iPhone 3G sold out nationwide; 4 week wait
Summary: According to Apple's iPhone availability tracker, the iPhone 3G is sold out nationwide. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is reporting that there's a four week wait for new stock to arrive stateside.
According to Apple's iPhone availability tracker, the iPhone 3G is sold out nationwide. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is reporting that there's a four week wait for new stock to arrive stateside.
Munster says that Apple didn't correctly predict the initial demand for the product and has been left without stock to sell. He believes four weeks is the lead time Apple needs to ramp up orders and get new units delivered to its stores. "I bet we'll see these problems for another two to four weeks. Early demand has been more than they expected. There were outages last year, but not to this extent. This is a more sustained outage, and the demand seems to be sustained. Sales internationally have taken inventory away from the U.S.," he said.
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Talkback
AT&T?
RE: iPhone 3G sold out nationwide; 4 week wait
RE: iPhone 3G sold out nationwide; 4 week wait
Really?! So Apple DIDN'T want the iPhone to sell out? Apple DIDN'T want such a high demand for one of their products? Right...Gene Munster needs to pull his head out. Apple's Marketing is running the show and doing a VERY good job of it.
iPhone 3G and the Dark Knight...
In my discussions with AT&T, when I ordered my 3G, this time around the demand on their side was far greater than the 1G deployment. They said that aside from the very first day, they were able to handle any walk-in traffic. This time around, my local store sold out in 30 minutes, and unlike Apple, there's no automated system to let you know if the store will be getting any in the following day. Initially they took my name to reserve a phone after the first weekend (I went in just before the release) but then they realized that wasn't practical based on the demand. Thus, unless you actually 'ordered' the phone, you might get a call when a phone came in, but it wouldn't be reserved for you.
I'm awaiting my order, and unfortunately, their automated system for tracking orders isn't working right either; my order status doesn't even show up yet after 5 days! Just a 'you're in the queue' would be nice.
I wonder if the 'run' on AT&T was due to the required 'in-store' activation? In my case, I chose to go through AT&T because I knew this would be the first time Apple would actually attempt at opening accounts and activating the phones in their store. Maybe the communication between Apple and AT&T isn't all it's cracked up to be?
love apple, but i already returned mine
they only had green screens and own NO windows or other
Microsoft based OS products. i've converted most of my
family by preaching the gospel of Mac. when a client asks
what kind of computer they should get, i refer them to
Apple without hesitation.
i waited patiently and jealously, as i watched so many
people use the life-altering iPhone.
the want for an iPhone gradually became a burning need...
when i got the unofficial word that the 3g iPhone was
coming, i made up my mind. i would leave my trusted
Verizon wireless (despite the fact that i get a decent
discount on service and hardware) for the iphone 3g.
fast forward to 7/11/08: 5th person in line, i exited the
store starry-eyed with my shiny new white 16g iPhone 3g.
life was good. i couldn't bring myself to put it down.
over the weekend at a family gathering, some relatives
drooled over the beauty and functionality that was the
iphone. i was included in that group and it was MY phone.
my girlfriend jokingly said she came in third behind my
motorcycle and now my phone.
i had dropped 2 calls in 12 hours, but i was still in love
and i didn't care.
7/14/08: the passionate affair with the beautiful mistress
that was the iPhone would sour today.
i was sick of the dropped and poor quality calls, despite all
the functionality of the phone. i had the sim replaced, but
to no avail. i spent HOURS on the phone with AT&T and
Apple.
"it's the antenna" said the AT&T tech on the line, "we can
have Apple mail you a new one, or you can go to any AT&T
store and get a new one, they should have more in stock
now."
he verified with a rep that the store local to me was
getting a shipment in the next day, so naturally i went that
route.
7/15/08: the entire shipment was for pre-sales..... yeah,
that's right. no phone for me.
i called apple and after another couple of hours got to a
upper-level tech who could overnight me a loaner so i
could send in mine to get looked at.
one problem though, if it was the network and not the
phone that was responsible for the shoddy coverage, there
was no guarantee i wouldn't have to stomach the costs for
diagnostic work, despite the fact that i was told explicitly
that it was the antenna by an AT&T tech.
7/16/08: DHL needed a signature, and as a result, left me
a "sorry we missed you note." can't pick it up, the DHL
office closed @ 4. they'll leave it if i sign the note they left.
deal.
7/17/08: another day of one/two bars and abysmal call
quality.
got home from a long day at work. package was there....
so was an outline of the potential charges.
this is the service i get when i spend $300 on a cell
phone?
7/18/08: the love affair was over. i called Verizon wireless
and ported both my number and my girlfriend's number
back. (yes, i took her along for the ride too, and must
mention she was not very happy)
i now have a less functional LG Dare.
no, it's interface and controls are not nearly as intuitive.
no, it doesn't sync up with my macs.
and it's not nearly as beautiful.
but i don't drop calls.
i can get it serviced (or replaced, if the need arises) around
the corner from me.
voice quality is crystal clear.
oh, and i can send picture/video messages.
i think i am forever soured to AT&T, and am very much
questioning my love for Apple.
Blind love is never good
I puked a little after reading this.
It's a damn computer for heaven's sake.
AT&T sux horribly, and Apple wants to tell you what you need. Sadly, there are so many blind sheep out there that even if Apple sold kicks to he groin and slapped an iKick name on them they would still sell out.
RE: iPhone 3G sold out: 4 day avail.
Family Plan from Sprint. Got 3 other phones. Placed an
order for a 16GB White iPhone. When I got home, I received
an e-mail from AT&T confirming the order, and a link to an
order status web page. That page shows a shipment tracking
number, to FedEx. Shipment picked up Saturday, sched to
deliver to the store by Mon., 7/21, 3 PM. I am very surprised
!
Happy for you! Sad for me!
Told Link Won't Work for a Week
Short term shortage
streaming and the shortage was
covered.
First they sold a million in 3 days,
compared to 74 days for the first iPhone
- and remember what an overload that
was.
The most important news was that they
are "confident if the ramp up projectory"
to the point that they are going to open
up another 20 countries on Aug 22nd.
When looking at the first 3 days of sales
it's important to remember the pent up
demand built while the iPhone was not
available. Then there was the price cut.
That level of sales will not continue - it
will slow down to simply "exceptional"
until the holiday buying season starts.
My guess is that in 2 weeks there will be
few spotted shortages.
From my ATT rep
Apple/ATT remind me of the IRS: they really really want your money, but they're determined to make you jump through a million hoops to give it to them.
RE: iPhone 3G sold out nationwide; 4 week wait