Apple 'Blown Away' by iPhone 5 Pre-Orders

[inkswamp]

F it. I just sold my 4S and bought a Samsung S3. So far I'm impressed and content its going to be better than the 5.

I've bought Apple since I was 20 (i'm 39 now) and bought the first iPhone the day it came out but I think they've dropped the ball with this one.

These posts are hilarious. You can spot some variant across any given tech discussion forum. The longtime Apple fan who has just had it. Up. To. Here.

And they're making for the greener pastures of Android Land.

Well, if you're for real, best of luck. I've owned an Android phone and it sucked. Hard. But I know that's just an opinion so it's purely subjective. However, looking over consumer surveys, you'll see a high percentage of Android users planning to buy an iPhone next, and far, far fewer going the other direction. And you'll also see lots of very high numbers when it comes to iPhone user satisfaction.

But you already know that. I suspect your outrage is fake and meant to upset people here. But if it's real, it's very definitely misguided.

Like I said though, good luck with the clusterf$&@ called Android. You will most definitely need it.

 

[flameproof]

I guess the 'blown away' press release was already prepared 6 month ago.

The iPhone 5 release is just the same as all previous iPhone or iPad releases.

 

[mrxak]

I know how marketing works.

I have no chip on my shoulder.

I believe Apple is making a mistake by portraying themselves as being so amazed at the overwhelming demand for this phone. They knew what the demand would be. Every single industry analyst has been saying for months that this phone would be a huge seller. Where do you think they got that information from? From Apple, during their confidential briefings.

I'm reacting to this "blown away" nonsense. Apple is most assuredly NOT blown away by this. They knew all along it was coming. If there's one thing Apple is NOT, it's stupid.

And... why do you care? It's just a silly comment to the press from a spokesperson asked a question.

But really, a mistake? Really? What harm could possibly befall Apple as a result of letting people know they're happy with the sales?

 

[KPOM]

I guess the 'blown away' press release was already prepared 6 month ago.

The iPhone 5 release is just the same as all previous iPhone or iPad releases.

Yes. They sold more than ever. Most companies would like that. Few can actually deliver that.

 

[foodog]

I'm blown away by how stupid some people on this board really are!

What did you think Apple would say?

"We are very upset over preorder sales, we really were expected to sell at least 60% more units than what were actually ordered."

Of course they sold out, it's a popular product and nobody is denying that, but this is classic Nintendo Wii marketing...produce less, sell out, create a huge buzz because you are in short supply.

It's smart marketing...Apple is very good at this.

Except for the fact they sell millions of them, you have a great opinion.

 

[towg]

These posts are hilarious. You can spot some variant across any given tech discussion forum. The longtime Apple fan who has just had it. Up. To. Here.

And they're making for the greener pastures of Android Land.

Well, if you're for real, best of luck. I've owned an Android phone and it sucked. Hard. But I know that's just an opinion so it's purely subjective. However, looking over consumer surveys, you'll see a high percentage of Android users planning to buy an iPhone next, and far, far fewer going the other direction. And you'll also see lots of very high numbers when it comes to iPhone user satisfaction.

But you already know that. I suspect your outrage is fake and meant to upset people here. But if it's real, it's very definitely misguided.

Like I said though, good luck with the clusterf$&@ called Android. You will most definitely need it.

Grow up.

 

[dethmaShine]

The fact that it was sold out in an hour just means supply was less than demand. If they had 2 and got orders for 3, it would be sold out.

Given the outcry for the iPhone, the supply on the first day will always be less than demand.

Instead of the stupid example of 2 out 3, it could be very well that they sold some 3M devices when the demand was more like 15-20M.

It has nothing to do with record-breaking sales figures, yet at least. The initial supply just might have mean a lot less this year. This is no information until they quote actual pre-order unit sales.

It has everything to do with record breaking sales unless Apple was really tight in the supply and were able to manufacture only 80-120% of what they did with the iPhone 4S.

