iPhone 3G Selling Twice as Fast as Original

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

AlleyInsider reports (http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/7/att-posts-solid-q2) on AT&T's Q2 financial results. AT&T posted $30.9 billion in revenue, up 4.7% year-over-year.

In Apple related news, AT&T revealed that despite ongoing iPhone shortages (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/07/21/iphone-remains-effectively-sold-out-in-u-s/), the iPhone 3G sales are nearly double that of the first iPhone.“The Apple iPhone 3G is a dramatic example of this transformation,” Stephenson added. “In the days following our exclusive U.S. launch of this new device, powered by the nation’s fastest 3G wireless network, customer response has been everything we had anticipated and more. This strengthens our wireless business, and it reinforces our positive view of the opportunities ahead for AT&T and the industry.”Lines are still forming (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/etan_on_tech/2008/07/after-a-four-ho.html) for the iPhone, which has been in short supply since its launch about 12 days ago.

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/23/iphone-3g-selling-twice-as-fast-as-original/)

[Mr Maui]

I don't suppose that has anything to do with it selling in 21 countries versus 1 last time ...

Or because it is selling at 1/3 the price of last time ...

Or because more were available upon launch than last time ...

Or ... :D

When you consider that most places are constantly out of stock, if there had been 3x as many available at launch, these articles would be saying that it is selling 5-6x as fast as the original.

[sjjordan]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5A347 Safari/525.20)

makes sense to me

[Mal]

I don't suppose that has anything to do with it selling in 21 countries versus 1 last time ...

Actually, it doesn't, because these are AT&T numbers, and would only apply to the US.

Or because it is selling at 1/3 the prices of last time ...

Or ... :D

Now, that, I can definitely agree with. It's also just a nicer model, but the price is a huge factor I'm sure.

jW

[JoeCo0611]

this news makes me glad I went on the 2nd day to get one. I had to settle for white, but that not a problem compared to those who still can't get one! Hopefully apple lights a fire under their keesters and ships more soon!

[Mr Maui]

Actually, it doesn't, because these are AT&T numbers, and would only apply to the US. ... jW

Actually, the article says that "Apple revealed ..." not AT&T.

Edit ... my bad, I misread ... sorry. "In Apple related news, AT&T revealed ..."

[Mr Maui]

this news makes me glad I went on the 2nd day to get one. I had to settle for white, but that not a problem compared to those who still can't get one! Hopefully apple lights a fire under their keesters and ships more soon!

Apple is not to blame. Keep in mind it takes time to manufacture and assemble these things overseas. I don't think even Apple thought they'd sell over 1m phones in the first 72 hours.

Even if they are building 50,000 per day, that's hardly enough to keep up with worldwide demand right now. and 50,000 per day is probably pushing it in manufacturing capability since that would be more than 2,000 per hour.

[decimortis]

..I had to settle for white, but that not a problem compared to those who still can't get one!

I had to settle for white too, but now that I'm holding it, I'm glad there weren't any black available as I'm really digging the white. Goes better with my MacBook anyways. ;)

Besides, it's not really white, it's just light black.

[avigalante]

Indeed lines are still forming, which is truly mind-boggling.

After I stepped out of work at ~6PM on Monday (7/21), I decided to take the following pictures of the line at the the 5th Ave. Apple store:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2695397205_abdbcdbe3b.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/2695397103_2b0e45df98.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2696212844_bd4f43c7df.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2696212774_58a78f61c7.jpg?v=0

[MacTheSpoon]

Lines are definitely still forming at the Apple Store in Portland, OR! I was downtown yesterday when a shipment came in, queue formed immediately. They said they've been selling out every day.

[eddietr]

Actually, the article says that "Apple revealed ..." not AT&T.

From the article (copy and paste):


AT&T says sales of the new iPhone 3G, after 12 days, and despite short supply, are nearly double the levels at which AT&T sold the first iPhone last summer.

[crees!]

Actually, the article says that "Apple revealed ..." not AT&T.

Looks like, "AT&T revealed..." to me and if you read the report it is in fact AT&T only.

AT&T Posts Solid Q2, Says It's Selling New iPhones Twice As Fast As Old iPhones

[sunfast]

I bet the numbers will be even more extreme for the UK when they get released.

[Beric]

Or because it is selling at 1/3 the price of last time ...

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

[gcmexico]

can't believe people are still waiting on line for a iphone...I've got mine!:D

proves that those who said "oh I'll wait a week to get mine, when it dies down" had no idea what they were talking about

[crees!]

Indeed lines are still forming, which is truly mind-boggling.

After I stepped out of work at ~6PM on Monday (7/21), I decided to take a few pictures of the people standing in-line at the the 5th Ave. Apple store.

Here they are:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2695397205_abdbcdbe3b.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/2695397103_2b0e45df98.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2696212844_bd4f43c7df.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2696212774_58a78f61c7.jpg?v=0

If you build it... they will come :D

[Mindflux]

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

600>200 period.

Up front it's cheaper, the iPhone 3G enables more people to buy it because of the lower cost to acquire.

[NotoriousLefty]

I went to the apple store to see if the 3G phone was faster... I turned off wi-fi on the 3G phone and on my phone. Then I launched Safari on both. And typed in Yahoo on both phones and hit the Go button at the exact same time... and the Edge phone was faster... I was in shock. I had to pull my friend away to show him and bam ... the edge phone won a 2nd time to a brand new website he said to visit. I was VERY disappointed. Honestly I think the EDGE service has gotten faster since I first got my phone??? Go test it your self... (I'd love to see firefox for the iphone app lol)

I dont think there were enough improvements for me to let go of the edge iphone yet... no flash for the camera, no video, no voice gps... i mean seriously i cant look at the damn phone and drive... ??? who's idea was this??? everything else can just be a software update (copy and paste, video recording)...same 2.0 mp camera??? and cheap plastic back... to save apple $$$ and battery time still sucks, can i get a solar powered/assisted iphone next please??? with video chat??? for 200$... not iphone (the remix) I love LOVE LOVE my iphone for its ease of use. But my nokia had more features...3 years ago (voice dialing, gps voice, flash and video record)

if they did all of that then I can completely understand the waiting in line... OHHHH MY GOD ITS GOT A PLASTIC BACK THIS TIME!!!!! I HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE!!!!

When the edge iphone came out, I could casually walk into a apple store the day after the launch and buy a phone no problem.. with out the lines.

Apple is creating a shortage of iphone on purpose... they have MORE then enough... it creates a phony atmosphere of demand... ala Nintendo Wii marketing strategy... it works.

[digitalbiker]

The downside to this is that many first time Apple product buyers got exposed to one of the worst experiences in Apple history.

Long delays, activation problems, bricked phones, buggy phones, phones crashing, poor 3G coverage problems, extremely poor roll-out of mobileme, many new users with no mail service, apology letters from Apple, and for many much worst battery life than expected.

Apple blew this opportunity to introduce new users to the "just works" Apple experience. I also don't believe Apple is capable of providing a dependable online mobileme service. .Mac sucked from day one and never got any better despite Apple's commitment to improve the service.

[BryanLyle]

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

[koala]

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

Dead horse, meet Beric. Beric, dead horse.

Yes, we all know that the TCO over 2 years is higher.

[Beric]

600>200 period.

Up front it's cheaper, the iPhone 3G enables more people to buy it because of the lower cost to acquire.

So more like a loan, eh?

I guess I could agree with that.

[Zwhaler]

Well, my and my friend picked one up last night, so I guess we are a part of that :D

[Mr Maui]

From the article (copy and paste):

Looks like, "AT&T revealed..." to me and if you read the report it is in fact AT&T only.

Caught my error and was editing my post as you guys posted these. :p

[Beric]

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

All right, so why doesn't AT&T PAY people to get an iPhone, and then increase the cost even more?

[Mindflux]

All right, so why doesn't AT&T PAY people to get an iPhone, and then increase the cost even more?

They are "paying" you to get an iPhone. Because you are getting a subsidized price on the phone. If you wanted to buy the phone without subsidy it would be 600/700 (8gb/16gb respectively). What AT&T is doing is giving you a 400 dollar discount on the hardware in exchange for 2 years of payments (in which they earn back their 400 and then some).

This is why you can get other phones for near free or totally free when you sign up with a carrier.

[.:R2theT]

Lines are still forming for the iPhone, which has been in short supply since its launch about 12 days ago.

I'll never understand this queueing for a phone. It's not bread or eggs or rice...it's a phone! Same thing for the new Batman, $50 or more people were paying for scalped tickets on Craigslist. There will be other showings people. Just as Apple will make more of these phones. Why would you settle for a white one when you want black? I understand people less and less.

But I do think it's great they are selling so many. The iPhone really is a great device.

[Mr Maui]

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

I guess we should use that logic when buying cars and stuff too. The $30,000 Honda is cheaper than the $22,000 Ford because the Honda gets better gas mileage and need fewer repairs over 10 years. Perhaps it will last 3 years longer too.

Hmmm ... I wonder if the finance company will agree and give a lower interest rate and lower payments accordingly. :rolleyes:

Let's forget that the slight increase in cost over the two years of the phone actually offer 2-3x faster service, better quality speakers, etc. I guess paying a bit more for better features should be a no go.

[avigalante]

I'll never understand this queueing for a phone. It's not bread or eggs or rice...it's a phone! Same thing for the new Batman, $50 or more people were paying for scalped tickets on Craigslist. There will be other showings people. Just as Apple will make more of these phones. Why would you settle for a white one when you want black? I understand people less and less.

But I do think it's great they are selling so many. The iPhone really is a great device.

It's primarily based-off of people's constant desire to 'have' and 'want' things, which in-turn stems from materialism. People feel the need to spend their money frivolously on items of 'haute couture' in order to be greeted with some type of acceptance in society.

It's a sad reality.

[decimortis]

I'll never understand this queueing for a phone. It's not bread or eggs or rice...

You'd wait in line for hours for some bread?

[branjosef]

All I know is, since reading this article, my safari is much snappier :D


I say, bring on the bag phone version of the iPhone.. think how cool that would be. :rolleyes: 4 TB hardrive (watch out !!! :eek: ). 12 Batteries for all day fun (unbelievable- I know. It's okay. I know ) all in a convenient leather bag ... -with a strap! They could call it the iPhone (Retro) (tm) . Modeled after the bag phones of the 1980's.. it could even have extra pouches for things like diapers or money. Maybe even a convenient cup holder for your Starbuck's latte or Old Milwaukee.

