to sales deviation. This method involves tracking the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) code on each individual iPhone sold, and using it:

researchers have figured out that Apple has manufactured at least 5,649,000 iPhone 3Gs. Add that to the 2.4 million 1st generation iPhones sold in 2008, and you arrive at 8 million iPhones.

Now, we're admittedly as mathlexic as Fake Steve himself, and we're still not entirely convinced this isn't tea leaf reading of one sort or another, but we'll likely know for sure come September 9th "Let's Rock" event.

Apple promised us 10 million sold in 2008 , and with the holiday season still coming, looks like they may not just make those numbers, but break them.

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.