Moreover, it is common sense that Apple has never face unit supply problems with a product that generates more than 60% of their entire profit. Moreover, the product has been in the supply chain for long — henceforth, the leaks. It is pretty clear that they had much more inventory than last time — it's just that they sold out.

For all we know, Apple might have just held back supply to purposely say they were sold out in hour for publicity. I'm not saying that's the case, but it's possible.

Oh! Finally getting to the age-old ******** argument. Should've read your entire post first. Wouldn't have wasted my time.

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when I saw it sold out in an hour my first thought was looks like they have a smaller stockpile for launch. but the more I think about it.....how many people passed up the 4S because it "wasn't all new" then add how many people who have been complaining about no LTE for 2 years plus all the diehards that buy no matter what. this will be a record launch probably by a landslide.

Exactly.

 

[Nicky G]

Luxury products tend to do well in recessions. People don't go out to eat as much, or go see movies, and they certainly don't buy really big items, but they still want something nice to play with. Says a lot about consumer psychology, but nonetheless is true. The iPhone is in the sweet spot of being a luxury but not so expensive that it's unaffordable.

A $5000 watch is a luxury item, or a $1500 wallet. A smart phone that costs $200 is not really considered a luxury good in that sense.

 

[KPOM]

These posts are hilarious. You can spot some variant across any given tech discussion forum. The longtime Apple fan who has just had it. Up. To. Here.

And they're making for the greener pastures of Android Land.

Well, if you're for real, best of luck. I've owned an Android phone and it sucked. Hard. But I know that's just an opinion so it's purely subjective. However, looking over consumer surveys, you'll see a high percentage of Android users planning to buy an iPhone next, and far, far fewer going the other direction. And you'll also see lots of very high numbers when it comes to iPhone user satisfaction.

But you already know that. I suspect your outrage is fake and meant to upset people here. But if it's real, it's very definitely misguided.

Like I said though, good luck with the clusterf$&@ called Android. You will most definitely need it.

I can see people, mostly casual users, going back and forth or not seeing much difference. To be fair, Android has some good features. Notification is slick, and the Google Maps Navigation integration has been good for a while, and the toolbar to quickly (de)activate Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is nice. I used a Nexus One for nearly 2 years myself.

That said, it seems to me that iOS is a far more integrated design, and it's also clear that Apple pays lots of attention to detail. I like the 4S and can hardly wait out the next 168 hours or so until I'm setting up my iPhone 5. Apple products have a premium feel to them that even top tier Android devices like the Galaxy S3 lack. Yes, polycarbonate plastic is more durable than aluminum or glass, but does anyone say that a sweatshirt is higher quality than a silk blouse or tailored shirt because it can withstand more wear and tear? Apple products strike a nice balance between elegance and durability.

 

[clibinarius]

If there's nothing new in the new iPhone, why didn't some competitor start selling the new iPhone months ago? By your logic, they could have made a killing!

Obviously there's something new here (and objectively, there's plenty, you just refuse to admit it), or this would not be selling as fast as it is.

Actually, no one could quite sell the iPhone. First, to Android fanboys, the antenna design is still maligned rightly or wrongly so no headset maker would want to release one with a similar design.

Apple also has patents on a lot of unibody manufacturing processes.

And Apple's iPhone 4 design was beautiful (although controversial). I don't think they were going to abandon it so quickly and it wouldn't surprise me if it was with us for a while in some form (the iPhone 5). I don't view the design of the phone's appearance as different, which disappoints some (I'd like to see an iPhone instead of in different colors in outright different shapes, like a 3GS type model and a iPhone 4/5 type model at the same time...some day, it may happen!).

Another thing new is the Gobi chip. But that was because Qualcomm couldn't get them in high enough yields last year.