It could be your "all in one" carrying tote bag, but with a big massive apple logo (that scratches easy :confused: WTF ???) so everyone truly knows what it is ;). They can even have a product red version (no way! :eek: ) and offer it in many "truly amazing" colors :cool:. I could see the advertisements already. :rolleyes:

"Introducing the iPhone (Retro) -Case Included"


They'd sell a million of them. :D

[Mindflux]

You'd wait in line for hours for some bread?

You would if there was a shortage and your family was starving.

[Wolfpup]

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

Yeah, unfortunately I think people are once again falling for the "wow it's cheaper upfront!" thing and not bothering to do the simple math to see what it actually costs.

And I don't buy these "easier for people to acquire" arguments, because if you can't afford the extra $200 for the phone, then you REALLY can't afford an overpriced ~$84/month MINIMUM on the phone's plan. (I'm certainly in that category. I'd shell out $600 for the phone if I could use it with a reasonably priced plan, but I can't justify spending roughly an extra $34-58 a month more than I already spend on my current phone plan).

If I could get one without a data plan I'd consider it...

[Much Ado]

You'd wait in line for hours for some bread?

As if that's ever happened :rolleyes:

[ARK]

I want an iPhone like anyone else but I'm getting tired of thinking about it.

I'm tired of tracking the inventory to see if my local store has them. I'm tired of calling them to see if they have run out yet. My wife is tired of me talkiing about it. I'm tired of trying to find the time to go to the store. I'm tired of having to stand in line to get one. I don't have that kind of time on my hands right now. I stood in line for forty minutes one time and gave up because I had to go to a meeting. Plus, standing in line doesn't guarantee you'll get the model you want either.

I'm to the point that I could care less about it anymore. I'm just tired of talking about it. I'm a diehard Apple fan and I will get one eventually but I'm tired of the rat race just to get the phone. It's like a freakin' game. :apple:

[.:R2theT]

You'd wait in line for hours for some bread?

Actually, I don't eat bread.

[Wolfpup]

As if that's ever happened :rolleyes:

It has happened...here, and obviously in other countries...or maybe that was your point, not sure, I be confused :D

[dagamer34]

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

I think you ignore the fact that with ANY service industry, you end up paying more if you are paying for the cost of something over time instead of "up front". It's the same with credit cards as well or any loan for that matter. Don't have all the money now, then you eventually pay more in the long run. Though the only shady thing here is that if you buy the phone outright, you don't get a decrease price on your wireless bill.

However, to say that the phone+plan is more expensive over the two years totally ignores the fact that you are getting more service out of them. 3G is faster than EDGE, thus you'd expect 3G to cost more than EDGE. Anyone who assumes that the price should have stayed the same is now expecting special treatment from AT&T. They may be a horrible empire, but increasing price for increased service is shared by ALL companies, no matter how evil they are.

And also, in comparison to other 3G phones, they pay the exact same amount for a 3G data plan, $30. The only reason why the original iPhone had a data plan of $20 was because MediaNET access is $15/month and 200 SMS messages is $5. Again, AT&T is not shafting people here either. You were paying for these services already.

I dislike when people distort the facts, even if the company is evil. That makes you no better than them. But I didn't post this as an attack on you, but to inform everyone.

[Much Ado]

It has happened...here, and obviously in other countries...or maybe that was your point, not sure, I be confused :D

Italics and :rolleyes:s denote sarcasm ;)

[spooty]

The shortage already appears to be ending. Over half of all U.S. Apple Stores had the iPhone in stock last night and now 153 of 188 have it today (hasiphone.com). That's 84%. Only two states, Kansas and Louisiana, have no Apple Store stock. I walked in and out with an iPhone yesterday at an Apple Store in Virginia, only waiting for the (admittedly slow) activation process.

[saminsocks]

I'll never understand this queueing for a phone. It's not bread or eggs or rice...it's a phone! Same thing for the new Batman, $50 or more people were paying for scalped tickets on Craigslist. There will be other showings people. Just as Apple will make more of these phones. Why would you settle for a white one when you want black? I understand people less and less.

But I do think it's great they are selling so many. The iPhone really is a great device.

I stood in line for a little over 2 hours last Thursday. My phone was pretty useless and desperately needed a new one. I was hoping to get one before I went on vacation but ended up spending my first day there getting my iPhone. Were it not for those problems with my phone I probably would have waited. I think it was a fun experience, though. And considering I waited nearly a week and still had a to stand in a really long line, I think people are just accepting it as inevitable. The demand is such that there's no guarantee any store that has them today won't have them tomorrow, so you may as well sacrifice a bit now. Or you can order it through AT&T and have it come to your house, but I didn't want my phone to arrive when I was on the other side of the country. Most of the people I talked to had the same feeling. We were already there, so we may as well wait it out, and then be done with it all. I prefer that to going back every day or constantly calling.

[jturn00]

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

Unless of course you get reimbursed for phone expenses but have to buy the phone. My company pays for service I pay for the phone. So the fees for the service don't really matter, the phone cost matters to me. I also needed exchange.

BTW. Ordered my phone from att on Monday and it arrived in store today (white 16GB), so I saved a lot of headache of waiting on lines. (Although, I did try for an hour after it was launched).

[saminsocks]

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

Those of us who get a FAN discount actually are getting it cheaper. Depending on your discount, some people even will have an even lower bill than they did with their EDGE phones.

[koala]

It's primarily based-off of people's constant desire to 'have' and 'want' things, which in-turn stems from materialism. People feel the need to spend their money frivolously on items of 'haute couture' in order to be greeted with some type of acceptance in society.

It's a sad reality.

I'm really tired of these broad, typically snobbish generalizations (er....like mine!).

I waited in line because the opportunity cost for 2 hours on a Saturday morning was minimal, but the advantages of a well-designed smartphone were significant.

And, in fact, a week later I was at a hospital for 2 days watching a close friend die; between maintaining contact with mutual friends, keeping track of work-related emails, navigating over the next few days to a funeral home I wasn't familiar with in a town I didn't know, being able to get to his widow's house with pizza...

2 hours on Saturday was well worth it. Sure, there was a little materialism involved, but primarily it was functionality that I felt was of value, and proved itself immediately in a way I didn't anticipate.

[Wolfpup]

...
However, to say that the phone+plan is more expensive over the two years totally ignores the fact that you are getting more service out of them. 3G is faster than EDGE, thus you'd expect 3G to cost more than EDGE. Anyone who assumes that the price should have stayed the same is now expecting special treatment from AT&T. They may be a horrible empire, but increasing price for increased service is shared by ALL companies, no matter how evil they are.

And also, in comparison to other 3G phones, they pay the exact same amount for a 3G data plan, $30. The only reason why the original iPhone had a data plan of $20 was because MediaNET access is $15/month and 200 SMS messages is $5. Again, AT&T is not shafting people here either. You were paying for these services already.

I dislike when people distort the facts, even if the company is evil. That makes you no better than them. But I didn't post this as an attack on you, but to inform everyone.

Many issues with this:
-Most of us don't have access to AT&T's 3G service
-They don't give us the option of just paying for slower service
-Faster service doesn't automatically translate to higher costs usually (or even most of the time)
-They don't give us the choice of not getting a data service at all as you can in many other cases
-Even people with access to 3G aren't necessarily going to use it. I'd leave it off even if I had it, after looking at the battery life indicators and how little it speeds up most web browsing (seems about the same unless there are largish files to download on a page...probably large images and the like).

[cameronjpu]

I don't suppose that has anything to do with it selling in 21 countries versus 1 last time ...

I'm not sure ATT is getting many sales in the other countries.... :rolleyes:

[jturn00]

The shortage already appears to be ending. Over half of all U.S. Apple Stores had the iPhone in stock last night and now 153 of 188 have it today (hasiphone.com). That's 84%. Only two states, Kansas and Louisiana, have no Apple Store stock. I walked in and out with an iPhone yesterday at an Apple Store in Virginia, only waiting for the (admittedly slow) activation process.

Except in NY. The three apple stores will probably have lines through next week.

[dagamer34]

Many issues with this:
-Most of us don't have access to AT&T's 3G service
-They don't give us the option of just paying for slower service
-Faster service doesn't automatically translate to higher costs usually (or even most of the time)
-They don't give us the choice of not getting a data service at all as you can in many other cases
-Even people with access to 3G aren't necessarily going to use it. I'd leave it off even if I had it, after looking at the battery life indicators and how little it speeds up most web browsing (seems about the same unless there are largish files to download on a page...probably large images and the like).

You're confusing cost with service now, and before you made a blanket statement about people not realizing it's more expensive now.

I focused most of my comments on price, but I'd have to agree with you about not being able to turn off 3G for good. Though in that case, I'd have to recommend that you go get an original iPhone if you can make do without GPS.

[deputy_doofy]

I had to settle for white too, but now that I'm holding it, I'm glad there weren't any black available as I'm really digging the white. Goes better with my MacBook anyways. ;)

Besides, it's not really white, it's just light black.

Hey, me too. I "settled" for white as well, but I have to say, I never look at the back. It's the front I'm concerned with and that is still black! :D

[dongmin]

I'll never understand this queueing for a phone. It's not bread or eggs or rice...it's a phone! Same thing for the new Batman, $50 or more people were paying for scalped tickets on Craigslist. There will be other showings people. Just as Apple will make more of these phones. Why would you settle for a white one when you want black? I understand people less and less.

But I do think it's great they are selling so many. The iPhone really is a great device.Ya, it's a little crazy. But waiting for the iPhone was a lot worth it than having to hunt around for the Wii last Christmas. THAT was ridiculous.

[cameronjpu]

I went to the apple store to see if the 3G phone was faster... I turned off wi-fi on the 3G phone and on my phone. Then I launched Safari on both. And typed in Yahoo on both phones and hit the Go button at the exact same time... and the Edge phone was faster... I was in shock. I had to pull my friend away to show him and bam ... the edge phone won a 2nd time to a brand new website he said to visit. I was VERY disappointed. Honestly I think the EDGE service has gotten faster since I first got my phone??? Go test it your self... (I'd love to see firefox for the iphone app lol)

I sat next to someone last weekend who had the new one and we went to News.com. 3G won by 30 seconds.

if they did all of that then I can completely understand the waiting in line... OHHHH MY GOD ITS GOT A PLASTIC BACK THIS TIME!!!!! I HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE!!!!

When the edge iphone came out, I could casually walk into a apple store the day after the launch and buy a phone no problem.. with out the lines

How many 16 GBs could you buy with $300 cash?

