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Online Apple Store is Out of iPhones

Though the Disney comparison seemed good, what you don't recognize is that if someone wants to find the Little Mermaid, it's not like buying Mulan will suffice. The customer just has to wait for the Little Mermaid. However, when buying a phone, if you go for the iPhone and it's unavailable (and you don't know a new one is on its way) then you could look at a BlackBerry and buy that instead. I think that when you guys think about the money they may or may not lose, you have to take into account that not all consumers (actually few) are as patient as we are.

I really do like the idea that they would release the iPhone revisions earlier in order to get people more exited about the 2.0 software update. And to be honest, I can't see the stock being unavailable for an entire month without any kind of formal announcement of a new version. Sure, it would create more hype, but the normal customer isn't going to get hyped, they're going to start thinking about getting a BlackBerry or a Palm device. What would create even more hype would be an early announcement of an upcoming product, hype about the 2.0 software, then a big release. This way, the normal customer would know (through print advertising, internet ads, apple.com, TV commercials) and would wait for the new version rather than settling for a different phone. Now, Apple has a big release, more hype, and hasn't lost money...
 
This is a pretty bad inventory management screw up and something we haven't seen from Apple for quite a few years. In the past you used to see an excess of some models and others not available for love or money but for no iPhones to be available for what should be a close to a full month is evidence of a severe miscalculation.

They expected sales of the old model to completely tank with speculation on the new 3G model ramping up. This obviously hasn't happened. In fact with the queues evident at New York stores, demand seems as strong as ever.
 
WannaGoMac said:
To all the people thinking Apple is doing this to prevent angry iPhone users 1 month ahead of an announcement, your arguement just doesn't make sense.

Does Apple do this before Laptop refreshes? No they don't. Apple doesn't care about the people who buy a laptop that ends up outside the 14 days exchange window . So, why would the iPhone merit *special* treatment?
Click to expand...

Because of the uproar last time over the price cut?

Also, people expect the computer industry to make your current machine out of date, but even that doesn't happen in 2 months like the price cut last September.

Even the Mac hardware (usually) goes 4-6 months between updates. And usually the upgrades are incremental - the CPU is 10% faster, 10% bigger HDD, etc. The pending upgrade to the iPhone would be 5x-10x the internet speed, possibly larger capacity, GPS, etc.
 
SirOmega said:
Because of the uproar last time over the price cut?

Also, people expect the computer industry to make your current machine out of date, but even that doesn't happen in 2 months like the price cut last September.

Even the Mac hardware (usually) goes 4-6 months between updates. And usually the upgrades are incremental - the CPU is 10% faster, 10% bigger HDD, etc. The pending upgrade to the iPhone would be 5x-10x the internet speed, possibly larger capacity, GPS, etc.
Click to expand...

This isn't about a price cut, so you don't have an argument.
 
maybe this makes sense?

Maybe what Apple is doing is ending the sale of "unlocked" phones in the U.
S. early -- you can still buy from AT&T -- Apple makes more $$ with those sales -- maybe Apple and AT&T have reached this agreement because AT&T feels it can sale X amount more phones and have agreed to order more ---
the folks who were buying all those "to be unlocked" phones and taking them out of the U.S. are certainly unlikely to buy another phone in meantime
 
theres no more iphones left and which means there's no more left to sell.
they've already made the new ones and there ready to ship when steve says so!
end of:D:D
 
redgaz26 said:
theres no more iphones left and which means there's no more left to sell.
they've already made the new ones and there ready to ship when steve says so!
end of:D:D
Click to expand...

ya, i agree. This leaves a 3 week window to clear out stock in Apple stores and prepare for the first shipment in early/mid June. I want to believe more than anyone that the 3g you-know-what will be released before WWDC in May, because I've holding onto my Moto SLVR for 10 months waiting for this update, but it doesn't seem plausible in light of the AT&T employee vacation blockout (which no, is not a sure indicator), and the lack of press invitations to a non-WWDC event. I see a WWDC anouncement almost certain, with online orders starting that day, and shipments rolling out in 7-14 days.

I'm So tired of waiting, and of "3G iPhone Pics"! just release it please.. now.
 
Matthew Yohe said:
This isn't about a price cut, so you don't have an argument.
Click to expand...

How do you think people would react if they spend $500 on a 16GB iPhone, only to find out three weeks later that the 3G iPhone is coming out and their phone is now old tech? $500 is a lot of money. People buying computers expect this (technology being updated regularly). People buying cell phones don't. And the jump to 3G is going to be a big deal in terms of features and performance.

Think of the timeline in this way:
-Apple stops selling iPhones May 26th
-Apple announces 3G iPhone June 10 at WWDC (15 days after they stop selling them) for launch on June 27th
-People see that the new iPhone is only 3 weeks away and demand returns because they've only had it for a little over 2 weeks.

Now the timeline Apple seems to be executing
-Apple stops selling iPhones May 10th
-Apple announces 3G iPhone at WWDC
-The most recent iPhone buyers would have had their phone for a month and its easy for Apple to say that you've had your phone for a month and we cant take it back after you used it for so long.

You have to remember that everything is amplified because its Apple. If Samsung did something like this for some cellphone no one cared about, it wouldn't make news. But its Apple.
 
Who is going to buy new iPhone following week it's out?
what if you don't like new desighn but it do have GPS and 3G ?
 
Do you still think where highly likely to have GPS in the iphone 2?


Or is that highly unlikely?


Thanks
 
As I understand it, RIMM might be announcing their Blackberry 9000 on May 12th. So perhaps Apple is going to launch the 3G iPhone earlier to get all the free press and take it away from RIM.

And then, to gain even more free press, you launch the Beta 2.0 FirmWare to the public. Let them play with it now. Let the community write about it. Let everyone go nuts for a while all the while steeling the limelight from RIMM.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Alex
 
avaloncourt said:
That is exactly what I was thinking. If they create a blackout period where no phones are sold they are creating a hole equivalent to the allowable return time preventing people from buying an iPhone, returning it and then getting the new one. It would be easier on their bottom line.
Click to expand...

But if you had just bought one you'd send it back right away so no difference anyway?
 
It's my fault

I spilled water on my old Nokia. So Apple needs to start shipping the 3G iPhone so that I don't have to go a month without a phone :D
 
GPS will be there im pretty sure, because 3g is main factor for a lot of people, but not for me... if there only 3g is the only difference, I am keeping mine.
 
I like the theory about RIMM and the new BBerry - here is another one:

Tax Stimulus Rebates

People have started getting them so Apple wants to capitalize on that while people still have the money. By the time June rolls around most of it will have been spent so it would make sense to release the phone early (if it is ready to launch) rather than wait for WWDC just to have a large announcement. All they have to do is call a press conference and announce it with someone holding a copy and using it - it will basically give them the same bang as WWDC would, maybe a little smaller but the hype around this thing is so large it wont matter.

My guess is launch next week - it makes smart business sense.
 
i'm not sure where people get that unavailable thing.
I purchased 3 16GB models yesterday and have a shipping date around 16th.
 
D4F said:
i'm not sure where people get that unavailable thing.
I purchased 3 16GB models yesterday and have a shipping date around 16th.
Click to expand...

Did you purchase them from the online store?

People are getting the unavailable thing because they are unavailable at the Apple Online store.
 
If there Apple has developed more than one new product (say two different types of iPhones), then releasing the one that replaces the current iPhone soon is reasonable. Then at WWDC they release the iPhone nano or air or whatever.
 
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