As far as what's actually new technologically in this phone? Nothing I can see, except it might be the first to bring Gobi to market, allowing it to be thin and light. Make no mistake, there was no innovation here. Period. The innovations are a faster chip, a longer screen, and buying better chips. And thinner, if that's what you're into (I'm not. I was playing around at work with an iPhone 4S-mine-and an iPhone 3GS and we didn't understand why it needed to get smaller).

I will say the iPhone 5 is a really nice device-if you're already in the Apple ecosystem or don't want to buy google. And if you want to buy in. But I will hold steady to my opinion that Google's offerings ARE superior in innovation and technology by this point-a size for every person, as well as a flavored OS for everyone. But I will never, ever buy a phone or anything from Google as a company, and thus, I'm stuck with Apple. And its a good phone by the looks of it. Just not an innovative one. Not every Apple product needs to be revolutionary (How long before this current Macbook Pro has it been since there was a Macbook pro with more than just better chips?). I think some people (like me) are offended that Apple has ceased to innovate, claims they do, and then sues people that takes what made their products great and make them better. If Samsung's SIII was licensed to run iOS by consumer choice, there would be no excuse to buy an iPhone. Its just that much better. But its not, nor will it be, and that's just the reality of the situation-and Apple in particular.

Still though, the iPhone 5 I believe will be the sexiest phone on the market. There's nothing wrong with owning a gadget that you think is a work of art. That's half the appeal of Apple products anyway. Its not a fashion statement to carry them around if you're marveling at the fashion of them without anyone involved.

But beyond fashion, where's the innovation? Its not there. Period.

 

[inthequantum]

I have heard a few people who had ordered through the apple store already seeing a transaction on their credit card, for those of you who ordered through verizon's website, have you seen any transaction yet on your credit card or have a tracking number?

 

[throys]

It will def be more successful than iPhone 4S launch despite the negativity around it. I couldn't get to pre-order mines yesterday but can't wait to get my hands on it. This just proves iPhones are still the most single dominant phone in the market despite everything. Users want reliability, stability, old/new device support when it comes to software upgrade, in the UK you can walk in a apple store with a broken or non working iPhone and walk out with a new or refurbished one this just sells it for me.

 

[starstreak]

A $5000 watch is a luxury item, or a $1500 wallet. A smart phone that costs $200 is not really considered a luxury good in that sense.

The 64GB iphone 5 is $849. For a phone, that's luxury. You're quoting sub.price on the lowest model. It's like buying a BMW that cost $90k for $20k but you have to keep it for 5 years with the words BMW plastered on your forehead till your contract runs out.

 

[avanpelt]

...for those of you who ordered through verizon's website, have you seen any transaction yet on your credit card or have a tracking number?

I ordered through Verizon's website at 5 AM EDT. I have not seen a transaction on my card yet, nor do I have a tracking number. It just says that the order was received and that it's processing.

I Googled around and it appears Verizon typically doesn't charge the card until the order ships. I am not expecting to see a tracking number until next Wednesday or Thursday; and once that appears, I suspect I'll see the charge on my card.

 

[rnizlek]

I have heard a few people who had ordered through the apple store already seeing a transaction on their credit card, for those of you who ordered through verizon's website, have you seen any transaction yet on your credit card or have a tracking number?

No tracking number yet, but yes, my credit card was charged. AT&T 32 GB black, ordered around 3:25 AM via the Apple Store app. I see two authorizations on my card - $1 (which I assume is from the initial sale) and the full purchase price, including tax.

I'd imagine I won't get a tracking number until Sunday or Monday. I'm interested to see if it will ship direct from China, like my 4 did, or whether they have already imported the preorder batch and will dispatch them domestically (like they did with my iPad 3 when I preordered it).

Edit: I see you were talking about Verizon's site. Sorry. Should have read your post more closely.

