Online Apple Store is Out of iPhones

[LeviG]

I don't completely buy your reasoning. For instance, if you think MacWorld is going to publish an article every week for the next month saying "Wow, Apple is still out of iPhones" you are very wrong.

It only takes one article to make people aware of something from apple (especially techie types) and theres more than MacWorld - in the uk, you have stuff/t3 magazine for example, both of which have a 'rumours' page or a blog which has apple bits.

1a makes sense but
1b I assume you mean the "stupid rich people" bought one just before this instead of watching this site and they will have to buy a new one to get 3G?

Apple has known for a while how popular the iPhone really is. They must have attempted to plan this shortage to happen right before WWDC. Somebody messed up royally in their planning! Can they really afford to wait a month to fix this?

Yes Apple would lose a lot of money if they had an influx of returned iphones, not just the sales but also the manufacturing costs, nobody is likely to buy a refurb 1st gen when a 2nd gen is out.

As to the rich people - how many people who have bought a 1st gen intend to buy a 2nd gen - a large amount I would bet. Assuming people have waited this long (due to contracts say) and 29 days after they buy a 1st gen a second gen comes out most would forfit the 10% or whatever just to get a 2nd gen - the simple who wants the last gen of a 'fashion' phone, so by removing the option of returning the phone those who can afford it will buy a second gen much sooner. If they've had the iphone v1 from release then they'll be buying a v2 anyways wouldn't they.

 

[winterspan]

Sorry haven't read everything.

All the people going no way would apple have no iphone for 30 days etc are clearly forgetting a few simple aspects of apple sales and marketting strategy. See my reasoning below.
1) 30 day return policy - no iphone v1 for 30 days means a) no returns b) potential second purchase from stupid rich people.
2) All the free publicity they're getting from tech mags, blogs etc
3) The 'leaked' specs, images, parts etc for the last month or so - usual tool up time is about a month or two.
4) WWDC is coming soon

1a) Apples policy is only 14-days for customers who bought the old model and want to upgrade.
1b) This doesn't make sense. If they wanted to rip-off "stupid rich people", the would keep selling the iPhone until the day before the new one. By going 30 days with minimal stock, this warns everyone a new model is going to launch soon.

I'm too tired to read the rest.. lol

 

[LeviG]

1a) Apples policy is only 14-days for customers who bought the old model and want to upgrade.

I'm sure theres a 30 day something or other in there somewhere.

1b) This doesn't make sense. If they wanted to rip-off "stupid rich people", the would keep selling the iPhone until the day before the new one.

Why, by doing this they prevent the backlash like they got with the price drop for example.

By going 30 days with minimal stock, this warns everyone a new model is going to launch soon.

exactly - see above about backlash

 

[winterspan]

I'm sure theres a 30 day something or other in there somewhere.

Why, by doing this they prevent the backlash like they got with the price drop for example.

exactly - see above about backlash

So you are saying that by having the iPhone unavailable for 30 days, the stupid rich people won't have as much of a reason to bitch when they end up buying the new model? That assumes stupid rich people will even care about spending another $400...

 

[LeviG]

So you are saying that by having the iPhone unavailable for 30 days, the stupid rich people won't have as much of a reason to bitch when they end up buying the new model? That assumes stupid rich people will even care about spending another $400...

yep, look how all the initial adopters (the rich people ) moaned after the initial price drops, this is just apple making sure they don't have to give the metaphorical $100 back again. Apple is the only company (at present) who can just take a product off the market as people will wait for it to come out again.

 

[woodekm]

yep, look how all the initial adopters (the rich people ) moaned after the initial price drops, this is just apple making sure they don't have to give the metaphorical $100 back again. Apple is the only company (at present) who can just take a product off the market as people will wait for it to come out again.

Yep. Although I don't consider myself a "rich person", after 16 days of owning my iPhone, the price drop happened. I was just out of the 14 day return policy and out of luck. Everyone that was within the 14 days, was returning their phones like gangbusters, to just get another phone at the new price (and also prol a good time to get a refurb).

Never thought of it before, but I can actually see this as a real reason to quit selling the current model for at least 14 days before a new release. They might not want to deal with a bunch of mad returners (been there before) returning perfectly good phones because of a new model.

 

[HD303]

I know Apple could care less about my situation, but I wanted to provide my daughter with an iphone for graduation. Looks like she's getting an empty box with a note stating "Coming Soon", So either way Apple gets the sale, but it sucks as a gift giver and the gift receiver.

 

[xhambonex]

You can still give your daughter an iPhone for graduation, just go to an apple or at&t store or ebay one. If you want 3g, the model doesn't exist. So you can't complain about giving someone an empty box, when you can't buy the product to begin with. (only in the case of 3g)

 

[btnnaz]

Hey my att and apple store are both sold out so maybe so are his.

 

[xhambonex]

Hey my att and apple store are both sold out so maybe so are his.

ebay has some, your right maybe his stores don't, maybe they do, i guess my point is there are EDGE phones available, and you don't have to give someone an empty box.

 

[winterspan]

I know Apple could care less about my situation, but I wanted to provide my daughter with an iphone for graduation. Looks like she's getting an empty box with a note stating "Coming Soon", So either way Apple gets the sale, but it sucks as a gift giver and the gift receiver.

If you wait and give her a coming soon note, I bet she will much appreciate that. I mean do you really want to giver her an iPhone right now and then in three weeks she watches as the new model comes out that has X features that make it so much better than hers and all her friends are getting the new one that they can do X with.... See what I'm saying? lol. Just wait on it... A good idea is to give her an iPhone cake! I've seen one online... that would be great

 

[dgdosen]

One Bright Note...

Here's some food for thought. Since Apple is letting the supply dry out, they'll probably have iPhone V2 ready as soon as it's announced at the WWDC. That would mean that they'd be ready to go on 6/9 or soon thereafter.

If there was going to be some delay after the announcement, Apple could have used that time to let the supply chain dry up.

I hope they have an especially large stock at the SF Apple Store.