AT&T Sold Out of iPhones

[MacRumors]

It appears that most of AT&T's 1800 retail stores sold out of iPhones within hours of going on sale.

“Virtually all of our stores sold out of the iPhone last night,” AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said, declining to specify how many units had been sold.

According to anecdotal reports on the forums, some AT&T stores received as few as 20 units for sale, while others claimed in excess of 100.

None of the Apple stores appear sold out, but they reportedly had significant more stock than the AT&T stores.

[Frisco]

Get them while you still can. iPhones are hot! I am predicting $750,000 sold over the weekend.

[sonicboom]

Originally Posted by Frisco

Get them while you still can. iPhones are hot! I am predicting $750,000 sold over the weekend.

$750,000 worth is too low.

750,000 units is way too high.

My local ATT store sold out (had < 50), but the Apple Store has plenty (on day two).

I could have bought one today (no line), had it in hand, but then decided not to due to the 10% restocking fee upon return if I found no signal reception in my house.

[Fearless Leader]

hmm. well this is just great. I live 5 hours away from the nearest apple store, and 5 min away from the nearest AT&T. Apple could have released a few more to the AT&T stores.

though, I was bummed at first because all we have is "cingular" stores, and an Actual AT&T store. Well the day of I just got out of a movie and saw them hanging plastic banners over the Cingular signs. Every single Cingular store did that. It was kinda pathetic.

[JGowan]

Originally Posted by Frisco

Get them while you still can. iPhones are hot! I am predicting $750,000 sold over the weekend.

That's a very low number.

Basically, you're saying Apple/AT&T sold 375 4GB models ($187,500) and 938 8GB models ($562,800) if what I've read is true that the 8GB models outnumbering the smaller one 4-to-1.

1,313 iPhones by your number. Wow. How did you get this number?

Also, if what I hear is true (that there was 400,000 iPhones available at launch) then a total sell-out (at 4/1 iphones of the bigger variety), then the number is quite unbelievable...

300,000 iPhones @ $600 = $180,000,000
100,000 iPhones @ $500 = $50,000,000
-------------------------------------------------
$230,000,000

Almost a quarter of a Billion dollars if they sell all!

Another plug nickel: No matter how big the lines were at Apple or AT&T, God only knows how many phones were sold from Apple.com so far... well God and perhaps Steve Jobs.

[mashinhead]

anyone else having an issue with the apple online search tool, cos that there isn't working for little ol' me. Link works. but store list is MIA.

[whatever]

Originally Posted by Frisco

Get them while you still can. iPhones are hot! I am predicting $750,000 sold over the weekend.

Let's do some quick math. If all of the 1,800 AT&T store got 20 iPhones that would be 36,000 and let's just say they were all the 4GB model (I know that is not true but let's keep this simple), then 36000 x 499 = $17,964,000.00.

Now that's an impressive number for two days of sales, let's cut that number in half and we have $8,982,000.00.

Again, an impressive number. And that's not counting the Apple Stores.

The initial run of iPhones is 3 million units. So if Apple sold just 1/3 of those that's $499,000,000.00.

I can't wait to see this quarter's numbers!

[CharlesDWard]

I was one of the last people (2nd or 3rd to last) that was able to get an 8 gig iPhone at the Nashville, TN Apple store on Saturday. One of guys working there said that they are opening at 9:00 AM everyday and expect to have a new shipment of phones everyday (for at least the next couple of weeks).

I don't know how many they had when they opened but by 11:30 or so they where out. There where some 4 gigs left (not for sure how many but maybe around 15 or 20)

[mashoutposse]

The Apple stores got absolutely massive shipments. From the number of people in and out of the the 5th Avenue store, I would estimate that they received something like 3000 units on day one. Apple Stores still having stock means nothing.

You can be sure that Apple paid attention to the screwups repeatedly made by the video game console makers and determined that they weren't going to let the units and dollars go to speculators. The strategy of letting AT&T stores sell out will prove to be genius as they will have it both ways (the hysteria causes by "shortages" and the goodwill of customers who enjoyed a smooth purchasing experience at the Apple Stores).

[pyramid6]

I bought my iPhone on Saturday morning at an AT&T store. I called before I went and they told me that as far as they knew they still had some. I went home and activated it. Only took a few minutes. Can't complain.

I would like to see numbers. Sold out means nothing. Selling 500,000 is something impressive.

P6

[Diode]

Originally Posted by mashoutposse

The Apple stores got absolutely massive shipments. From the number of people in and out of the the 5th Avenue store, I would estimate that they received something like 3000 units on day one. Apple Stores still having stock means nothing.

I can attest to this. I went to the Tysons Apple store in DC around 7:30 PM on launch day and was able to buy one ... they said they had already sold a couple hundred. Not bad for the first hour and a half ehh?