 

[mrxak]

You think they ship from their Apple stores to customers to who order online delivery? No of course not... Apple did an excellent job of balancing online direct deliveries against having enough supply in Apple stores.\

It sets a far better impression on a would be customer to have walk-in traffic be able to grab a newly released device and not turned away empty handed. Those ordering online are more likely to have already made the decision to purchase and of course are more likely to accept having to wait since they already decided that getting it shipped was good enough.

...so of course Apple is going to favor ensuring stores had sufficient stock on launch days and the days following... and even after doing that with the iPhone 4S they still had lack of stock in many store locations consistently for weeks.

This is precisely right. One of the philosophies in Apple Retail is to always give the customer a solution they can go home with. It's better to have supply in the store than online, and while Apple obviously wants to cater to the people who want to buy online in huge numbers as they are wont to do, it's the retail customer that might go across the mall and buy something else if Apple doesn't have the product in stock.

Of course, there are always stock issues at the retail locations during busy times, in high volume areas. That's why you hear about Apple getting new shipments in almost every day, even if it's just a few units. A lot of companies might ship newly built product once a week to each retail location. Apple's logistics operation is truly remarkable, but that's Tim Cook for you.

 

[wilycoder]

costs $200

LOL! Buying AT&T's marketing hook, line and sinker!

 

[Nicky G]

The 64GB iphone 5 is $849. For a phone, that's luxury. You're quoting sub.price on the lowest model. It's like buying a BMW that cost $90k for $20k but you have to keep it for 5 years with the words BMW plastered on your forehead till your contract runs out.

I'm pretty sure it's not at all like that, actually.

And most iPhone 5 customers will be buying the 16GB version with a 2 year contract, so quoting $849 when almost no buyers pay that out of pocket it not even close to reality.

Also, calling the iPhone a "phone" as we know is ridiculous, these things are portable computers that happen to have phones in them. And video game consoles. And web-browsing devices. And GPS navigators. And encyclopedias. ANd about 500 other extremely useful things that make calling them "phones" about as accurate as calling a Porsche a "horse and carriage."

When $200 on-contract gets you a mobile PC that for many people is more useful than a powerful desktop computer from 5-10 years ago, it makes more sense to compare the price to that of a computer, not a simple cellular phone that only makes calls and does texting.

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LOL! Buying AT&T's marketing hook, line and sinker!

Trust me, I'm reasonably well aware of what the "actual" price of an iPhone is, taking into account the subsidy you pay back over the life of your contract, the contract itself, activation fees, and the whole nine yards.

Let's go back to my point. A highly sophisticated mobile consumer electronics device that, out of pocket, will cost most people a few hundred bucks, is not the same thing as goods that are typically bundled under the "luxury" category, and include things like watches that START at several thousand dollars, and that's for the relatively inexpensive ones (there are watches that cost several hundred THOUSAND dollars).

 

[KPOM]

If Samsung's SIII was licensed to run iOS by consumer choice, there would be no excuse to buy an iPhone. Its just that much better. But its not, nor will it be, and that's just the reality of the situation-and Apple in particular.

Still though, the iPhone 5 I believe will be the sexiest phone on the market. There's nothing wrong with owning a gadget that you think is a work of art. That's half the appeal of Apple products anyway. Its not a fashion statement to carry them around if you're marveling at the fashion of them without anyone involved.

But beyond fashion, where's the innovation? Its not there. Period.

You can make the same statements about the Galaxy S3 vs. the S2. What really changed? The screen went from big to huge, the CPU evolved, and they added some eye candy.

Let's face it. Big changes even in technology are relatively rare. Evolution is the norm. Mobile phones in the 1980s were bricks that made calls. In the early 1990s they shrank down and became affordable. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, they settled on the candy bar design. Then RIM came along and added enterprise e-mail. Other "smartphones" followed but it took Apple to make it mainstream. I think we've reached the point where the smartphone will just evolve until someone, be it Apple or someone else, takes advantage of some up and coming technology. But at some point, the next big thing requires a new category. PCs changed significantly between 1980 and 2000. However, in the last 12 years it's been mostly evolution. They are smaller, cheaper, and faster, but the basic design of our desktops and notebooks has been pretty much the same. It took a new tablet category altogether (epitomized by the iPad) to shake things up. Microsoft is trying to push the category along further, but again it is more an evolution of the tablet.

