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Apple 'Blown Away' by iPhone 5 Pre-Orders
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There was neither innovation nor demand being met. Though the latter could have happened. JIT usually is for cash strapped companies that feel that over production may result in a loss on an x number of units produced. Hardly the case with Apple and this phone
You do realize that slimming down a phone as much as they did, while INCREASING battery life is pretty damn innovative, right? Maybe there's nothing that pops you in the face to make you think it's "innovative," but that doesn't mean it's not. Don't forget about iOS 6, too, and the features in that. Innovative or not (it's all subjective), one thing's for sure: Apple executes effectively and better than anyone else.
Seriously? Ever run your own business or event before? It's called "marketing 101" and that is how you do things. Has BMW ever come out with an ad saying, "BMW, we make an okay driving experience..." I mean seriously, I can't believe people are mad about a press release.
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Companies have ways of saying they are not happy with results. Usually they'll make statements about how "pleased" they are with performance in light of "challenges," or "expectations." This press statement isn't one of them, particularly since it ratchets up expectations for the press release coming the Monday after launch date when they historically have announced total sales the first weekend (which include pre-orders that have been delivered to customers, but not those still in the pipeline).
Sure it's PR, but they are also a public company. They can't make blatant falsehoods (advertising itself can have "puffery" but that just covers statements like BMW calling itself the "Ultimate Driving Machine").
All these people here who sincerely believe companies truly hold back potential millions in sales just to make sure their product is *hot* are simply hilarious! Oh and when they start arguing that they are in marketing too... yeah, this explains why their company will never be as successful or profitable as Apple when they start telling their bosses "No no, it's better to not sell our products than sell them!" 
But just curious how many of the naysayers here actually placed an order, and if not, didn't someone complain about the value of someone's time if they drive by the lines outside? How valuable must your time be if you spend it all bashing a product you don't intend to buy? Think about that.
But just curious how many of the naysayers here actually placed an order, and if not, didn't someone complain about the value of someone's time if they drive by the lines outside? How valuable must your time be if you spend it all bashing a product you don't intend to buy? Think about that.
Maybe Samsung can make a video of how you can sleep in on order day and still get release day shipping for their phones.
It would go well with their "Apple long lines" themed commercials.
Nothing like touting the popularity of other devices to promote your own.
So true I cannot express it.
Laughed ridiculously loud @ 0:34am.
On another note:
I guess we all know that the iPhone 5 launch is astronomical.
Don't need Apple quotes for this.
The chaos that has been going on with my carrier today is off the charts.
(Deutsche Telekom, so a carrier that's actually capable of handling high demand, but they have been suffering EXTREME waiting lines on their customer care main line today. (Of course I know the "side" lines that get you in quicker))
It's so funny... Guess the GS3 pre-order numbers still are "cute" compared to this.
And again, I don't see the logic in saying that people have to suffer and have a tough time getting it in order for it to be record selling.
What would you have liked to see, exactly? Just because you were able to get one successfully doesn't mean everyone else could. You did see reports of AT&T, Verizon site breaking under load, right? Modification of shipping estimates in just 1 hours time? That makes it look pretty damn hot to me.
Probably the moment when they realised Apple would be ordering umpteen million more A6 chips from them, contributing heftily to the Korean conglomerate's bottom line.
Whatever the case, I am getting one to (finally) replace my Motorola RAZR...yes, RAZR, the thin one from 2004/2005...
Now my question is: black or white? Any suggestions?
I normally get up at 4:30am so I figured I would not have to get up at 2am like last year. I figured that I would still get mine delivered on launch day if I ordered 2 1/2 hours after presales began. I was very surprised when I ordered at 4:30 and they were already out 2 weeks at that point in time. So no big deal....just wait a little longer and mine will be delivered to me at work in a few weeks. Very big demand. Store lines next Friday should be very big.
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.
JIT is NOT for cash strapped companies. DELL, who was not cash strapped at the time, made if famous as they mastered it so well. Notice how all of our phones will ship directly from China with screens that are yellow because the glue hasn't completely dried. JIT
Of course they weren't "Blown Away". But exactly where is the mistake? Does anybody really get upset because they say this?
It happens every year.
Funny uh ? It's always "wildly popular" and Apple never builds enough.
Are you saying Apple are that piss poor at inventory management and demand forecasting ?
And this is the funniest part :
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/10/1...llion-iphone-4s-pre-orders-in-first-24-hours/
...
do I really need to say more here ? Hello ?
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No, just because they say it every year. It's getting to the point where people really don't believe it anymore.
Yes, what if it causes cancer? What if it blows up in your hands and burns your house down. What if SkyNet=iPhone 5?
On a more rational basis, it might help the company in the long run to have an underwhelming product rollout. Imagine if that had happened to RIM circa 2006? Maybe they would have considered going all capacitive.
Rather than being "nuts" there is no intrinsic value to selling more or less of a product.
And that's exactly why it's in Apple's interest to sell as many as possible before the release date. Holding back to sell them in stores reduces the total number that can be sold in any given period.
So true I cannot express it.
Laughed ridiculously loud @ 0:34am.
On another note:
I guess we all know that the iPhone 5 launch is astronomical.
Don't need Apple quotes for this.
The chaos that has been going on with my carrier today is off the charts.
(Deutsche Telekom, so a carrier that's actually capable of handling high demand, but they have been suffering EXTREME waiting lines on their customer care main line today. (Of course I know the "side" lines that get you in quicker))
It's so funny... Guess the GS3 pre-order numbers still are "cute" compared to this.
Hey Glass, I didn't know you was on here too ^^. I have my preorder in and it's delivered by date is 21/9. Wooo!
They will end up selling all they make. Spreading out the sales on purpose over the first few weeks to create a rarity and thus some launch hype/media attention isn't anything that's going to drive away the sales. At the end of the quarter, they'll have sold as much as they would have had they not held back and as a bonus, they will have gotten tons of free PR from the media/press.
Win/Win.
You do know what "technology" means, right? And the concept of "new?"
The A6 chip is new tech.
The screen with its significantly better color gamut and saturation is new tech.
The particular baseband radio they are using in iPhone 5 is pretty new tech, not many phone manufacturers are using it yet.
Many aspects of the camera system are new tech.
The actual physical manufacturing processes are new tech. Multiple 29 Megapixel cameras taking pictures of each part, and doing near-instantaneous analysis to match parts together out of millions of possible combinations, so the best possible fit between pieces can be maintained? Yes, that is certainly new tech.
And then there are likely many other small things under the hood that are all, yes, new tech. Any new device using brand new subcomponents takes a while to ramp up production of. Chip yields are lower when next-gen processors are brand new, versus 8 months into their life. That's simply the fact of the matter.
I think it would be useful for Apple to release a figure along the lines of, "in the first three hours we already sold xxx units through our store and partners." It would not disclose overall sales but would provide a touchstone as to the sheer velocity of sales. I would of course pick the peak time to end the disclosure to maximize the perceived velocity and scale.
Rocketman
Rocketman
Apple never makes enough iPhones. Is this their way of being modest, pretending that less people will buy them?
And they're always "Blown away". Really. How can people not laugh at the quote from 2011 being the same in regards to the 4S as it is this year for the 5 ? Almost seems like they just copy/pasted the "reaction". They fully expected this.