iPads in Short Supply as Online Orders Pushed to 3-4 Weeks

[MacRumors]

iPad 2s arriving at Apple Store (thanks Caleb)​

The iPad 2 launched to long lines on Friday and selling out in many locations. Based on reader reports, there are still pockets of stock in various locations, but a large number of locations are still sold out of the units. Part of the difficulty has been the large variety of models of the iPad 2 available. With 3 different storage capacities, 2 colors and 3 different wireless configurations (WiFi, Verizon, AT&T). Customers may have had trouble finding the exact configuration they wanted.

AT&T/GSM 3G models were in particularly high demand as many of the early purchasers were sending them off internationally to other GSM-compatible countries.

If past launches are any indication, retail stores will get almost daily replenishment of stock. Apple is not providing any online indicators which stores have stock. Meanwhile, BestBuy does have an online system that seems to reflect local store inventory.

Finally, those hoping to pick up an iPad 2 from the online Apple Store will now find that the wait for online orders has extended to 3-4 weeks. Online customers are organizing in this discussion thread to see when shipments are being sent out.

Article Link: iPads in Short Supply as Online Orders Pushed to 3-4 Weeks

 

[Full of Win]

Just part of the Apple Hype Building machine.

They are throwin it into overdrive with this so-called shortage. Keep on playing Apple, your ability to do so will not be here forever.

 

[bassfingers]

did the earthquake have anything to do with shipments from china? (I know it's the least of our worries, just curious)

 

[MarlboroLite]

considering their long experience since the first iphone on these high demand products at launch one would think they could actually anticipate correctly how much stock they need to not leave so many people disappointed who waited hours on end in long lines.

Or it's done on purpose.

 

[dXTC]

did the earthquake have anything to do with shipments from china? (I know it's the least of our worries, just curious)

My guess, and it's only a guess, is... not by much. I don't think the cargo ships would stop by Japan, since that's so close from the originating dock. I would think the ships would stop somewhere like Guam or Hawaii to refuel (if that were necessary).

And yes, considering the utter devastation that Japan has just suffered, I think we in the U.S. can patiently wait a few days.

 

[arn]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Gotta love the conspiracy theories. If apple restricted supply on openin day they won't be able to boast about launch weekend sales numbers.

Apple could have sold more on opening day than they did. So the alternative explanation is it's hard to launch a massively popular device.

In other words apple announcing they only sold 250000 iPads on launch weekend hurts them more than the fact they had long lines on opening day.

 

[zin]

Just part of the Apple Hype Building machine.

They are throwin it into overdrive with this so-called shortage. Keep on playing Apple, your ability to do so will not be here forever.

People tend to say this a lot, however I have never seen any evidence to support this ridiculous claim.

How do you know they aren't at [temporary] full manufacturing capacity? How do you know the recent earthquake didn't have an affect upon the product transport? How do you know any of the facts relating to Apple's operations?

All you're doing is taking pieces of information (read: speculation), forcefully splicing them together, then coming to something you perceive as being conclusive and presenting it as fact.

 

[dernhelm]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Gotta love the conspiracy theories. If apple restricted supply on openin day they won't be able to boast about launch weekend sales numbers.

Apple could have sold more on opening day than they did. So the alternative explanation is it's hard to launch a massively popular device.

In other words apple announcing they only sold 250000 iPads on launch weekend hurts them more than the fact they had long lines on opening day.

Agreed. Hype is for the days PRIOR to the launch to generate excitement. Once it launches, they want units in customers hands and cash in the bank. Their shareholders would string them up otherwise.

 

[gkarris]

Well, with the Light Bleed Problem there's probably going to be PLENTY now...

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

I was about halfway through the line and they said no more ATT models, and they were low on Verizon. So I got one of the last Verizon ones so I was happy.

 

[louis Fashion]

This is one ****** load of iPs!!

 

[DavidLeblond]

Too many configurations of the thing.

 

[santaliqueur]

Just part of the Apple Hype Building machine.

They are throwin it into overdrive with this so-called shortage. Keep on playing Apple, your ability to do so will not be here forever.

You make it sound like Apple is the only company with the resources to do it right. Remember, there are many other multibillion dollar companies with deep pockets. Don't feel like Apple is cheating because they are successful.