[tomsax]

"According to reports Apple's availability tool is not accurate as shipments can come in the morning."

No kidding. The idea of updating inventory status at 9:00 pm is totally useless. It only tells you if they sold out their phones during the day. A store could get a big shipment every day, sell out, and have the status report make it look like they never got any phones.

When I was working on getting one, I was calling the local Apple stores every few hours in the late morning/early afternoon. When I got to a store employee and asked about availability, they would tell me and explain that I could get status from the web site. When I pointed out that the info on the status page was useless, they acknowledged that I was right.

One clever employee answered the phone, "we are out of stock on all iPhone 3G models, may I help you?" "Thanks, you just did," I replied.

[Porco]

From the article (copy and paste):

Oh, the irony.

[avigalante]

I'm really tired of these broad, typically snobbish generalizations (er....like mine!).

I waited in line because the opportunity cost for 2 hours on a Saturday morning was minimal, but the advantages of a well-designed smartphone were significant.

And, in fact, a week later I was at a hospital for 2 days watching a close friend die; between maintaining contact with mutual friends, keeping track of work-related emails, navigating over the next few days to a funeral home I wasn't familiar with in a town I didn't know, being able to get to his widow's house with pizza...

2 hours on Saturday was well worth it. Sure, there was a little materialism involved, but primarily it was functionality that I felt was of value, and proved itself immediately in a way I didn't anticipate.

Sad, yet incredibly funny - well done!

It's true though, people yearn for self-fulfilled importance in this ego-centric world.

[csimmons]

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

In Germany, it is. The same voice / data plans as with the 2G iPhone, but the unit itself is MUCH cheaper. 8GB = €1 ($1.60), 16GB = €19,95 ($32) or €39,95 ($64), depending on the plan.

Keep in mind that in Europe, we don't pay for incoming calls as long as they're inland, unlike in the US, where you pay for incoming and outgoing calls.

[twoodcc]

it looks like i'll never be able to get a 3g iphone

[wonderbread57]

"Apple will be launching the iPhone 3G in 20 additional countries on August 22nd."

Expect an updated firmware before then.

[Don.Key]

Indeed lines are still forming, which is truly mind-boggling.

After I stepped out of work at ~6PM on Monday (7/21), I decided to take the following pictures of the line at the the 5th Ave. Apple store:

It always amazes me how people spend time in queues for a stupid product from [insert the name here] corporation. They must have A LOT of time to spare.

Don't get me wrong, I will get that gadget too but once when hype settles down and I can quickly purchase it from the store near me.

[scoobydoo99]

I'm to the point that I could care less about it anymore.

so you're saying you care a great deal?

[spooty]

The idea of updating inventory status at 9:00 pm is totally useless. It only tells you if they sold out their phones during the day. A store could get a big shipment every day, sell out, and have the status report make it look like they never got any phones.

When I was working on getting one, I was calling the local Apple stores every few hours in the late morning/early afternoon. When I got to a store employee and asked about availability, they would tell me and explain that I could get status from the web site. When I pointed out that the info on the status page was useless, they acknowledged that I was right.


You can get more or less "live" inventory status either by going to hasiphone.com or by setting your system clock ahead past 9PM and using the Apple Store inventory tool, e.g. for NY (http://www.apple.com/retail/iphone/availability.html?state=NY). Worked for me when I went to buy.

[bytethese]

Ya, it's a little crazy. But waiting for the iPhone was a lot worth it than having to hunt around for the Wii last Christmas. THAT was ridiculous.

It was worth it for me as I'll never forget being the first customer out of the AT&T store near City Hall in NYC, I came out to an ovation. :)

[bytethese]

so you're saying you care a great deal?

Naa, I think they COULD care less, but are choosing to in fact care a lot more. :)

[NotoriousLefty]

I sat next to someone last weekend who had the new one and we went to News.com. 3G won by 30 seconds.




It has to be a website that neither phone has visited, even so 30 seconds faster does not make 200$ extra a year or whatever the dumb amount is?(from At&T) acceptable... atleast to me.






How many 16 GBs could you buy with $300 cash?


And how long does it take to listen to 16 gb of music? Please 80% of people dont even listen to half the music they have... just collecting crap music to just skip ... skip... skip...I can wait... just not in line. yup

[.:R2theT]

It was worth it for me as I'll never forget being the first customer out of the AT&T store near City Hall in NYC, I came out to an ovation. :)

Which is more than mildly disturbing.

[hbg]

If Apple doesn't get 2.0 software and MobileMe fixed fast instead of selling twice as many as the first generation iphones they'll soon be selling one tenth as many as word about the freeze ups, lags, etc. will get around and cut demand.

[KittyToy]

If we all want to get technical, the iPhone 3g is cheaper compared to what I paid..... And what some 400,000 other people paid

Original
$599 8G
24 month contract $1440
Total: $2039

3G
$199 8G
24 month contract $1680 with no sms, with 200 sms $1800
Total: $1879/no sms, with $1999

So in all its 40 bucks cheaper or more if you opt for no text!

[djsmokyc]

You would if there was a shortage and your family was starving.

I'd just eat cake instead :rolleyes:

[.:R2theT]

If we all want to get technical, the iPhone 3g is cheaper compared to what I paid..... And what some 400,000 other people paid

Original
$599 8G
24 month contract $1440
Total: $2039

3G
$199 8G
24 month contract $1680 with no sms, with 200 sms $1800
Total: $1879/no sms, with $1999

So in all its 40 bucks cheaper or more if you opt for no text!

Yeah, but no one cares about early adopters...including Apple!:rolleyes:

[scoobydoo99]

Yes, we all know that the TCO over 2 years is higher.


i don't understand how people say it's higher. the AT&T Nation 450 plan is the cheapest and it is still $39.99/month. The data plan is another $30, which has always been AT&T's price for 3G plans (EDGE plans are $20). So, yes, that is an extra $10, but that is because you are purchasing a different service (3G).

That makes a TOTAL of $69.99/month for the cheapest plan, not some of the higher numbers people are quoting. It is true that the 200 text messages was removed from the data plan and now costs an extra $5/month, making that the ONLY increase for the 3G iPhone

SO, how is an extra $60/year over 2 years for a $199 phone considered a "higher TCO" that the first $599 iPhone??

[Wolf103FM]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5A345 Safari/525.20)

I just went to the local apple store to find a car charger, but left when I saw a line of about 30 people out front

[virtualmatt]

hate hate hate hate.....


Some of you narrow minded people are killing me. It's not the fact that it's plastic and new that I want to upgrade from the 1st generation...it's got twice the capacity as mine, capable of 3G which will be nice in some situations, GPS which will be nice in certain situations, and from the reports I've read the reception is better to much better (depending on source). That is enough reason to upgrade the handset for me. My bill going up $10 per month isn't going to be fun but I think I can get a corporate discount on my bill anyway, need to research that.

[sanfransurfer]

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

Well, the harware is cheaper but the plan cost more and keep in mind it is a faster connection.

Say you bought a dial up modem a year ago for 60 bucks and service was 10 bucks a month.

Now the same maker puts out a dsl modem and says it will cost 20 bucks but the much faster dsl service is now 15 a month.

[Wolfpup]

If we all want to get technical, the iPhone 3g is cheaper compared to what I paid..... And what some 400,000 other people paid

Original
$599 8G
24 month contract $1440
Total: $2039

3G
$199 8G
24 month contract $1680 with no sms, with 200 sms $1800
Total: $1879/no sms, with $1999

So in all its 40 bucks cheaper or more if you opt for no text!

For the cheapest plan:
roughly $72/month (where I live anyway) for the old iPhone x 24 = $1728
versus $84 x 24 = $2016
So that's about $288 more, and the phone costs $200 less. Not a HUGE difference, though that's without any SMS (which seems risky because of spam), and of course it continues to cost more after the 2 year mark, so that just keeps going up (although realistically you'll either need a new phone or at least a new battery by then, soooo...but still, that's at least $88 more roughly speaking).

i don't understand how people say it's higher. ...
SO, how is an extra $60/year over 2 years for a $199 phone considered a "higher TCO" that the first $599 iPhone??

Because it's more like $88 more as compared to what the first iPhones cost after the price drop.

[bytethese]

i don't understand how people say it's higher. the AT&T Nation 450 plan is the cheapest and it is still $39.99/month. The data plan is another $30, which has always been AT&T's price for 3G plans (EDGE plans are $20). So, yes, that is an extra $10, but that is because you are purchasing a different service (3G).

That makes a TOTAL of $69.99/month for the cheapest plan, not some of the higher numbers people are quoting. It is true that the 200 text messages was removed from the data plan and now costs an extra $5/month, making that the ONLY increase for the 3G iPhone

SO, how is an extra $60/year over 2 years for a $199 phone considered a "higher TCO" that the first $599 iPhone??

$60/year x2 = $120. Isn't that $120 more than you would pay with the first gen, hence, higher TCO? :) I mean, I think I can certainly affored it but it is technically more. Actually, if you REALLY want to get technical, if I kept my current iPhone for 2 more yrs, then I would still pay $59.99/mo instead of $69.99/mo, hence I would save $240 + cost of new iPhone if I stay with my current one. :)

[Wolfpup]

Well, the harware is cheaper but the plan cost more and keep in mind it is a faster connection.

Say you bought a dial up modem a year ago for 60 bucks and service was 10 bucks a month.

Now the same maker puts out a dsl modem and says it will cost 20 bucks but the much faster dsl service is now 15 a month.

Except the speed difference isn't as drastic between 2.5 and 3G, you can often get DSL for about the same price (or effectively cheaper) than dial up, you can't opt out of this, most of us are being charged for it without actually having it be available, etc.

Speaking of which, supposedly my new DSL service starts today, hope it works! (Comcast raised my rates $15/month on Saturday, so I switched...) The modem I got is JUUUUNKY. The phone cord just wedges into it and I have to use a screw driver to pry it out. Not a promising start, but we shall see. (Can't believe someone made an even junkier modem than the cable modem they gave me a few years back :D )

Have to admit I WOULD have loved iPhone data service these past few days while I've been internet-less at home.

[pustudent]

I bought the original iPhone right after Apple dropped the price down to $399 for the 8GB model. Fortunately, I was able to sale it on ebay for $450 to get my new black 16GB iPhone 3G model for $299 after standing in line for 3 hrs on its day of debut. Now, my phone is going for up to $2300 on ebay. Who is in a similar predicament as me, and is thinking of selling their new 3G on ebay, and just waiting for the supply/demand to stabilize?

