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iPhone 3G Remains Hard to Find

Hearing about the lack of iPhones around the country, I decided that I better get my iPhone 3G today. (I've been out of town up until yesterday.) I have 4 Apple Stores within 45 minutes of my house. I called The Galleria (Fort Lauderdale), Aventura (Miami), and The Falls (Miami) and all three were completely sold out.... so I called Lincoln Road (Miami Beach) and they had iPhones in stock! All models! So I rushed down there... and got in line. The line was pretty huge, it didn't seem too bad... but the activation really slows things down. When I first got there, I asked the guy at the door if it's really worth waiting in line... I didn't want to stand there for three hours and have them sell out. He told me that if I get in line now that I should be okay. My wait began. A little later one of the Apple employees came out of the store and informed us that they had 300 phones left... so that made me feel a little better. THREE HOURS LATER, I made it through the line with my brand new 16GB black iPhone 3G. :D
 
Veri said:
No longer a side project, Macrumors will probably more aggressively target for pageviews.
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I hate it when people make assumptions like this.

Slashdot, the original.. err.. Slashdot-style site, tackled the mainstreamification by allowing for filtering on story categories. And now user story submissions are votable for/against before editor approval via a "Firehose".
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That's not going to happen. The front page is the front page. In the end, it deals with big news and rumors related to Apple.

iPhone is big news. The biggest thing Apple's been doing. People are standing in line at Apple stores 5 days after its release. If there's a line of people standing at Apple stores 5 days after the next MacBook Pro is released, I'll write a story about that too.

arn
 
sternlight said:
It's a free country and such people can post all they like, but they are not fooling anyone. Those of us with real credentials and accomplishments just shrug.

(The writer, an MIT graduate and business executive for many years, stood in line for several hours...
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Sorry, I don't mean to offend, but what does your being an MIT graduate have to do with standing in line for a phone? You can just be yourself here, there's no need to impress anyone. :eek:

I'm glad you like your new phone though.

-PCMacUser
(Formerly Oxford University Staff) ;)
 
arn said:
iPhone is big news. The biggest thing Apple's been doing. People are standing in line at Apple stores 5 days after its release.
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Yep, it certainly got me excited.

New Zealand still has tonnes and tonnes of iPhone stock though. Not many people here can afford to buy a $199 phone that comes with a $250 per month plan for 24 months... :(
 
Apple and AT&T love the free PR these long lines create:rolleyes:

Since this phone is now treated like any other smartphone, why not allow online orders like every other AT&T phone? The phone would come activated and the customer contracted just like in-store sales

Lines would surely diminish and the activations would have been spread over the early weeks rather than just the first weekend

People are entitled to do as they please, but I would never wait online 3+ hrs for anything that didnt involve my freedom or someone paying me.
 
arn said:
The front page is the front page. In the end, it deals with big news and rumors related to Apple.

arn
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Exactly. I'm not an iPhone fanboy, and would only line up for a Tim Horton's coffee (and why is that, I ask), but I still recognize the importance of the device as a milestone in mobile computing. The impact is as much sociological as it is technological, and cheers to Arn for recognizing that.

Of course, if there's lines like that when I buy my new MBP next year, I'm gonna need a large Ice Cap to pull me through.
 
brad.c said:
Exactly. I'm not an iPhone fanboy, and would only line up for a Tim Horton's coffee (and why is that, I ask), but I still recognize the importance of the device as a milestone in mobile computing. The impact is as much sociological as it is technological, and cheers to Arn for recognizing that.

Of course, if there's lines like that when I buy my new MBP next year, I'm gonna need a large Ice Cap to pull me through.
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Hmm, Tim Hortons. I'll have to try that.

I used to go to them years ago in toronto. There were so many (really)

Good to see them in the US.

We need more donuts.
 
deannnnn said:
Hearing about the lack of iPhones around the country, I decided that I better get my iPhone 3G today. (I've been out of town up until yesterday.) I have 4 Apple Stores within 45 minutes of my house. I called The Galleria (Fort Lauderdale), Aventura (Miami), and The Falls (Miami) and all three were completely sold out.... so I called Lincoln Road (Miami Beach) and they had iPhones in stock! All models! So I rushed down there... and got in line. The line was pretty huge, it didn't seem too bad... but the activation really slows things down. When I first got there, I asked the guy at the door if it's really worth waiting in line... I didn't want to stand there for three hours and have them sell out. He told me that if I get in line now that I should be okay. My wait began. A little later one of the Apple employees came out of the store and informed us that they had 300 phones left... so that made me feel a little better. THREE HOURS LATER, I made it through the line with my brand new 16GB black iPhone 3G. :D
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*
excellent! I wait 6hrs for mine, on Friday night..I love it!!
 
My local Apple Store in Victoria Gardens is all out. They were fully stocked this morning.

If I were you guys I would be buying a lot of aapl stock while it is still on sale.:D
 
well now...

The two hours I waited on line from 6am to 8am the day they went on sale at the Towson, MD Apple Store is starting to seem like it was a really good idea! And yes, the iPhone 3G rules, and is probably the biggest product launch Apple has ever done (and AT&T, and every other carrier selling it). I think it's normal to expect problems, and waits, etc. Now, the Wii is a totally different story -- over a year and a half after its release, and it is impossible to find still. That is a seriously big problem (and has more to do with Nintendo shipping units to Europe and Japan over the USA, where the dollar is so weak -- Apple will not do this, as the USA is their home and most significant market).

