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So this is how shopping in the pre-internet age felt.
- Thread starter stateofmind
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Exactly.
Very un-Apple like at all. I'm giving Apple the benefit of the doubt and am blaming AT&T for this debacle. Too bad, Apple is stuck with a 5 year agreement with them.
In the end, this reflects badly on Apple.
Exactly.
Very un-Apple like at all. I'm giving Apple the benefit of the doubt and am blaming AT&T for this debacle. Too bad, Apple is stuck with a 5 year agreement with them.
In the end, this reflects badly on Apple.
You're blaming AT&T for Apple not shipping them any phones? What do you propose AT&T should do? Get red capes with big AT&T logos on them and break into Apple HQ and run out with boxes of iPhones to sell in their stores?
Apple stores received thousands of iPhones on launch day...Most AT&T stores received around 40 at the most.
...How could anyone BUT Apple be at fault for the shortage? AT&T can't sell phones that Apple doesn't give them to sell.
Exactly.
Very un-Apple like at all. I'm giving Apple the benefit of the doubt and am blaming AT&T for this debacle. Too bad, Apple is stuck with a 5 year agreement with them.
In the end, this reflects badly on Apple.
I don't think AT&T has any control over their inventory - isn't it interesting that people are still walking in off the street at Apple stores and are able to purchase any model??
Apple is just trying to keep up their image because they know most everyone will blame AT&T for being of of stock
No, I am not an AT&T employee or advocate, just my observation
Exactly.
Very un-Apple like at all. I'm giving Apple the benefit of the doubt and am blaming AT&T for this debacle. Too bad, Apple is stuck with a 5 year agreement with them.
In the end, this reflects badly on Apple.
Yeah Apple couldn't possibly be the one at fault...after all they are only company who makes the phone.
Who made the decision to only sell in stores? Pretty sure Apple did that too.
Amazing how everyone is apologizing for Apple and blaming AT&T for everything.
My post on Saturday related to this
Waiting in line for an internet enabling device?
This is not a rant about the BS of yesterday's launch but, rather, the idea that Apple decided to force millions of people to walk into a store to buy a mobile phone that is an internet enabling device. Seems like an an oxymoron to me. To force, repeat FORCE, people to queue up to buy a $200 device is so counter intuitive that it is laughable. Where is the 'insanely great' idea there? Where is the 'elegance' there? Now if the boys from Redmond did this, we'd all expect it. No surprises there. But the swagger-filled team from Cupertino could have and should have done this right.
I can buy a MBP laptop, the best in the world, over the internet from Apple.
I can buy the best desktop computer in the workd over the internet from Apple. But those iphones, well, you just have to wait outside in the line and sweat in the heat and hope they have your type in stock when you finally enter the door.
Laughable.
Waiting in line for an internet enabling device?
This is not a rant about the BS of yesterday's launch but, rather, the idea that Apple decided to force millions of people to walk into a store to buy a mobile phone that is an internet enabling device. Seems like an an oxymoron to me. To force, repeat FORCE, people to queue up to buy a $200 device is so counter intuitive that it is laughable. Where is the 'insanely great' idea there? Where is the 'elegance' there? Now if the boys from Redmond did this, we'd all expect it. No surprises there. But the swagger-filled team from Cupertino could have and should have done this right.
I can buy a MBP laptop, the best in the world, over the internet from Apple.
I can buy the best desktop computer in the workd over the internet from Apple. But those iphones, well, you just have to wait outside in the line and sweat in the heat and hope they have your type in stock when you finally enter the door.
Laughable.
In the end, this reflects badly on Apple.
What do you want? Magic? If more people want a thing than exists of that thing, shortages occur.Steve Jobs is NOT god. He can't just make iPhone appear out of thin air.
Or is the complaint just that you can't buy them online? It would be a 6-week wait there, I'm sure, which I doubt would make anyone here happy either. Fact is, there's just going to be hard to get for awhile.
My main complaint is that I strongly feel that these draconian process of procuring an Iphone 3G was put on effect by Apple's 5 year exclusive contract with AT&T. Apple could care less about who gets the IPhone, they are in the business of selling as much hardware as possible. These current methods preclude that from happening at a fast pace.