[Solkar]

Yeah, unfortunately I think people are once again falling for the "wow it's cheaper upfront!" thing and not bothering to do the simple math to see what it actually costs.

And I don't buy these "easier for people to acquire" arguments, because if you can't afford the extra $200 for the phone, then you REALLY can't afford an overpriced ~$84/month MINIMUM on the phone's plan. (I'm certainly in that category. I'd shell out $600 for the phone if I could use it with a reasonably priced plan, but I can't justify spending roughly an extra $34-58 a month more than I already spend on my current phone plan).

If I could get one without a data plan I'd consider it...

The iPhone data plan ($30/month) is actually $10/month less than I was paying for my existing data plan, which I pretty much have to have for my job, saving me $240 over the term of my contract compared to my BlackJack. That will pay for all but $60 of my iPhone. I considered that a pretty sweet deal.

[rywat]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5A347 Safari/525.20)

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

he probably means that the phone is still the same price as the original, it's just cheaper for us because it is subsidized. We should not expect a lower quality device just because it is subsidized by AT&T.

[stagi]

I wonder how many they have sold since launch, if they hit 1mil in the first 3 days they should have maybe 2-3mil by now? Guess we will just have to wait till they hit that 10mil total mark for an announcement

[compuguy1088]

Ya, it's a little crazy. But waiting for the iPhone was a lot worth it than having to hunt around for the Wii last Christmas. THAT was ridiculous.

I guess I was lucky then...I've had a Wii since December 2006. Its ridiculous that there is still shortages of the Wii over a year and a half later!

[.:R2theT]

I bought the original iPhone right after Apple dropped the price down to $399 for the 8GB model. Fortunately, I was able to sale it on ebay for $450 to get my new black 16GB iPhone 3G model for $299 after standing in line for 3 hrs on its day of debut. Now, my phone is going for up to $2300 on ebay. Who is in a similar predicament as me, and is thinking of selling their new 3G on ebay, and just waiting for the supply/demand to stabilize?

Do it. Put it on eBay and get back in line! Who needs the stock market?

[Wolfpup]

The iPhone data plan ($30/month) is actually $10/month less than I was paying for my existing data plan, which I pretty much have to have for my job, saving me $240 over the term of my contract compared to my BlackJack. That will pay for all but $60 of my iPhone. I considered that a pretty sweet deal.

That's really cool it worked out that way for you, but it's more expensive as compared to the previous iPhone (although I suppose arguably worth it for 3G).

[cameronjpu]

I want an iPhone like anyone else but I'm getting tired of thinking about it.

I'm tired of tracking the inventory to see if my local store has them. I'm tired of calling them to see if they have run out yet. My wife is tired of me talkiing about it. I'm tired of trying to find the time to go to the store. I'm tired of having to stand in line to get one. I don't have that kind of time on my hands right now. I stood in line for forty minutes one time and gave up because I had to go to a meeting. Plus, standing in line doesn't guarantee you'll get the model you want either.

I'm to the point that I could care less about it anymore. I'm just tired of talking about it. I'm a diehard Apple fan and I will get one eventually but I'm tired of the rat race just to get the phone. It's like a freakin' game. :apple:

Go to the ATT store and put your name on the direct fulfillment list. They will email you when your phone comes in. ZERO waiting in line. I can't believe everyone isn't doing this.

[ARK]

Naa, I think they COULD care less, but are choosing to in fact care a lot more. :)

I'm saying that I'm burned out on the process of trying to get the phone.

[newyorksole]

Went to my local Apple Store yesterday at around 5:00 p.m and there was a line of 20 people. Also saw a lady in the Apple Store buying 2 iMacs, a printer, about 6 different softwares and 2 iPod Touches.

Apple is doing the damn thing right now..

Just wish the phone was built a little bit better (no dust under screen, dark screen, certain areas not flush) and hopefully the new firmware comes soon.

[michaellockermd]

All right, so why doesn't AT&T PAY people to get an iPhone, and then increase the cost even more?

Interesting economic proposal--willl likely begin when Hell freezes over :p

Michael Locker MD

[spooty]

I bought the original iPhone right after Apple dropped the price down to $399 for the 8GB model. Fortunately, I was able to sale it on ebay for $450 to get my new black 16GB iPhone 3G model for $299 after standing in line for 3 hrs on its day of debut. Now, my phone is going for up to $2300 on ebay. Who is in a similar predicament as me, and is thinking of selling their new 3G on ebay, and just waiting for the supply/demand to stabilize?

The eBay market is collapsing right now. Many iPhones are going unsold, and I would be surprised if people weren't backing out of bids.

[ARK]

Go to the ATT store and put your name on the direct fulfillment list. They will email you when your phone comes in. ZERO waiting in line. I can't believe everyone isn't doing this.

From the stories I've heard its taking two weeks plus to get it delivered. I opted to try the store out but the line is too freaking long all the time. If I had the time to wait in line I would have it by now.

[Shasterball]

Or because it is selling at 1/3 the price of last time ...

Or because more were available upon launch than last time ...

Or ... :D

When you consider that most places are constantly out of stock, if there had been 3x as many available at launch, these articles would be saying that it is selling 5-6x as fast as the original.

Nah... can't have anything to do with that.

[pustudent]

The eBay market is collapsing right now. Many iPhones are going unsold, and I would be surprised if people weren't backing out of bids.

A quick browse of ebay's completed listings over the past 24 hours does not jibe well with your statement that the ebay market is collapsing. In fact, those willing to ship overseas, to places like Indonesia, are making a killing. Major newspapers reported this morning that the prices are steadily increasing as buyers realize a new supply will not be available for at least a month.

As for folks backing out of deals, the product is not shipped until payment is verified with paypal, so this is a none issue.

[franzmueller]

And Apple is launching in another 20 countries in the next month ? great :mad: my local shop ( in Spain ) got 5 UNITS 5 ,five, cinco, fünf ,on launch date and
since then they haven´t received NONE , 0 , cero , nada , nichts nothing !!!!!

This is ridiculous !!!!

When do you think I will get mine , in three Months ? if I am lucky :confused:

Saludos

[bytethese]

I bought the original iPhone right after Apple dropped the price down to $399 for the 8GB model. Fortunately, I was able to sale it on ebay for $450 to get my new black 16GB iPhone 3G model for $299 after standing in line for 3 hrs on its day of debut. Now, my phone is going for up to $2300 on ebay. Who is in a similar predicament as me, and is thinking of selling their new 3G on ebay, and just waiting for the supply/demand to stabilize?

Um, if you sell your 3G you will screw yourself. You are locked into a 2yr agreement with AT&T. So even if you DO sell it, you can't get another $299 iPhone and will have to tell them you "lost" your iPhone and buy a new one for $500 I think. So unless you get more than $500 for a 3G iPhone (doubtful), it doesn't seem to be worth the hassle. :)

[diamond.g]

Apple is not to blame. Keep in mind it takes time to manufacture and assemble these things overseas. I don't think even Apple thought they'd sell over 1m phones in the first 72 hours.

Even if they are building 50,000 per day, that's hardly enough to keep up with worldwide demand right now. and 50,000 per day is probably pushing it in manufacturing capability since that would be more than 2,000 per hour.

They should be able to do more than that an hour. It is just a phone. Shoot if Nintendo can produce 2 million Wii's a month (about 60k a day) I sure hope Apple could produce just as many if not more iPhones. Especially since Apple is bigger than Nintendo, and has more money.

[iOrlando]

I do think this whole iphone Saga essentially makes it near impossible that apple will refresh macbook line before September 15. Apple stores are already packed with people due to iPhone, and the macs are the more popular products to see face-to-face before purchasing due to their price (i'm fine with ordering it online..but I am just guessing). How can you have people interesting in buying macs fight the iphone crowd in stores that are already crowded? Yes i know alot of online orders take place, but just the overall craze of iphone bothers me.

Final push of laptop purchases for college will probably be week of August 4 or August 11.

The big issue?? This whole margin talk due to product transition in the current quarter. Unlike most on this site, I think this is simply in reference to the macbook refresh. It doesnt make too much sense to do some big product annoucment when we just had iPhone 2 weeks ago. But...if they refresh laptops in september..will that really impact margins that much...the current started July 1. It doesn't make sense. Unless this whole back to school thing is really hurting on margins, but i figured that has already been in the estimates.

Looking to buy macbook, and leaning towards buying it now rather than wait. I figure i spend 1000 on macbook...and they update okay..not huge..If i spent 2000 on a pro and they update..i would be more upset.

[Romanesq]

It was worth it for me as I'll never forget being the first customer out of the AT&T store near City Hall in NYC, I came out to an ovation. :)

I hate to break it to you but they weren't cheering for you. They were cheering an iPhone that had been released into the wild...

... And you probably think this post is about you.... Your so.... :p

I was just past City Hall. That's cool that the downtown jaded financial sector could get excited though.

[Romanesq]

I do think this whole iphone Saga essentially makes it near impossible that apple will refresh macbook line before September 15. Apple stores are already packed with people due to iPhone, and the macs are the more popular products to see face-to-face before purchasing due to their price (i'm fine with ordering it online..but I am just guessing). How can you have people interesting in buying macs fight the iphone crowd in stores that are already crowded? Yes i know alot of online orders take place, but just the overall craze of iphone bothers me.

Final push of laptop purchases for college will probably be week of August 4 or August 11.

The big issue?? This whole margin talk due to product transition in the current quarter. Unlike most on this site, I think this is simply in reference to the macbook refresh. It doesnt make too much sense to do some big product annoucment when we just had iPhone 2 weeks ago. But...if they refresh laptops in september..will that really impact margins that much...the current started July 1. It doesn't make sense. Unless this whole back to school thing is really hurting on margins, but i figured that has already been in the estimates.

Looking to buy macbook, and leaning towards buying it now rather than wait. I figure i spend 1000 on macbook...and they update okay..not huge..If i spent 2000 on a pro and they update..i would be more upset.

It's the activation process that's been the killer for folks in terms of time to buy. My guess is that the stock will be ramped up and by Aug. 15th things will be smoother as you can get a phone with less wait time.

And then I suspect we will be seeing the newly unveiled notebook(s). :cool:

[gmcbay]

It's primarily based-off of people's constant desire to 'have' and 'want' things, which in-turn stems from materialism. People feel the need to spend their money frivolously on items of 'haute couture' in order to be greeted with some type of acceptance in society.

It's a sad reality.

....


