Rumor: HSBC Ditching BlackBerry for iPhone 3G?

"Hello, Apple? HSBC here. World's largest company, maybe you've heard of us? Good, yeah, we'd like to place an order for the iPhone... How many? How about 200,000 for starters, b'okay?"

Sure, maybe the call won't go exactly like that, but ZDNet Australia (via MacRumors) is claiming the call may just be coming. Says HSBC's Australia and New Zealand chief information officer, Brenton Hush:

We are actually reviewing iPhones from a HSBC Group perspective ... and when I say that, I mean globally."

Will the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp. really quit the Crackberry for a container truck (or ten) of Cupertino's finest? Only time will tell, but one thing's for certain: if RIM honcho Mike Lazaridis was feeling pressure from the iPhone 3G before, this type of rumor must certainly be turning it up a couple gravitational field levels...

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.