I don't know what comes after smartphones. Maybe it's Google with their funky new glasses. Maybe it's a company we haven't heard of yet.

In the meantime, expect refinement from Apple and Samsung, and whoever else remains in the industry. iPhone 5 is a good refinement. They are late to the LTE party, but they were also late to the 3G party back in 2008, and for good reason. LTE chipsets are a lot more refined than they were 12 months ago and suck up a lot less battery. Plus we have significantly better coverage of LTE than 12 months ago. For as much as Samsung is mocking Apple in advertising right now, you can bet you'll see many of the same refinements in the SIV (Cortex A15 chip, newer chipsets, better battery life, perhaps a thinner design).

 

[Appleitechnc]

Sprint rocks!!

Just got off of sprint here I was all concerned that I would not receive my iphone 5 by Friday the 21st but come to find out they said that it is estimated to by delivered before Thursday the 20th but if it took longer it would arrive at latest Friday the 21st!! OMG I am going crazy!!! Everyone they still have preorders for the 32gb and 64GB for delivery by the 21st!

 

[ColdCase]

I played with both a GS3 and the Nokia Lumia the other day to see what other phones may be available and liked the Lumia. If it weren't for the iPhone, I would get the Nokia if I needed a smart phone. Seems like Microsoft put a lot of work and thought into designing their OS. The GUI performance was very nice, smooth, polished, intuitive. The hardware was nice, not Apple-nice, but much better than the GS3.

Samsung's GS3 seemed to be an absolute joke in comparison. It seemed to be made out of cheap plastic that felt like it would snap in two, then the performance of Android simply awful. It was choppy, scrolling stutters, animation was crude, and you have to use two hands to use the device! Using the GS3 was painful. It seems to be the ghetto of OS's, Microsoft did a much better job I think.

Just a first impression and small sample but shame on the fandroids for defending such a crappy system. Between the windows phone and iPhone, Android's days are numbered.

 

[KPOM]

The 64GB iphone 5 is $849. For a phone, that's luxury. You're quoting sub.price on the lowest model. It's like buying a BMW that cost $90k for $20k but you have to keep it for 5 years with the words BMW plastered on your forehead till your contract runs out.

Not exactly. You are getting a cellular voice and data network in the process. Sure over the years the US market has evolved into one in which you pay less upfront and more each month, while other markets pay more upfront and less each month, but at a broad level we pay roughly similar amounts over time for similar service. In this day and age, cellular connectivity is pretty much expected, whether to keep in touch with the office or to check up on sports scores.

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Just a first impression and small sample but shame on the fandroids for defending such a crappy system. Between the windows phone and iPhone, Android's days are numbered.

Well, as Windows for PCs showed, what's best isn't always what succeeds in the marketplace. I agree, though, that the new Nokia devices are pretty slick. They also managed to get a 4.5" screen into a device not much larger than the iPhone 4S. I want Nokia to succeed, if only because it will help eat into Android's market share. A contest between 3 usually works out better than one between 2 contestants.

 

[sniffies]

for those lining up, this may be worse than the iphone 4 launch. They had some crazy 4 hour lines.

4 hours???

iPhone owner since 2007 here. 8-10 hours in line every year. Nothing new.

 

[Pikepride2000]

I'm wondering if the pre-order stats will be greater than those for the iPhone 4 and 4s combined. That would be something. Hello economic surge.

 

[bidwalj]

4 hours???

Image

iPhone owner since 2007 here. 8-10 hours in line every year. Nothing new.

You waited 8-10 hours with a open store? That's nuts. Out here in the Bay Area lines are never more than 30-60 mins with a open store.