__________________
1.8GHz MacBook Air | (SOON)
2.2GHz MacBook | C2D, 4GB RAM
B&W Zeppelin | 40GB tv | 16GB iPhone 3G | 8GB iPod Nano | 1GB iPod Shuffle




http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u231/cheezeguy/n725075089_288918_2774.jpg

[CandyShop]

Go to the ATT store and put your name on the direct fulfillment list. They will email you when your phone comes in. ZERO waiting in line. I can't believe everyone isn't doing this.

For realz. That's what I did because I was sick of wasting time trying to hunt down an iPhone. I did direct fulfillment, and 4 days later had my hands on a white iPhone.

[Wolfpup]

For realz. That's what I did because I was sick of wasting time trying to hunt down an iPhone. I did direct fulfillment, and 4 days later had my hands on a white iPhone.

Did you have to activate in-store, or do they let you do that at home after signing a contract or whatever?

[avigalante]

....
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u231/cheezeguy/n725075089_288918_2774.jpg

Extremely professional; you deserve a round of applause.
--
If you actually bothered to read the on going dialogue, I was adding reason to the above poster's claim of 'why people stand in-line for products'. Never did I say that I wasn't victim to materialism. Fact is, we're all victim to materialism at one point or another, some more than others.

Not sure if it's all that necessary to point to my taste in electronics in order to assert yourself, but if that's what floats your boat, please go right ahead.

[scoobydoo99]

$60/year x2 = $120. Isn't that $120 more than you would pay with the first gen, hence, higher TCO? :) I mean, I think I can certainly affored it but it is technically more. Actually, if you REALLY want to get technical, if I kept my current iPhone for 2 more yrs, then I would still pay $59.99/mo instead of $69.99/mo, hence I would save $240 + cost of new iPhone if I stay with my current one. :)

Well, my understanding of "Total Cost of Ownership" is that it includes the cost of the hardware AND the plan - so $120 MORE for the Plan, and $200-400 LESS for the hardware (based on $599 or $399 original iPhone price) is a NET savings over the original iPhone.

Also, don't forget that when you compare the cost of staying with your current iPhone vs. upgrading, you should allow for some recovery on the cost of your original hardware when you sell your old phone on eBay or Craigslist. i'm not saying it's a better deal, only that it's not as bad as some say. :)

[jamrob98]

I am Apple's ideal customer: a longtime Mac user with an AT&T account, eager to buy a 3G iPhone.

Unfortunately, I still don't have one.

I can't buy from Apple because I have a discount on my account, and AT&T doesn't have any stock. (I finally placed my direct fulfillment order on Saturday but haven't heard anything yet.)

I still contend the product roll-out has been a clusterf***. If they planned to do direct fulfillment anyway, they should have started before the on-sale date.

[marcre]

I bought the original iPhone right after Apple dropped the price down to $399 for the 8GB model. Fortunately, I was able to sale it on ebay for $450 to get my new black 16GB iPhone 3G model for $299 after standing in line for 3 hrs on its day of debut. Now, my phone is going for up to $2300 on ebay. Who is in a similar predicament as me, and is thinking of selling their new 3G on ebay, and just waiting for the supply/demand to stabilize?

If you cancel your iPhone contract you have to pay the early termination fee and return the iPhone. If you don't return the phone, you keep getting your monthly bill.

[avigalante]

If you cancel your iPhone contract you have to pay the early termination fee and return the iPhone. If you don't return the phone, you keep getting your monthly bill.

That's something I have yet to understand.

How are people selling iPhones on eBay and Craigslist?

[homerjfry]

I went to the apple store to see if the 3G phone was faster... I turned off wi-fi on the 3G phone and on my phone. Then I launched Safari on both. And typed in Yahoo on both phones and hit the Go button at the exact same time... and the Edge phone was faster... I was in shock. I had to pull my friend away to show him and bam ... the edge phone won a 2nd time to a brand new website he said to visit. I was VERY disappointed. Honestly I think the EDGE service has gotten faster since I first got my phone??? Go test it your self... (I'd love to see firefox for the iphone app lol)

My 3G has whooped the Edge every time, by probably 3 times how long it took the Edge phone to load up a screen. I've run comparisons with multiple people so it isn't by luck. 3G is faster, hands down. Perhaps you weren't in a 3G area when you were testing it? I dunno, but I thankfully haven't had that problem, although I have basically kept my phone on the Edge setting to keep it from draining the battery.

Also, I was scoffed at by many for getting to Apple at 4am on lauch day. Well whose scoffing now?? I am. *scoff, scoff*

[Snacks]

Twice as fast, and twice as many software issues. Firmware update please! :(

[cameronjpu]

From the stories I've heard its taking two weeks plus to get it delivered. I opted to try the store out but the line is too freaking long all the time. If I had the time to wait in line I would have it by now.

Who exactly has told you it has taken two weeks plus to get it delivered?

Since the phone has been out for 10 days, even someone who put themselves on the ATT list on day one would have had it in no more than 9 days, and no one has waited more than 9 days. Of course, my girlfriend put herself on the ATT list on day one and got it the next Tuesday, so I really don't find anyone claiming it took 2 weeks to get one to be credible in the least.

Now, how long it will take for people who are still holding out, one never knows, but at what point do you just put your name on the list? I did it last Friday and have not gotten my phone yet but you know how much time I have wasted in lines or checking lines? None.

[marcre]

That's something I have yet to understand.

How are people selling iPhones on eBay and Craigslist?

I'm not sure, I haven't even checked ebay or anything for the 3g. If people are selling them there, they either don't know about the clause in the contract because they didn't read it or it is a phone that was obtained some other way.

[happydude]

I want an iPhone like anyone else but I'm getting tired of thinking about it.

I'm tired of tracking the inventory to see if my local store has them. I'm tired of calling them to see if they have run out yet. My wife is tired of me talkiing about it. I'm tired of trying to find the time to go to the store. I'm tired of having to stand in line to get one. I don't have that kind of time on my hands right now. I stood in line for forty minutes one time and gave up because I had to go to a meeting. Plus, standing in line doesn't guarantee you'll get the model you want either.

I'm to the point that I could care less about it anymore. I'm just tired of talking about it. I'm a diehard Apple fan and I will get one eventually but I'm tired of the rat race just to get the phone. It's like a freakin' game. :apple:

i am of the exact same mindframe. i hate that even if there wasn't a line, it would still take me a good 20-30 minutes to get it set up. on top of that, the gamble of sitting in line for hours and you may or may not get the model you want . . . at first i was like "i'll just wait a week for the hubub to die down" now i'm at a point where i'm cool waiting as long as it takes. seems kinda like the last thing apple would want for their loyal fan base . . . "cool new gadget, man, . . . maybe i'll get one some day . . . "

[dagamer34]

If you cancel your iPhone contract you have to pay the early termination fee and return the iPhone. If you don't return the phone, you keep getting your monthly bill.

You only have to return your phone during the first 30 days of your contract, at which point, all you are going to pay is a 10% restocking fee. After the 30 days are up, you have to pay the ETF, but still get to keep the phone.

[nemaslov]

I was going to replace my original iPhone with the 3G but for now I think I'll wait. A friend I work with got one and he has to charge it every mid afternoon after fairly heavy use. We both talk, surf, mail about the same and my battery lasts all day into the night and I charge while I sleep.

Yes there is a trade off but most of the time email and wifi is pretty fast in San Francisco and though most of California for me.

I might wait even until the next gen when batteries may hold more juice.

[Rhosfelt]

My At&t store told us it would take 10 to 21 days to fulfill our order status, when I asked if there was a long queue they said no, it would just take that long.

Plus they wanted to charge us right then and there. I was thoroughly pissed, and left. You no can has my credit card without the product in hand.

[siurpeeman]

I was going to replace my original iPhone with the 3G but for now I think I'll wait. A friend I work with got one and he has to charge it every mid afternoon after fairly heavy use. We both talk, surf, mail about the same and my battery lasts all day into the night and I charge while I sleep.


i'm actually kind of torn. the decreased battery life is a bit of concern, but i'm thinking twice the speed and twice the storage might be enough for me. and playing with a friend's white 3g model was just too much fun. i'm helpless. :o

[dagamer34]

I was going to replace my original iPhone with the 3G but for now I think I'll wait. A friend I work with got one and he has to charge it every mid afternoon after fairly heavy use. We both talk, surf, mail about the same and my battery lasts all day into the night and I charge while I sleep.

Yes there is a trade off but most of the time email and wen is pretty fast in San Francisco and though most of California fir me.

I might wait even until the next gen when batteries may hold more juice.

Well, with all the apps, people just might be using their phones more often. Even when you turn off 3G, you get 2 more hours of battery life of 2G talk time on the iPhone 3G, signifying that the battery is actually better. So I'd say to just leave 3G turned off until you actually need it.

[maestro55]

Of course it is selling faster, it is simply a better product. It could have been even better but that is for the 3rd generation iPhone and it will probably sell twice as fast as the current models.

[Shasterball]

Out of curiosity, are people still noticing that the 3G network is slow?

[avigalante]

Out of curiosity, are people still noticing that the 3G network is slow?

Same here from NYC (although it acts up sporadically).

[brendanspah764]

What Apple need to do is maybe start selling them in Best Buy stores. They sell loads of cell phones, iPods, and Macs. You might as well add the iPhone to the stores. I could see the same iPhone displays that they have in At&t stores, in Best Buy stores. Well at least they should do this when they get iPhones back in stock.

[siurpeeman]

Out of curiosity, are people still noticing that the 3G network is slow?

it isn't as fast as i expected, but it's still certainly faster than my current first generation iphone (based on first person trials). i'm hoping, with better future coverage, speed will increase to speedy levels.

[AppleMojo]

All right, so why doesn't AT&T PAY people to get an iPhone, and then increase the cost even more?

I like your way of thinking. ;-)

We could get paid a large one time sum at purchase time to use the product and just pay this "loan" back plus a nice hefty interest rate over 2 years.

"Let's see here... 2 iMacs, 2 MacBook Pro's, 2 MacPro's a handful of iPods and 2 iPhones... we owe you $1,175.00 today Mr. AppleMojo. Are $100's and $20's alright?"

[digiguy23]

The iPhone 3G is NOT cheaper!

It is cheaper, most people do not add the extra cost when making a purchase. It's like saying a $35,000 is not cheaper because you have to add gas. A computer is not cheaper because you have to add the software. My Apple sales receipt says $299

[ditzy]

I think you ignore the fact that with ANY service industry, you end up paying more if you are paying for the cost of something over time instead of "up front". It's the same with credit cards as well or any loan for that matter. Don't have all the money now, then you eventually pay more in the long run. Though the only shady thing here is that if you buy the phone outright, you don't get a decrease price on your wireless bill.

