If the new 3G iPhone comes out sooner than later this means the Macbooks and Macbook Pros are coming at WWDC.
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iPhone No Longer Available in UK
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It's really hard to estimate O2's UK iphone sale.
I'd estimate roughly more than half of the so-called UK stock has been traded to sell in China. A friend's friend works at a Carphone Newcastle shop sold 200 iphones on first day when price slashed by £100 to several Chinese "students" ...
I'd estimate roughly more than half of the so-called UK stock has been traded to sell in China. A friend's friend works at a Carphone Newcastle shop sold 200 iphones on first day when price slashed by £100 to several Chinese "students" ...
Yeah, that doesn't make much sense. Maybe Apple will announce the 3G iPhone sooner than we think (special event in May?).
Wrong.
Pay as you go... bandwidth? How will that let the phone "really take off"?
Yeah, I would recommend full divestment. Brilliant idea.
No iPhone sales out of O2 is not something to be concerned about. There is no reason Apple can't continue to sell truckloads from their online store, and that is exactly where O2 employees will send people.
02 are probably no longer selling the iPhone on-line because the iPhone hasn't been the success they hoped it would be. Having had to reduce the cost of the 8GB unit to barely break even prices and noting that the 16GB unit still isn't shifting in significant numbers they're cutting their losses on the current version of the iPhone by closing inventory channels and running down retail stock.
Pretty standard business practice.
Pretty standard business practice.
O2 fouled up...
I agree, the tension is high, and because of stock mismanagement O2 must be embarassing Apple right now. And i'm definitely going for the next-gen. But why so little stock to O2 in the first place? And the high price relative to other countries (before discount)? I mean, Macs are actually priced well considering the exchange rate, unlike iPods and iPhones. Enough so that I bought my iPod Touch in the US and saved £££s. Question is, why?
One possible answer: we're going to see such a huge step up in terms of rolling out iPod 2 internationally that the UK was one of the few places for early adopters (limited stock plus high price) - increasingly the UK is only one amongst a vast array of lucrative territories.... shame. And our soldiers have fought and died alongside yours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we have that post-WWII 'special relationship' and all...
I agree, the tension is high, and because of stock mismanagement O2 must be embarassing Apple right now. And i'm definitely going for the next-gen. But why so little stock to O2 in the first place? And the high price relative to other countries (before discount)? I mean, Macs are actually priced well considering the exchange rate, unlike iPods and iPhones. Enough so that I bought my iPod Touch in the US and saved £££s. Question is, why?
One possible answer: we're going to see such a huge step up in terms of rolling out iPod 2 internationally that the UK was one of the few places for early adopters (limited stock plus high price) - increasingly the UK is only one amongst a vast array of lucrative territories.... shame. And our soldiers have fought and died alongside yours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we have that post-WWII 'special relationship' and all...
My take is that its just o2 stopping selling them for a while. They are waiting for the next rev (3G) iPhone as it is something that will potentially crack the UK market.
Rest assured you will still be able to purchase the iPhone from the UK Apple Store.
ShadoW
Rest assured you will still be able to purchase the iPhone from the UK Apple Store.
ShadoW
What about the 3G iPhone in May Rumor?
I would like to bring up the rumor that popped up a few weks ago that the 3G iPhone would be released in May. In case you missed it here is the rumor.
Considering that the current iPhone is sold out in the UK, the availability of only the 16GB in the US, and all the news lately of Apple signing deals with more and more carriers I think it is more plausable now that the rumor may actually have some legs behind it.
How can there be no sales of the iPhone in the UK for 4 weeks or more? Apple wouldn't let it happen and would have ensured an adequate supply. There's something going on and I'm sure news will be out sooner rather than later.
I would like to bring up the rumor that popped up a few weks ago that the 3G iPhone would be released in May. In case you missed it here is the rumor.
Considering that the current iPhone is sold out in the UK, the availability of only the 16GB in the US, and all the news lately of Apple signing deals with more and more carriers I think it is more plausable now that the rumor may actually have some legs behind it.
How can there be no sales of the iPhone in the UK for 4 weeks or more? Apple wouldn't let it happen and would have ensured an adequate supply. There's something going on and I'm sure news will be out sooner rather than later.
I suspect that, when O2 reduced the price of the iPhone by £100 for the promotion due to flagging sales, it did not expect as much of a phenominal jump in sales as it experienced (even though it is not surprising as it was lowered under the magical £200 barrier).
There have been reports of supply problems on the 8GB for a while now because of this promotion, although the 16GB model (which had no price drop) is harder to explain (unless they simply didn't buy as many, knowing it would be more niche due to price).
I suspect that they severely underestimated the amount of stock that would shift due to the promotion and have simply sold out - leaving them in the tricky situation now. I agree though that they could have made the banner hint that it is only a temporary situation (so that people do not think that the iPhone has been discontinued forever!)
This hypothesis would be consistent with reports that some retail stores still have some stock, although I suspect that once it's gone it's gone.
All this can only mean that the 3G iPhone is coming - but I don't think we can imply that O2 will not be a carrier - simply that they don't know or can't tell us about the 3G version yet.