As for "Apple really messed this up" -- you have to think about the limits of manufacturing, and what is even possible. Let's say Apple has a contract with a massive manufacturer, and one assembly line can pump out one iPhone a second. That's 60 iPhones a minute. 3600 iPhones an hour. 86,400 iPhones a day, if they are going 24/7. Now, I find it hard to believe an assembly line could pump out nearly so many units, but hey, let's assume these numbers are accurate. Well, how many days before release were the phones in active production? Not too many I'd wager, as part of the manufacturing process is imaging the phones with the 2.0 software. Which I doubt went Golden Master too many days before release, maybe 2 weeks? So if Apple had 14 days to really ramp up final manufacturing steps and disk imaging of iPhones at 2.0 Golden Master, and then boxing them up for shipment, that's only 1.2 million phones they could have boxed and had ready to sell in the two weeks. They sold nearly that many IN A WEEKEND, PEOPLE. IN A WEEKEND. We are talking one of the most successful consumer electronics product launches IN HISTORY, especially on such a global scale. It is an AMAZING proposition of scale, managing resources, supply channels, distribution channels -- cut The Steve some slack!

Now, my numbers are probably way off -- but they will give you some sense of the scale of such a rollout, and how utterly unprecedented demand on a GLOBAL level can dash any major corporation's well thought out plans. For a lesson in bad distribution management, look at Nintendo and the Wii. If it's still almost IMPOSSIBLE to find an iPhone in a year and a half, Apple is having some problems. I doubt it will get to that point.
 
mac jones said:
The more iPhone the better


there.
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I totally agree. I have been using Macs for 20+ years and for a significant part of that time they were used by very few people and for a while, quite frankly, not that good. Now we have Mac products that are used by the public in general and are highly desired. I would rather be here with supply not meeting demand than where we were years ago.
 
natejohnstone@g said:
Dayton, OH is sold out--has been since about 8:30 on launch day.

I went to the AT&T store today to order a 16GB via "Direct Fulfillment." Apple is apparently shipping an iPhone to that store specifically for me.

Does anyone know how long the "direct fulfillment" actually takes? They told me it could be up to 20 days, but when I was in on Sunday they said 7 days...

Anyone in the know?
:confused:
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I direct fulfilled 2 16GB Whites Friday evening and they arrived today. I totally agree with the previous poster who said the 2.0 FW is worth more than the hardware if you already have an old iphone. 3Gs are nice but don't stress.
 
Great to hear that in several countries the iphone is " out of stock " in Spain ( in the 9 Movistar shops i run thru ) they haven´t even received yet !!!

Only place I found out they did actually get some units ( 10 ) are " El Corte Ingles " which is the largest Mall chain in this country and they were sold out in a few minutes , I am in a waiting list ( nr.80 ) and will get eventually one in maybe 2 months ? or so.

Yeah .. welcome to the banana republic of Spain.

Saludos
 
At the Apple store in Aventura Mall (Miami FL) there was a line from early in the morning to like 8~ pm and they had only white ones in stock. I had to stand in line for like 30mins to get a friggin' iPod Classic!

Victor
 
Boy am I glad I waited in line for mine of Friday! HA!
I got mine at the Falls in Miami and I must say it was worth it. The iphone is awesome.
 
There are many AT&T stores around here and all of them are sold out and continue selling out very early in the day

The only Apple store in Louisiana is the Mall of Baton Rouge and that has been sold out since the first day
 
min_t said:
Why you blaming at&t and apple. If you really wanted the iphone, you should've stood in line earlier than 8am. Don't be blaming anybody else for your own clusterf**k. Be a man.
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If someone is not able to order online nor go to numerous stores to get something, I don't see where else blame could be put

Not everyone can stand in line at 8am when work starts at 8am for them
 
dawnrazor said:
Mean while in other parts of the globe, iPhones are sold out and not expected to be in stock again until mid August.... hmmm just enough time to create a second wave of consumer frenzy, great can't wait. Suppose it wouldn't look good if they DIDN'T sell out in the first few days, 'cus to be honest thats a real boring headline.

'NEWS FLASH - iPHONE 3G DOESN'T SELL OUT, PLENTY OF STOCK AVAILABLE'


"Oh, I'm gona get me one of those babies...."

I'm just bitter, 'cus I didn't bother to get one in the first wave and now that they are sold out I want one.:D
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New batch released online over here, and I bent under the hype, one 16GB black winging its way to me and I didn't even have to leave my sofa. Hee hee hee.
 
So I have decided to keep my original iPhone for at least six months. I downloaded 2.o and the improvements are great. My edge is not bad in San Francisco and my battery life is better than the 3G. Maybe by Macworld 09.......
 
dante@sisna.com said:
I totally disagree with this statement.

A large part of the future of computing is the iPhone and related or similar devices.
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Exactly.

Apple is testing new waters here.

Fun being part of it. :)

arn said:
The front page is the front page. In the end, it deals with big news and rumors related to Apple.

iPhone is big news. The biggest thing Apple's been doing. People are standing in line at Apple stores 5 days after its release. If there's a line of people standing at Apple stores 5 days after the next MacBook Pro is released, I'll write a story about that too.
Click to expand...
:D :D :D :D :D





My local Softbank store was sold out. Not surprising of course. But what surprised me was when I asked when they would receive more iPhones.

The employees blank stare said it best!

Normally, in Japan, they will jump at the chance to estimate when they will have more stock and then take your order.

In this case, the employees at this store simply had no idea. It seems the demand is much larger than the supply right now. :)
 
Not very encouraging news all around about iphone stock. I live in the DC area, and every Apple store in VA/MD store is out. I'll be in NYC tomorrow for the day and was hoping to walk in tomorrow and just pick one up from the 5th Ave store, but it doesn't sound like it's going to be that easy.
Sounds like ordering from AT&T is the quickest way to go at this point.
 
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