However, to say that the phone+plan is more expensive over the two years totally ignores the fact that you are getting more service out of them. 3G is faster than EDGE, thus you'd expect 3G to cost more than EDGE. Anyone who assumes that the price should have stayed the same is now expecting special treatment from AT&T. They may be a horrible empire, but increasing price for increased service is shared by ALL companies, no matter how evil they are.

And also, in comparison to other 3G phones, they pay the exact same amount for a 3G data plan, $30. The only reason why the original iPhone had a data plan of $20 was because MediaNET access is $15/month and 200 SMS messages is $5. Again, AT&T is not shafting people here either. You were paying for these services already.

I dislike when people distort the facts, even if the company is evil. That makes you no better than them. But I didn't post this as an attack on you, but to inform everyone.

Not true that you can't expect data prices to remain the same, as they have in the UK. I think that this is just a difference in culture.

[Wolfpup]

Well, my understanding of "Total Cost of Ownership" is that it includes the cost of the hardware AND the plan - so $120 MORE for the Plan, and $200-400 LESS for the hardware (based on $599 or $399 original iPhone price) is a NET savings over the original iPhone.

Except the iPhone cost $200 more for most of it's life, which makes it cost more over the 2 year plan (and then more still if you keep using it beyond that).

If you cancel your iPhone contract you have to pay the early termination fee and return the iPhone. If you don't return the phone, you keep getting your monthly bill.

You only have to return your phone during the first 30 days of your contract, at which point, all you are going to pay is a 10% restocking fee. After the 30 days are up, you have to pay the ETF, but still get to keep the phone.

Yup...just like basically any cell phone provider.

I HAVE actually considered doing that. It would basically be $300 + $175 or whatever + $84 or so for a month of service... problem is I don't know how well you can deactivate all the "phone" stuff. Whether you can just permanently shut if off and have a super iPod Touch or not, or if it turns the phone stuff back on whenever it wakes up.

Well, with all the apps, people just might be using their phones more often. Even when you turn off 3G, you get 2 more hours of battery life of 2G talk time on the iPhone 3G, signifying that the battery is actually better. So I'd say to just leave 3G turned off until you actually need it.

Question-I've heard people refer to 2G talk time, but you're not referring to an actual difference when it comes to VOICE are you? They don't have a different voice service/quality/codec/whatever do they?

[nemaslov]

Well, with all the apps, people just might be using their phones more often. Even when you turn off 3G, you get 2 more hours of battery life of 2G talk time on the iPhone 3G, signifying that the battery is actually better. So I'd say to just leave 3G turned off until you actually need it.

This is true. I am using 2.0 and more apps on my original and we both use our phones about the same but mine lasts much much longer. Yes he does not turn off 3G and I know it would help, but that is a pain to do. The on and off thingy.

[BryanLyle]

I think you ignore the fact that with ANY service industry, you end up paying more if you are paying for the cost of something over time instead of "up front". It's the same with credit cards as well or any loan for that matter. Don't have all the money now, then you eventually pay more in the long run. Though the only shady thing here is that if you buy the phone outright, you don't get a decrease price on your wireless bill.

However, to say that the phone+plan is more expensive over the two years totally ignores the fact that you are getting more service out of them. 3G is faster than EDGE, thus you'd expect 3G to cost more than EDGE. Anyone who assumes that the price should have stayed the same is now expecting special treatment from AT&T. They may be a horrible empire, but increasing price for increased service is shared by ALL companies, no matter how evil they are.

And also, in comparison to other 3G phones, they pay the exact same amount for a 3G data plan, $30. The only reason why the original iPhone had a data plan of $20 was because MediaNET access is $15/month and 200 SMS messages is $5. Again, AT&T is not shafting people here either. You were paying for these services already.

I dislike when people distort the facts, even if the company is evil. That makes you no better than them. But I didn't post this as an attack on you, but to inform everyone.

Oh, I wasn't busting on AT&T. I was just making the point that the overall cost of the phone over 2 years is more than it was with the original iPhone. AT&T can charge whatever they want.

What stinks is the people who live in 2G areas but are paying extra for 3G.

[y rome]

How to find out availability before 9:00 PM:

It's really simple. Set your clock to after 9:00 PM. This will trick the web page into thinking that it should display live availability.

I've used it and it seems relatively accurate at updating real time inventory.

Hope this helps!!!!!

[PUCCY]

You'd wait in line for hours for some bread?

:D

LMAO!!!! Oh man! that cracked me up!

[maestro55]

What Apple need to do is maybe start selling them in Best Buy stores. They sell loads of cell phones, iPods, and Macs. You might as well add the iPhone to the stores. I could see the same iPhone displays that they have in At&t stores, in Best Buy stores. Well at least they should do this when they get iPhones back in stock.

What I would like to see is the Connection Center at Wal-Mart getting iPhones. I mean you would be surprised the number of customers that pay full price for phones at Wal-Mart who would be willing to get an iPhone at the new price targets. And the more places Apple has their products the more lines that can be formed for out of stock products.

[cameronjpu]

It is cheaper, most people do not add the extra cost when making a purchase. It's like saying a $35,000 is not cheaper because you have to add gas. A computer is not cheaper because you have to add the software. My Apple sales receipt says $299

You people do understand that you are talking past each other, right?

Both of you knows what the other is saying, and no amount of discussion is going to change either of your minds. So why do you keep going back and forth over what "more expensive" means?

[CarlHeanerd]

LOL, it is twice as fast in more than one aspect ;) ....
:apple: FTW

[seedster2]

Only thing irritating me about this cheaper comparison is that is not a fair comparison.

The first generation iphone was unsubsidized and sold for big bucks ~$500

Thesecond generation iphone is subsidized and sells for significantly less, but they have yet to announce an unsubsidized price which will likely eclipse that of the original.

So even when you dont account for TCO, apples to apples the first is cheaper or the same. Let's wait to compare prices when a non-commital version is released then there is actual parity.

On another note, I would never wait in line for an iphone for several hours. There will always be more. Moreover, many of you had perfectly good 2.5G iphones that could have been updated until the frenzy subsided.:confused:

[mdriftmeyer]

Actually, the article says that "Apple revealed ..." not AT&T.

Edit ... my bad, I misread ... sorry. "In Apple related news, AT&T revealed ..."

You were dyin' to disprove the growth or you wouldn't have jumped the gun.

[mainstreetmark]

Apple is creating a shortage of iphone on purpose... they have MORE then enough... it creates a phony atmosphere of demand... ala Nintendo Wii marketing strategy... it works.

So, you're clever business strategy is to sell less phones to people. You're telling us that there's a line of 50 people outside a store and Apple is choosing to not sell products to those people, in order to, oddly, create demand, which of course is desirable so that people will want to buy it.

May I suggest an alternate theory? The new phone is going at, perhaps unexpectedly, twice the rate of the old phone, and I doubt they have twice the manufacturers in place.

[bepps]

Lines are definitely still forming at my local Apple store in Columbus, Ohio. I've stood in line three times so far (for 90 minutes, 45 minutes, and 75 minutes) and have yet to get my hands on an iPhone. I'm wanting a 16GB black and an 8GB black, and every time I've stood in line they've run out of one or both before it was my turn. The last time (a few days ago), after waiting 75 minutes, an employee came to collect me from the front of the line to start the process, and I was told that they had just run out of everything except 16GB white (I passed). I also checked at two local AT&T stores; no lines at all (I was the lone customer in the one AT&T store), but also no iPhones. They're taking pre-orders for officially 10-21 days out, but a customer service person at AT&T said to be ready for a 4-6 week wait even for pre-orders.

On the availability tool: it's essentially worthless. I spoke to a store manager at the local Apple store and she confirmed that all this shows is the stock that's left over from that day (hence the "after 9:00 p.m."). Even at that, it's potentially misleading; the store could have a grand total of three iPhones left at the end of the day (one of each variety), and the online availability tool would show three green circles, perhaps leading some to think "Great! Plenty of iPhones in stock!" She also acknowledged that there is no "live" availability tool, and that even Apple store employees have no idea what kind of iPhone shipments they're going to receive on any given day (if any) until they unload the truck. So the only way to know what a particular store has on that day is to call the store and ask them--and even that's iffy, since I've witnessed employees informing customers in line that they were out of a particular model when they weren't, and vice versa.

I guess some of us just need to sit back, relax, and wait until they are widely available in quantity. We've waited this long; waiting a little longer won't hurt!

One last thing: I'm curious how many Apple stores are opening early to deal with the lines. Mine's been opening at 8:00 a.m. instead of the usual 10:00, but this hasn't been reflected on their web site or advertised in any way that I've been able to see. Kind of changes the definition of "getting there early" as suggested on Apple's web site.

[BigD58]

:rolleyes: Not surprised . *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*

[bunnicula]

I am Apple's ideal customer: a longtime Mac user with an AT&T account, eager to buy a 3G iPhone.

Unfortunately, I still don't have one.

I can't buy from Apple because I have a discount on my account, and AT&T doesn't have any stock. (I finally placed my direct fulfillment order on Saturday but haven't heard anything yet.)

I still contend the product roll-out has been a clusterf***. If they planned to do direct fulfillment anyway, they should have started before the on-sale date.

I called AT&T to have my FAN number (which is how they know you have a discount) removed from my account.

Now, when I get ready, I can go to Apple and buy a 3G iPhone.

I did the math and with my service plan plus the new data plan (including text messaging), once I factor in my discount, I will be paying LESS per month for service than I have been paying with my 2G iPhone.

Funny part is, I was NOT gonna upgrade.

I was perfectly happy with the App store and the new software.

Then I found out I could get my corporate discount back. They took that when I got my 2G iPhone.

:mad:

Now, I figure it's all good. I will upgrade, use the faster phone which includes GPS, and pay about 2.25 less a month (probably more when you factor in the lower taxes).

This would be after paying 30 dollars for the data plan AND adding 5 dollars for SMS.

Sooo.... I go up 15 dollars for data, then down 17.25 after my discount.

I said I'd not buy another one until it made economical sense, and now it does.

Otherwise, I'd be fine with my 2G.

I just don't like the idea of NOT getting the discount I always had before I got the 2G iPhone, and paying more per month for slower service. We've got 3G all over the place where I live. I had a Blackjack for several months before I got the 2G on launch day (and no, I didn't have to wait in line, I just walked in and there was no line and they had some, so I bought one).

