You know things are really entering the realms of hype slash hysteria when cardboard boxes are hot news, but here goes...

Two "sightings" of mystery Apple boxes just days before Steve Jobs' WWDC08 keynote speech, that's thought to be the launch of the 3G iPhone, are making tech news headlines this morning.

One such box has arrived down under clearly marked, "Subject to terms of NDA, do not open until June 10th", which, due to time differences, is the date of the WWDC keynote in Australia.

With similar boxes also delivered to resellers across the county, the speculation goes that it's demo models of the 3G iPhone before the device's launch in Oz, thought to be on 19 July.

Meanwhile, stacks of unmarked boxes are appearing at a Quanta distribution centre in Fremont, California, believed to be the current iPhone manufacturer, with the depot in question said to be "overflowing with Apple deliveries".

AppleInsider reports that employees at the Quanta building are said to be "very active and also elusive: the shipping supervisor was really busy".

So putting it all together - there's Apple deliveries hitting a depot, "elusive" warehouse staff and someone in Australia got an Apple delivery. Must mean 3G iPhone.

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>> Via - Mactalk
>> And - AppleInsider
>> And - I4U