Apple Sells Out of Initial iPhone 4 Shipment

[Gizmotoy]

You'll be standing in line with the schmucks who also preordered. Last year they had two lines, and the people that preordered went ahead of anyone who didn't. There was still a good hour wait for the people who preordered.

But he didn't pre-order, he just reserved one. That's a new class of buyer. I don't think anyone knows if they'll get to go in the pre-order line, the regular line, or if there will be a new line for reservations.

 

[number9]

Amazing that both they and AT&T sold through their first day allotment. I wonder what those numbers work out to be.

I'm just glad I finally got through on the Apple Store for pre-order around 6:30PM EST last night. Can't wait!

 

[dave420]

That sounds great to me. What store told you there would be some white ones on launch day? All the Apple Stores I called said they had no clue if there would be any. 😕 I'm willing to camp out for 2 days to get a white one next Thursday. Please let us know what store told you that.

The Apple store in the Annapolis, MD said they expected to have them launch day on a first come first serve basis.

 

[Warbrain]

But he didn't pre-order, he just reserved one. That's a new class of buyer. I don't think anyone knows if they'll get to go in the pre-order line, the regular line, or if there will be a new line for reservations.

I think "pre-order" and "reserved" are being interchanged for no good reason.

There'll be two lines, one for people who reserved an iPhone and one for people waiting to get them when they release them to everyone else. This is how it worked at the iPad launch.

 

[*LTD*]

This is a catastrophe for the competition. Who else has this kind of response to a new product?

 

[dave420]

I'm willing to camp out for 2 days to get a white one next Thursday. Please let us know what store told you that.

Sorry for the double post but have you tried calling Best Buys? They are the ones that appear to be accepting preorders for the white ones. The store I visited expected to have 40 iPhones for preorder total, 10 of each type. When I went in at 6:30 PM less than half had sold out. I know Best Buy doesn't have a great reputation, but it beats camping outside for two days if you want the white one.

 

[bevo]

if BB is accepting preorders for the white iphone.... people will be waiting awhile for them to be accepted.

If apple isn't allowing the preorder of teh white iphone, then no way that BB will have any access to them.

 

[iphaedrus]

My current 3G is having all kinds of problems, (constant restores required) so I really need a new phone ... I finally got through last night and so far, it looks good for a June 24th delivery.

I too would love to know how many phones are being pre-ordered and how many people were trying to pre-order!

 

[balamw]

I think the messed up process may have contributed to the early "sell out."

I tried placing an order several times in the AM, but it never completed.

I finally placed my successful order ~7pm Eastern when it said "Ships June 24" instead of "Delivers June 24" and finally made it through to the cart. There were two of them in the cart. I must have managed to place one in earlier in the day. One said Ships June 24 the other said Delivers June 24.

Guess which one I proceeded with? 😉

I wonder how many "Delivers June 24" units ended up in carts that were ultimately abandoned? I suspect quite a few "Ships June 24" will become "Delivers June 24" because of this.

B

 

[rmiller065]

WOW
I ordered mine last night
My ship date is the 24th (interesting)

Jun 15, 2010 at 07:29 PM PDT - Order number ########## View order details
Not yet shipped
Product Qty. 1
IPHONE 4 BLACK 32GB-USA
Custom configured
Ships: Delivers on June 24th

 

[uniforms]

I had many problems with Apple's online ordering. I read on USA Today app on my iphone that everyone was having problems except those using the app for the iphone I think called "Apple Store." I downloaded it around 3:30pm EST and one two three, I got my iphone ordered for in store pick up. Got an email conformation and it shows up in the app. Way cool.

Just glad I got mine done. Would be sad that every year I got the new iPhone on the release date that I wouldn't be able to do that this year. I'll be there at 5:30 am...maybe earlier if I can't sleep!

Sorry to those who had problems, I would say go early and stand in line.

BTW, I bought my iPad when it first came out at Best Buy. Was there at 6:00 am. I was the 2nd in line. Got one that day. Maybe Best Buy will be the place for folks that didn't get to reserve one.

 

[dave420]

If apple isn't allowing the preorder of teh white iphone, then no way that BB will have any access to them.

From what I am told Apple will be selling a limited number of the white iPhone on launch day in some stores. It sounds like they simply don't have the quantity to start preordering them and also have them available at launch. The Best Buy location seemed confident they were getting 10 of each iPhone model (40 total).

 

[petekp]

White iPhone Availabe Mid-August

Word from my local Best Buy was that around 6:00PM they were told shipments of white iPhones wouldn't be available until mid-August. Best Buy had to call many who had pre-ordered the white model to deliver the bad news and ask if they wanted to switch to black.

 

[chequepoint]

Reality check people:
1) Apple loves this press. Of course the servers were going to crash, thats the new benchmark of success. Of course they sold out within the day. It's a great news story.