This is my first post here, though I've read the site off and on for years.

And I've rambled terribly.

:D

[bunnicula]

Only thing irritating me about this cheaper comparison is that is not a fair comparison.

The first generation iphone was unsubsidized and sold for big bucks ~$500

Thesecond generation iphone is subsidized and sells for significantly less, but they have yet to announce an unsubsidized price which will likely eclipse that of the original.

So even when you dont account for TCO, apples to apples the first is cheaper or the same. Let's wait to compare prices when a non-commital version is released then there is actual parity.

On another note, I would never wait in line for an iphone for several hours. There will always be more. Moreover, many of you had perfectly good 2.5G iphones that could have been updated until the frenzy subsided.:confused:

Yeah. I'm not gonna stand in line. As I said earlier, I didn't do it on launch day back in June of 2007, and I sure won't do it now, because I already have a perfectly serviceable iPhone.

I think that the TCO for this phone, assuming a 2-year contract, is always going to be higher, because the data plan is higher. Then again, if you bought any other smart phone from AT&T, you'd pay the same for data as you would with the 3G, so it's hard to factor that in properly. The 2G just didn't have a true data plan... it had MediaWorks with some text messages thrown in, and that's significantly cheaper.

I DO think that the lower up front cost IS driving sales of the 3G iPhone, though.

People NEVER think of how much a monthly bill is gonna cost. ;)

[bunnicula]

That's something I have yet to understand.

How are people selling iPhones on eBay and Craigslist?

They are AT&T customers, and they're adding phones, then selling them, and using a REGULAR phone (or whatever they happen to own) instead. You can remove the data plan from your service agreement. You are only committing to having service for 2 years, not to a particular TYPE of service.

Many people will do this sort of thing if they think there's a profit in there for them, and if they don't have much interest in whatever product they're selling.

[bunnicula]

Oh, I wasn't busting on AT&T. I was just making the point that the overall cost of the phone over 2 years is more than it was with the original iPhone. AT&T can charge whatever they want.

What stinks is the people who live in 2G areas but are paying extra for 3G.

Yeah. If I lived in a primarily 2G area, and I wasn't in a 3G area very often, I sure would've bought a 2G iPhone instead. It just makes sense.

[Pandaboots]

Indeed lines are still forming, which is truly mind-boggling.

After I stepped out of work at ~6PM on Monday (7/21), I decided to take the following pictures of the line at the the 5th Ave. Apple store:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2695397205_abdbcdbe3b.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/2695397103_2b0e45df98.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2696212844_bd4f43c7df.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2696212774_58a78f61c7.jpg?v=0

just curious to know if those pictures were taken with the iphone 3g?

[johnnyjibbs]

just curious to know if those pictures were taken with the iphone 3g?
I could tell you now - no way! The camera is nowhere near that good. In fact, I don't like the camera much. It's ok but it's only 2MP, has no flash or other options and is pretty clumsy to hold. In fact, I'm always worried I'm going to drop it when I try to take a picture (no dedicated camera button, and it's clumsy to find/press the button when you're holding it at that angle).

But, on topic, I'm not surprised the iPhone 3G is selling as well as it is. I feel for you guys in the US, who are getting screwed on higher overall prices. I'm chuffed with the UK deal (which is certainly a no-brainer for existing iPhone 2G users) as it's the same contract price overall, but with no upfront cost on some plans and only a nominal charge for the 16GB. It was way too expensive before...

[onicon]

And Apple is launching in another 20 countries in the next month ? great :mad: my local shop ( in Spain ) got 5 UNITS 5 ,five, cinco, fünf ,on launch date and
since then they haven´t received NONE , 0 , cero , nada , nichts nothing !!!!!

This is ridiculous !!!!

When do you think I will get mine , in three Months ? if I am lucky :confused:

Saludos
same here in germany. no iphone whatsoever. no timeframe is given for restocking. customers are pissed, salespersons helpless. would have been better to wait some time for the introduction and have it available for more than 2 hours!

[shen]

I went to the apple store to see if the 3G phone was faster... I turned off wi-fi on the 3G phone and on my phone. Then I launched Safari on both. And typed in Yahoo on both phones and hit the Go button at the exact same time... and the Edge phone was faster... I was in shock. I had to pull my friend away to show him and bam ... the edge phone won a 2nd time to a brand new website he said to visit. I was VERY disappointed. Honestly I think the EDGE service has gotten faster since I first got my phone??? Go test it your self...

When the edge iphone came out, I could casually walk into a apple store the day after the launch and buy a phone no problem.. with out the lines.

Apple is creating a shortage of iphone on purpose... they have MORE then enough... it creates a phony atmosphere of demand... ala Nintendo Wii marketing strategy... it works.

ok, i did test it, and boy must 3G suck in your area....

also, do you have any proof of this artificial shortage, or are you just blowing smoke?

[shen]

How to find out availability before 9:00 PM:

It's really simple. Set your clock to after 9:00 PM. This will trick the web page into thinking that it should display live availability.

I've used it and it seems relatively accurate at updating real time inventory.

Hope this helps!!!!!

i tried this with my stock ticker, and i am going to make a killing on some stuff i looked up for late next month.....

[kjs862]

great news but i don't understand why the stock prices aren't doing too good

[saminsocks]

I'm not sure if the problem is that 3G is bad in some areas or that Edge is better in some areas. I played with my iPhone while I was vacationing in the Bay area and went everywhere with public transportation. While on the light rail or bus it would often switch back and forth. Some times I noticed the connection was really slow and looked to see that it was an Edge connection. Other times I just happened to notice it was an Edge network but didn't notice any difference in speed. Only a few times I noticed the connection was really slow on 3G, but those times I was loading a page that wasn't optimized for mobile phones, and usually I had just done a search.

[rlmccormick]

LOL, it is twice as fast in more than one aspect ;) ....
:apple: FTW

Ha. For a lot of people that is actually the only way it is twice as fast.

[avigalante]

just curious to know if those pictures were taken with the iphone 3g?

Yes, they indeed were.

I could tell you now - no way!

See above.

[DiamondMac]

Not surprising to me.

There are many regular people that I know who have gotten or will get a iPhone

They love how easy it is to check your mail with it
Love the apps/games I have shown them
Love how cool it looks/feels
Love how the price has dropped

[diamond3]

Am I the only one questioning that the iphone is only selling twice as fast?

So if it took 3 days to sell a million on the 3g iphone, and 74 days on the first gen iphone for 1 mil, how does it work out to be 2x as fast? I guess you can count for so many locations being sold out, but that still seems like a low number.

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/14/apple-sells-1-million-iphones-10-million-apps-downloaded-in-first-weekend/
Despite long lines and activation troubles, Apple announced today that they sold its one millionth iPhone 3G on Sunday, only three days after its initial launch on Friday, July 11th. In the press release, Steve Job points out that it took 74 days to sell the same number of the original iPhone. The iPhone 3G is now available in in 21 countries. When the iPhone was first announced in 2007, Apple had announced a goal of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008.

[dawnrazor]

Does anyone else think that articles like this lessen the validity of a website that purports to tell mac rumours and not dull mac news.

[cameronjpu]

Am I the only one questioning that the iphone is only selling twice as fast?

So if it took 3 days to sell a million on the 3g iphone, and 74 days on the first gen iphone for 1 mil, how does it work out to be 2x as fast? I guess you can count for so many locations being sold out, but that still seems like a low number.

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/14/apple-sells-1-million-iphones-10-million-apps-downloaded-in-first-weekend/
.

Very simple. I'm amazed how many people are confused by this. The first million were sold in 3 days, but not by ATT. ATT sold somewhere in the 300,000 neighborhood in the first three days of the initial launch. And now ATT has said that they sold nearly twice that many this time. So ATT sold between 5-600,000. Apple sold 1 million worldwide, about half of which were in the US, and half in other countries.

It's been another 7 days or so now, but we have no way to extrapolate the first million in 3 days to the next 7 days, because we have no way to know how many were made and stocked for day 1. We do know that they've sold every iPhone they've made since July 11, but there's no way to know how many that was. We MAY get some word once they reach 2 million, but I'd bet against Apple revealing that info.

Get it? It's not very complicated.

[DiamondMac]

I am getting my 3G iPhone this weekend and am hoping there is no line

If there is (significant line that is, I don't care if I have to wait a little bit) a line, I will just try another store or wait a little longer if needed

[alexinho]

I am rather disappointed with the way that the iPhone 3G is still hard to come by. I have been a Mac/Apple user for 20 years, and so have come to understand the hype that helps generate sales for the company, but really have been turned off by how Apple has managed these interesting product releases. Is the iPhone 3G going to be the next Nintendo Wii?

I 'reserved' two iPhone 3G units (one 8GB for my wife, one 16GB Black for me) a week ago, and they are still listed as 'backordered' on the AT&T website. Meanwhile, when I check the Apple Store availability tool, lo and behold, it looks like the Apple Stores are replenishing stock quite rapidly, as there are units all over the place. I know, the green dot could represent even one unit, but I thought that I would see some progress on my 'reserved' units within at the longest 7 days... Very frustrating. I hope this is not how my business 'partnership' is going to feel once I sign up for the two year contract...

[terryzx]

Just think how well it would be doing now if they would allow Verizon and the other carriers to carry it :mad:

[DiamondMac]

This is true. I am using 2.0 and more apps on my original and we both use our phones about the same but mine lasts much much longer. Yes he does not turn off 3G and I know it would help, but that is a pain to do. The on and off thingy.

I must admit myself I am very happy and surprised to see my original iPhone last quite long even when playing games on it all during the day

I had a fear heading into 2.0 that it would destroy what little battery life my iPhone usually had but so far, it has held up quite nicely

[saminsocks]

Yes, they indeed were.



See above.

I've been surprised at the quality of the photos I've seen from the iPhone, even despite it's low resolution. Although you don't really need a high resolution if you're not making huge photos. Even with my 3.1 megapixel camera I had to resize for web use, so this way no one has super large photos when all they're doing is putting them online.

[branjosef]

Whatcha talking about Willis? :eek:

[branjosef]

All I know is when I used the GPS feature on the demo model at the AT&T store, it took alot longer to locate me than it took my friend to walk outside the store and read the address. Whatcha got to say about that, huh APPLE !!! :eek:

[saminsocks]

All I know is when I used the GPS feature on the demo model at the AT&T store, it took alot longer to locate me than it took my friend to walk outside the store and read the address. Whatcha got to say about that, huh APPLE !!! :eek:

It took forever to locate me when I first got my phone but now it's super quick. It works faster than my friend's Garmin.