This may, however, prompt Apple into announcing it earlier than planned, which would make sense considering that the cat is pretty much out of the bag now anyway...
There have been reports of supply problems on the 8GB for a while now because of this promotion, although the 16GB model (which had no price drop) is harder to explain (unless they simply didn't buy as many, knowing it would be more niche due to price).
I suspect that they severely underestimated the amount of stock that would shift due to the promotion and have simply sold out - leaving them in the tricky situation now. I agree though that they could have made the banner hint that it is only a temporary situation (so that people do not think that the iPhone has been discontinued forever!)
This hypothesis would be consistent with reports that some retail stores still have some stock, although I suspect that once it's gone it's gone.
All this can only mean that the 3G iPhone is coming - but I don't think we can imply that O2 will not be a carrier - simply that they don't know or can't tell us about the 3G version yet.
This may, however, prompt Apple into announcing it earlier than planned, which would make sense considering that the cat is pretty much out of the bag now anyway...
Surely its very strange though given how popular the iPhone has been since the price drop by O2. There's still forums on lots of non-Apple sites with people talking about buying an iPhone and where to find one. You'd have thought they'd request more stock from Apple and make the most of the demand?
Can a new iPhone really be imminent?
Can a new iPhone really be imminent?
Heh, busy day for technology / mobile market. Carphone Warehouse, whom sell the iPhone on O2 in the UK have sold half of their business to Best Buy in the US for £1.1bn!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7389291.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7389291.stm
The cost of discounting i'd imagine outweighs the cost of having too many returns from people suddenly finding their newly bought iPhone is not the most current version.
O2 will definitely be a carrier. The timing brings credence to a lot of what's previously been said (and the tussle over it being released in the fall is kinda put to rest now)
I walked past an O2 store yesterday, all iPhone banners were pretty much gone from the store, replaced with a sign about their simplicity tariff. O2 have gone on record as saying they're very pleased with iPhone sales and it's their best selling device yet. Also if they've run out of 16Gb phones which weren't discounted, then they seem to have done very well.
Think about it, a couple of weeks unavailability in the UK and US and wherever else apple can manage to run stocks dry, will spike interest like nothing we've seen before. No stock, frenzied buyers, surprise announcement, 3g available today, sales explode. 10m phones sold by end of 2008.
Think about it, a couple of weeks unavailability in the UK and US and wherever else apple can manage to run stocks dry, will spike interest like nothing we've seen before. No stock, frenzied buyers, surprise announcement, 3g available today, sales explode. 10m phones sold by end of 2008.
OK, so I'll be the first one to ask and get it out of the way
For existing users of the iPhone, when a new handset is released, can we just buy one from O2 or Apple, stick our SIM in and away we go? Albeit having to commit to a new contract term.
Yes. That was the deal on the 8 GB > 16 GB update.
Also, a couple of weeks gets past the 14 day "new-version exchange" period.
I think it's a very good idea, and here's why:
There will still be a large % of people who buy the iPhone, that will not know the 3G version is on the horizon. At least this way, there is a definite cut off point for the old model, and time for demand and interest to inflate for the 3G version across all market sectors that do not keep up to date with Apple news as we do. And it gives us a clearer timeframe also, no BS, no uncertainty as to if to buy the iPhone now, or wait like we do with Mac hardware.
Another benefit is we won't get a mass of new member sign-ups complaining, like they do with Mac purchases, that they just bought an iPhone, only for the new model with added features at the same price point, to come out the next day or week.
It makes sense for 02 and Carphone Warehouse, who would be devoting retail space to a phone soon to phased-out with stock practically non-existent.
I think this is a good firm move on the part of Apple/O2, and at least we all have a month or so to save up and get the new iPhone
Multi carriers in the UK?
Maybe the UK is set to follow Italy, with iPhone being available on more than just the one carrier? Without knowing the minutae of the O2/Apple contract, maybe there's a get-out-clause? It would seem consistent with Apple's thinking with regard to new territories - where there's more than one operator why not increase your potential user?
Maybe the UK is set to follow Italy, with iPhone being available on more than just the one carrier? Without knowing the minutae of the O2/Apple contract, maybe there's a get-out-clause? It would seem consistent with Apple's thinking with regard to new territories - where there's more than one operator why not increase your potential user?
OK, so I'll be the first one to ask and get it out of the way
For existing users of the iPhone, when a new handset is released, can we just buy one from O2 or Apple, stick our SIM in and away we go? Albeit having to commit to a new contract term.
Would we need to commit to a new contract term? I mean, it's not like O2 are actually subsidising the iPhone, so why can't we just pay to upgrade our hardware and continue on the same contract as before?
I could understand why a phone company would demand a new contract if I were to buy a phone that they were subsidising, but in this case, they still get the (not inconsiderable) money for the phone, so why would they insist on a new contract?
I highly doubt that this is any indication of the long rumored (and highly speculated) 3G iPhone.
If anything, O2 has ran out of their stock of iPhones and decided not to continue to stock up on the iPhone until (a rumored) announcement at WWDC.
If anything, O2 has ran out of their stock of iPhones and decided not to continue to stock up on the iPhone until (a rumored) announcement at WWDC.