2) Its a cell phone. You don't deserve it, you don't need it, you're not guaranteed it. Apple and ATT owe you nothing other than the phone you already own. If you really want one, you'll get it eventually. I keep seeing words on here like "upset" and I'm going.. really? Its a phone. They're going to make a lot of them. I have 10,000 other things to worry or be upset about in a day, not having the new iphone on day one does not need to be on that list. I'll pick one up, when its convenient. You should breathe and do the same.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I think the messed up process may have contributed to the early "sell out."

I tried placing an order several times in the AM, but it never completed....

I wonder how many "Delivers June 24" units ended up in carts that were ultimately abandoned? I suspect quite a few "Ships June 24" will become "Delivers June 24" because of this.

B

Doubtful. Items abandoned in carts do not = sales. After a set period unsold items in carts are returned to inventory. Compare it to when you buy tickets online. TM, Tickets.com, etc, give you a set period of time to complete the transaction. When time expires those tix go back to inventory. If you try to complete the sale after expiration you get a "sorry" message.

Word from my local Best Buy was that around 6:00PM they were told shipments of white iPhones wouldn't be available until mid-August. Best Buy had to call many who had pre-ordered the white model to deliver the bad news and ask if they wanted to switch to black.

I dunno. We are suppose to believe this from a store that didn't get/read the memo that there were no white phones for launch? Every MR reader knew that by Monday evening. Bottom line: BB employees do not know jack.

 

[ChrisTX]

Based on history, I'll bet the initial shipment was somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 units, probably closer to a million. Wouldn't be surprised if Apple sells 4 million units of iPhone 4 by the end of the year. Time to buy more Apple stock!

LOL, by the end of the year? I guarantee you they sell at least 2 million Unites by the end of the weekend. Count on that!

 

[pmz]

Wow I'm lucky I got through last night. Around 8 pm it started working for me on Apple.com and I got a pre order through, shipping for release. What a long 14 hours of trial and error that was.

 

[Sweetbike40]

Honestly the people that kept trying after hours and hours and hours have no reason to complain about not getting a pre order in, i mean i woke up at 5 AM Est, tried for 3 hours, took a break came back at around 10 tried for another hour or two then said screw it drove an hour to the closest AT&T store and just ordered it in the store for a home delivery, they took maybe 10 min to complete me order

so honestly people could have jut drove to a store and saved alot of time and frustration with the websites

I did this. Drove to the store. and nothing. The system was "down". They took my info but not CC info and he was supposed to contact me at 3pm. I tried calling him on his cell 6 times. He called me at 7pm. by then i knew the deal about it being too late and i wouldn't even get it by the 25th for sure...so i told him to forget it. I'm going to wait online on the 24th with a reserve. Yesterday was a nightmare. I am going to fight for the $18back for what i went through. WAsted an entire day.

EDIT. I was at the store at 11am. The doors had just opened. Only like 20 people there and they could only process 3 orders. then i read on here that someone went in around 1 and got one ordered. Meanwhile i waited on line for over and hour and got sent home with a promise.

Edit 2: AND i walked over to the Apple store to see if they could help me. Guess what they said "sorry, our servers have been down all day, try using the iPhone app". so that's what i did for the reserve. It's unacceptable to have to go through this.

 

[Dmich116]

Ordered at 7PM EST last night

 

[vassillios]

Well, I pulled the trigger on the July 2nd shipping iPhone (couldn't reserve for the June 24th).

Figures that the iPhone 4 launches on the 24th, I'll be on vacation, nowhere close to an Apple store and not able to sign for a shipped phone.

I was going to wait until I got back (the 26th) to pick one up at a store, but I have 0 confidence any will be available by then.

 

[dave420]

Word from my local Best Buy was that around 6:00PM they were told shipments of white iPhones wouldn't be available until mid-August. Best Buy had to call many who had pre-ordered the white model to deliver the bad news and ask if they wanted to switch to black.

I will be a little disappointed if that happens. Anyway I will post back if I hear from them.

 

[Leoff]

To everyone who is having a crapfit over not being able to pre-order this thing:

You do know that your current iPhone still works, right?

 

[s502291]

iPhone 4 order

I am kind of confused. I battled with the Apple and AT&T website yesterday. I finally got an order placed on apple at 9:30 pm cst. I received an email from apple to confirm my order and it says "ships : Delivers on June 24." Does that mean that I will get mine on June 24 or it will ship on the 24th? And how did I get that ship date when people all day yesterday were saying thier ship dates were July 6-8? Just looking for answers. Thanks.

 

[spazzcat]

LOL, by the end of the year? I guarantee you they sell at least 2 million Unites by the end of the weekend. Count on that!

I think it will be more like 5 - 10 million units the first weekend, world-wide...

 

[pmz]

I think it will be more like 5 - 10 million units the first weekend, world-wide...

Less than 10, but close, definitely, worldwide. The US will do 2-3 million alone from the 24th-27th.