It may also be my imagination, or perhaps I'm not using it as much, but the battery life after the first couple charges seemed to improve. Moderately, but still an improvement.

[shen]

All I know is when I used the GPS feature on the demo model at the AT&T store, it took alot longer to locate me than it took my friend to walk outside the store and read the address. Whatcha got to say about that, huh APPLE !!! :eek:

hmmm, how about "welcome to the reality of GPS."

now go try it again where there are no addresses, and get back to us on how fast your friend is......

[sjo]

Very simple. I'm amazed how many people are confused by this. The first million were sold in 3 days, but not by ATT. ATT sold somewhere in the 300,000 neighborhood in the first three days of the initial launch. And now ATT has said that they sold nearly twice that many this time. So ATT sold between 5-600,000. Apple sold 1 million worldwide, about half of which were in the US, and half in other countries.

It's been another 7 days or so now, but we have no way to extrapolate the first million in 3 days to the next 7 days, because we have no way to know how many were made and stocked for day 1. We do know that they've sold every iPhone they've made since July 11, but there's no way to know how many that was. We MAY get some word once they reach 2 million, but I'd bet against Apple revealing that info.

Get it? It's not very complicated.

actually it's gets really complicated and you're not interpreting it right either . to quote what att is saying

AT&T says sales of the new iPhone 3G, after 12 days, and despite short supply, are nearly double the levels at which AT&T sold the first iPhone last summer.

so this refers to the number att is selling iphones, not the number iphones are selling in the us. we have no idea what number of iphones were sold by att last summer, i've assumed thus far that most iphones were sold at apple stores, second most important channel being apple online store and att outlets were getting relatively small number of iphone deliveries and didn't sell as much as the other 2 channels.

second it seems to be referring to the rate at which att is selling iphones after 12 days, not during the 12 first days. and the other rate offered is the rate sold during the summer 2007.

iphones were sold during last year 270,000 iphones were sold during the first days, after which it took about 70 days to reach 1m, so the rate iphones were sold last summer would be about 10k iphones sold / day total, counting all the channels. how many of those were sold by att? probably less than 1/3, so max of 3350/day.

so it seems to me that they're saying that att is selling at rate of about 3000-7000/day.

now for the other confusing number of 1m iphones sold worldwide. that is the number apple sold during the first 3 days. so that's what apple sold at their stores + what they sold to carriers (att, o2, t-mobile, vodafone, telefonica, etc). it's not the number of iphones that were bought by customers during those first three days. it can include iphones not yet delivered to the carriers, and it may even include orders by carriers that were not part of the initial launch.

this is everything but simple!

[deputylove8]

:o

[sonicboom]

I'll never understand this queueing for a phone. It's not bread or eggs or rice...it's a phone! Same thing for the new Batman, $50 or more people were paying for scalped tickets on Craigslist.

That's right. You'll never understand.

It's OK, a lot of people don't "get it".

[sonicboom]

I bought my Black 16GB iPhone 3G a few days ago at an Apple store in Natick MA. No line - Ok, 3 people.

The after 9PM availability of iphones in the MA stores are starting to green-light. It seems the initial burst is subsiding in my area anyway.

ATT store inventory is still pathetic compared to Apple stores though.

[jrbdmb]

I want an iPhone like anyone else but I'm getting tired of thinking about it.

I'm tired of tracking the inventory to see if my local store has them. I'm tired of calling them to see if they have run out yet. My wife is tired of me talkiing about it. I'm tired of trying to find the time to go to the store. I'm tired of having to stand in line to get one. I don't have that kind of time on my hands right now. I stood in line for forty minutes one time and gave up because I had to go to a meeting. Plus, standing in line doesn't guarantee you'll get the model you want either.

I'm to the point that I could care less about it anymore. I'm just tired of talking about it. I'm a diehard Apple fan and I will get one eventually but I'm tired of the rat race just to get the phone. It's like a freakin' game. :apple:
Umm ... you could just go to the nearest AT&T, order the iPhone you want, and relax. They'll call you when your phone comes in. No stress, no worries. :D

[boxod]

"iPhone 3G Selling Twice as Fast as Original"

Really?.. Wonder what's causing that!?

[newyorksole]

That's right. You'll never understand.

It's OK, a lot of people don't "get it".

The Dark Knight and iPhone 3G are both hot right now, both always selling out.

[Sweetbike40]

The buy in price IS $300 cheaper than the original. Most people don't sit down and figure out that this phone is actually more expensive over the 2 year contract.

They see the $199 / $299 price.

I could get a Window Mobile phone(or a iPhone knock off--which are just as much, if not more, than the iPhone) for around the same price, pay the same data and talk prices and be miserable. OR i could have the amazing iPhone for $199 and be happy. I had a Windows Mobile 3G phone for a month and was about to cancel the data because the platform sucked. With the iPhone, the data charge is so worth it.

I understand that the price went up for service, but you are getting a service. You're paying for a service which the fees are the same for other phones.

My DSL went out last night because of a storm. Having my iPhone, i was still able to go online and email all night long. So worth it.

[Sweetbike40]

Yes, they indeed were.



See above.

I'm not surprised. People are so quick to assume the camera sucks. I personally think it's good for what it is. With a steady hand and good lighting, i get some really nice shots.

[oclor]

I just ordered an iPhone from an AT&T store. We have to wait 3 weeks! Insane!

[gmcbay]

I just ordered an iPhone from an AT&T store. We have to wait 3 weeks! Insane!

I ordered one very early last week and was quoted 7-21 days. 10 days have passed and no word on when I might get it, so in at least some cases their estimates aren't being overly padded. The one I ordered was a 16gb black, though, and it seems like AT&T is having a really hard time filling orders for those. If you ordered a white one you may get it sooner... that seems to be the pattern.

Between the wait and horror stories about battery life and 3G reception in areas that get great 3G reception on other phones I've been tempted to just cancel the order a few times now, but at this point I might as well get the thing, check it out for myself, and return within 30 days if I end up with a lemon phone.

[nemaslov]

I ordered one very early last week and was quoted 7-21 days. 10 days have passed and no word on when I might get it, so in at least some cases their estimates aren't being overly padded. The one I ordered was a 16gb black, though, and it seems like AT&T is having a really hard time filling orders for those. If you ordered a white one you may get it sooner... that seems to be the pattern.

Between the wait and horror stories about battery life and 3G reception in areas that get great 3G reception on other phones I've been tempted to just cancel the order a few times now, but at this point I might as well get the thing, check it out for myself, and return within 30 days if I end up with a lemon phone.

Well it won't be a lemon and it is a great phone. As I wrote earlier, my business partner has one and I the original. If you don't have an iPhone GET IT, but if you have a first gen then I would wait for battery improments next time. Faster? Yes sometimes, but not always and about 1/3 the battery life if you use all features and keep 3G turned on.

I can use mine all day without a charge and he cannot.

[trevelyn]

[QUOTE=avigalante;5887975]Indeed lines are still forming, which is truly mind-boggling.

After I stepped out of work at ~6PM on Monday (7/21), I decided to take the following pictures of the line at the the 5th Ave. Apple store:


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2696212844_bd4f43c7df.jpg?v=0

That dude in the blue button up shirt needs to lose some weight around the gut if he wants to sport a shirt like that and not look like a douche. :cool:

[Insulin Junkie]

I'm liking my 1st Gen iPhone better and better ... all the people are going to be running around with the new ones and I'll be one of the few to have one with the aluminum back I got off e-bay in my country...yay for that =D

[jamrob98]

That dude in the blue button up shirt needs to lose some weight around the gut if he wants to sport a shirt like that and not look like a douche.

I think it's clear to everyone who reads your post who the douche is.

Signed,

The dude in the blue button-up shirt

[bunnicula]

I think it's clear to everyone who reads your post who the douche is.

Signed,

The dude in the blue button-up shirt


Oh. My. God.

That comeback was priceless.

:D

[Pandaboots]

[QUOTE=avigalante;5887975]Indeed lines are still forming, which is truly mind-boggling.

After I stepped out of work at ~6PM on Monday (7/21), I decided to take the following pictures of the line at the the 5th Ave. Apple store:


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2696212844_bd4f43c7df.jpg?v=0

That dude in the blue button up shirt needs to lose some weight around the gut if he wants to sport a shirt like that and not look like a douche. :cool:

Wow..I'm amazed on so many levels that someone would actually make a comment like that. Why don't you post a picture of yourself and let us scrutinize you and then post inappropriate rude comments on your fashion sense and weight inside of a technology forum...

[DiamondMac]

Talk about a turn about

Yesterday I posted on here that several stores around here had iPhones and I was going to get one today

I called every AT&T store within 20 miles of my house (20+ stores) and not one had an iPhone
:eek:

[spydr]

All right, so why doesn't AT&T PAY people to get an iPhone, and then increase the cost even more?
They probably could — but why would they, when the phones are selling as soon as they get off the truck.

[ThunderBull4]

I don't suppose that has anything to do with it selling in 21 countries versus 1 last time ...

Or because it is selling at 1/3 the price of last time ...

Or because more were available upon launch than last time ...

Or ... :D

When you consider that most places are constantly out of stock, if there had been 3x as many available at launch, these articles would be saying that it is selling 5-6x as fast as the original.

Good Points, all makes sense too. Im surprised it didnt sell faster

[branjosef]

[QUOTE=trevelyn;5898675]

Wow..I'm amazed on so many levels that someone would actually make a comment like that. Why don't you post a picture of yourself and let us scrutinize you and then post inappropriate rude comments on your fashion sense and weight inside of a technology forum...

Somebody seems a little insecure ...:rolleyes: Just remember what my mama always said. ..."If you can't make fun of yourself, someone else will"

[branjosef]

Oh and just for pokes and giggles...I'm posting a picture of myself so everyone can see I'm bringin sexy back. I'm comfortable with myself. i can't help it if its glandular. :eek: AHHHHHH RUN!!! Its the ghetto fairy. Thats how I imagine every CS rep I talk to at ATT when I call

[HarryAndAGuitar]

I'm not really surprised they are selling much more iPhones this time around, i mean, they are better, cheaper and available in ALOT more countries so how is it not going to be able to sell?

[DiamondMac]

Going to try my luck with an AT&T store in Gulf Shores tomorrow morning as I am on vacation :D

Hopefully they have some but I doubt it