[Mtn Tamale]

Actually, Apple's Quarterly numbers will barely be affected. Apple announced not long ago that they wouldn't recongnize iPhone revenue right away. Instead they would treat it like a subscription and recognize it over 8 quarters.

Originally Posted by whatever

Let's do some quick math. If all of the 1,800 AT&T store got 20 iPhones that would be 36,000 and let's just say they were all the 4GB model (I know that is not true but let's keep this simple), then 36000 x 499 = $17,964,000.00.

Now that's an impressive number for two days of sales, let's cut that number in half and we have $8,982,000.00.

Again, an impressive number. And that's not counting the Apple Stores.

The initial run of iPhones is 3 million units. So if Apple sold just 1/3 of those that's $499,000,000.00.

I can't wait to see this quarter's numbers!

[BigPrince]

Mine had 40. The next nearest one 45.

[morse]

We have two at&t stores in Boise. I waited at one, but they only had 25 units and sold out within minutes. I drove to the other store around 7:00 because I heard they had "over 100". When I got there there was a 15 minute line, and they said "around 25 left" when I got to the register. I'm betting they had a lot more than a 100 when they opened.

[bigandtasty]

Originally Posted by morse

We have two at&t stores in Boise. I waited at one, but they only had 25 units and sold out within minutes. I drove to the other store around 7:00 because I heard they had "over 100". When I got there there was a 15 minute line, and they said "around 25 left" when I got to the register. I'm betting they had a lot more than a 100 when they opened.

I am in Boise and went to the Milwaukee store at about noon and was 22nd in line. When I got into the store and up to the cash register I asked and they said they got just over 100 phones at that location.. Bummer there were so few at Broadway, especially with Boise not having an Apple store (Apple are you listening) here.

[minik]

Around 1:30pm yesterday at the Bellevue Square, a couple AT&T employees tried to 'steal' iPhone buyers from the Apple Store line. The rep told us AT&T received the same amount of units as the Apple Store did.

Pretty much Apple Store employees kept their lips sealed, but AT&T wasn't.

[Blue Velvet]

Stoking the appetite and then forcing most new Apple customers to enter an Apple store or dealer and walk past all those new Macs and iPods? Because there are weeks to wait online for an order... Not that I'm cynical or anything.

[MrCrowbar]

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

Stoking the appetite and then forcing most new Apple customers to enter an Apple store or dealer and walk past all those new Macs and iPods? Because there are weeks to wait online for an order... Not that I'm cynical or anything.

New Macs and iPods? The iMacs, Mac Minis and iPods haven't been updated in a while. LOL

[inkswamp]

I don't want to sound cynical but it's hard not to think that this was planned. If you short one outlet (AT&T stores) then you get the ongoing hype of "OMFG, the iPhone sold out" while there are still plenty quietly on hand at Apple stores everywhere. And then there's that odd 2-4 week delivery time on the Apple site. Hmmm... something doesn't add up and I'm sure Apple and AT&T's marketing people know why.

[Number41]

That's because they are all on eBay. Go to ebay and type it in. You'll find more iPhones then the Apple Store in New York or any other Apple store. In fact I would take a guess that 50% of the AT&T iphone sales are on eBay.


Its ridiculous. My bet is on Monday a lot of returns will happen.

[biturbomunkie]

it makes sense since it would bring more traffic to apple stores.

[sonicboom]

Originally Posted by inkswamp

I don't want to sound cynical but it's hard not to think that this was planned. If you short one outlet (AT&T stores) then you get the ongoing hype of "OMFG, the iPhone sold out" while there are still plenty quietly on hand at Apple stores everywhere. And then there's that odd 2-4 week delivery time on the Apple site. Hmmm... something doesn't add up and I'm sure Apple and AT&T's marketing people know why.

I share the same theory.

Question is... will it work? Time will tell.

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by sonicboom

I share the same theory.

Question is... will it work? Time will tell.

Well, it does appear that AT&T stores even in urban areas are sold out, but with almost 2000 AT&T stores vs. Apple's much smaller chain, they service very different populations and catchment areas.

Besides which... I can't see the Apple execs too thrilled about sending their customers into cell phone stores. Right up there with being inside JCPenney in terms of lack of taste.

[Abercrombieboy]

Originally Posted by mkrishnan

Besides which... I can't see the Apple execs too thrilled about sending their customers into cell phone stores.

Honestly I don't think Apple execs give a darn where customers are spending money as long as all that money is coming back to Cupertino.

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by Abercrombieboy

Honestly I don't think Apple execs give a darn where customers are spending money as long as all that money is coming back to Cupertino.

I do see your point. Money is money. But, I think the amount of effort they put into their store experience, and the (accurate) rhetoric from Jobs about how bad shopping experiences elsewhere are, suggest otherwise...