I even have 3 apple store employees today mention that the main reason for doing the in-store activation was because AT&T put the hammer down since 25% of the original Iphone went to other networks.
I'm sure Apple would rather sell these things online than deal with the mess that's been happening on their retail stores daily since launch.
I even have 3 apple store employees today mention that the main reason for doing the in-store activation was because AT&T put the hammer down since 25% of the original Iphone went to other networks.
I'm sure Apple would rather sell these things online than deal with the mess that's been happening on their retail stores daily since launch.
You do know AT&T has to pay commission on every iPhone sold at their stores, don't you?
Why would they want to pay commission on a phone that completely sells itself?
Ask yourself that, and that's who's fault it is.
Why would they want to pay commission on a phone that completely sells itself?
Ask yourself that, and that's who's fault it is.
That used to be true, but the new deal AT&T worked out makes it Apple's problem.
You pay Apple for about half the phone, and AT&T pays them the other half. If you don't get an AT&T contract, there's no record of you and Apple doesn't get paid! In other words, when you buy an iPhone now Apple is losing money until you sign up with AT&T.
So yes, it's AT&T's "fault" that the policy works this way now, but now that the change has been made you'd better believe that it's Apple who's enforcing it!
Don't blame Apple for anything but creating too awesome of a product. They could have pushed the release date back another month and had plenty of supply on hand. How would you all feel then? They released what they could, when they could. You people all act like Apple is deliberately holding back their supply so they can't sell as many phones. Believe me, Steve Jobs wants us to all have our phones now, and he's doing all he can to make that happen. Somewhere in China there are probably 6 year olds with bloody hands slapping these things together throughout the night and all you can do is get mad that they aren't making them fast enough. Relax people. Give them at least two weeks before you start flaming them on their distribution.
How would I feel if they had pushed it back a month from now so they didn't have an shortages? A lot better. The problem is Apple shouldn't have any shortages, they know that a lot of people want the iPhone, look last year it was easy to get the iPhone, even though everyone stood in line for hours.
Exactly.
Very un-Apple like at all. I'm giving Apple the benefit of the doubt and am blaming AT&T for this debacle. Too bad, Apple is stuck with a 5 year agreement with them.
In the end, this reflects badly on Apple.
What?
Blaming who for what?
If you want to blame anyone blame all the nits who post here and return their phones 6 times for replacements, depleting supplies that could go to other people.
Beyond that AT&T has nothing to do with the manufacturing, and Apple is making phones as fast as they can.
Why are we looking to pass blame around to something that is what it is, a demand that simply outstripped any reasonable ability to supply.
Then wait a month, stroll into an AT&T store and buy one. Then you can have it the way you want and eliminate something to complain about. At the same time, everyone willing to wait 4 hours in a line to get one will also be happy. Everyone wins and I get to type this on a 3G iPhone. Problem solved.
They're both to blame: AT&T for forcing in-store activation causing extremely long wait times and Apple not shipping AT&T enough stock.
Not sure where you are getting your data, but you obviously haven't looked at Apple's site. They are sold out of iPhones in many Apples stores and black 16 GB models are sold out in majority of Apple stores. They have been for days.
I think AT&T had more to lose from selling the iPhone online versues in-store activation. Whether you buy the iPhone at a retail store or an online site, Apple is getting paid. But if you buy it online and jailbreak it to use on a different cellular network, AT&T loses money. According to the NY Times, 2/3s of all original iPhone sold were never activated to their proper cell service. (people unlocked it to use on Cingular, etc)
Even if the iPhone was available online, you would not be able to get one. They would have sold out at a much faster rate because only people patient enough to wait in line are buying them in stores. If anyone could just order one from the site, they would. And it would be back-ordered for weeks. Too much demand, not enough supply. The only fault of Apple is making a product that people adore so much.
Apple did make some mistakes, mainly with the software update. (having current iPhone users upgrade on the same day 3G users needed to activate their phone) I think if the software update was available a few days prior to the launch, things would have gone much more smoothly.
But, the original posters argument of not allowing a internet-enabled device to be purchased over the internet is a weak one. The Nintendo Wii (which is an internet-enabled device and a revolutionary gaming console) was sold in stores and online and was VERY hard to purchase for almost a year due to the high demand.