 

[fishmoose]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; sv-se) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

This worries me I'm outside the US an I imagine this will likely delay the release here in Europe.

 

[infidel69]

This is Apple being the attention whore that they are. They restrict supplies intentionally to create media buzz which sells more ipads.

 

[Cougarcat]

Too many configurations of the thing.

Hopefully next year the 3G will be built into all models. Or, at the very least, there will be one CDMA/GSM version...I don't see how the 3G circuitry and antenna can cost $130.

 

[HMFIC03]

Too many configurations of the thing.

Agreed - Don't why the new Qualcom Dual band GSM/CDMA chipset could not have been used. - I was expecting a "world" ipad. So I skipped the 3G and went for a white 64GB wi-fi only model.

 

[MarlboroLite]

So why launch when supply isn't enough?

I mean if they really did want to sell to every willing customer in the first few days and weeks of the launch, why launch it when they don't have enough?

They could have launched April 11th if they determined that one more month meant double the supply to sell.

Face it, Apple likes those long lines and telling people "we don't have enough." They like the frenzy it creates. Watch how in 2 weeks everyone can magically get an iPad at any store without any issue.

 

[alent1234]

Hopefully next year the 3G will be built into all models. Or,

the very least, there will be one CDMA/GSM version...I don't see how the 3G circuitry and antenna can cost $130.

You also have to pay the patent royalties

 

[squealingrat]

news from RI

In the small state of Rhode Island, I checked into the only Apple Store, one AT&T store and two Verizon stores. According to my sources, the only Apple Store in the state received a paltry 2,000 units. AT&T: SIX. Verizon: Zero. Neither Verizon store had gotten any. Needless to say, by Saturday, they had sold out of their allotted number.

(I should also point out that the iPad went from shipping in 2-3 days, to 3-5 days, to 2-3 weeks, to 3-4 weeks online. Ridiculous! I'm guessing that the iPad 2 production time is quite slow, meaning that Apple is having a hard time keeping up with demand. Although they should be done with these problems by now.)

 

[LucasLand]

And all this time I thought Bam Bam Bigelow was dead.

 

[bobbleheadbob]

When do you think Apple will report the first sales numbers? Will total weekend sales be available on Monday?

Any guesses as to what the numbers will be? I'm betting Apple was able to push at lot more inventory out to stores this weekend than people may be giving them credit for. I bet they sell close to a million Friday - Sunday. Above 750,000 anyway. Between 750,000 and 1,000,000.

 

[La Porta]

I was ~40th in line at the Apple Store in Albany, NY, and the guys came around to see if they had stock of the kind of iPad that you wanted. When he got to me, I said "White, 32 gig, AT&T" and he was like "uh, well, we don't have 32 gig AT&T in white." I inquired as to what he meant by "have", as I was only the 40th one there. He tells me that they had no stock of those iPads.

I can only speculate that a significant portion of those may have been shunted to the AT&T stores in the area, especially since there was one right in the same mall. To not have any of one of the particular models just seems odd to me. I went with the White, 32 gig Verizon...really not a big deal for me!

 

[smulji]

In the small state of Rhode Island, I checked into the only Apple Store, one AT&T store and two Verizon stores. According to my sources, the only Apple Store in the state received a paltry 2,000 units. AT&T: SIX. Verizon: Zero. Neither Verizon store had gotten any. Needless to say, by Saturday, they had sold out of their allotted number.

(I should also point out that the iPad went from shipping in 2-3 days, to 3-5 days, to 2-3 weeks, to 3-4 weeks online. Ridiculous! I'm guessing that the iPad 2 production time is quite slow, meaning that Apple is having a hard time keeping up with demand. Although they should be done with these problems by now.)

This may have something to do with it;

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...could_limit_apples_initial_ipad_2_supply.html

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Gotta love the conspiracy theories. If apple restricted supply on openin day they won't be able to boast about launch weekend sales numbers.

Apple could have sold more on opening day than they did. So the alternative explanation is it's hard to launch a massively popular device.

In other words apple announcing they only sold 250000 iPads on launch weekend hurts them more than the fact they had long lines on opening day.

It is a mix and match. You want to sell enough to set records but at the same time keeping supply short for a while pushes up demand higher which means they can keep getting more sold.
Apple does not build up any stock before hand so demand is inflated. It only a good move if you know you can keep demand up..