The Great iPhone Sell-Out Mystery - Why? You DECIDE!

[Cleverboy]

Okay, enough of the sell-out news. There is something afoot, and its time to poll the masses in determining the most likely cause. Why do you think the iPhone has sold out? If you vote "other", please explain. And, even if you answer is similar to the others, but different "enough" not to agree.

We KNOW the new 3G iPhone is coming, and that this is a factor. The main question is, how much of a factor, and what ELSE may be part of the reasoning.

* 3G in June. Simply put, they under-estimated necessary stock. Replenishment underway.
* 3G iPhone is coming Tuesday, May 13th. Perfect timing.
* 3G iPhone is coming Tuesday, May 20th. Ran out a little early.
* 3G iPhone is coming in 2-3 weeks. Draining channel, due to major pricing model change (subsidies) and to avoid customer remorse.
* 3G iPhone has nothing to do with iPhone sell-out. Apple is radically changing its strategy with the iPhone/iPhone Touch/Tablet. Clearing channel to avoid customer remorse over radically new line-up.
* 3G iPhone has nothing to do with iPhone sell-out. The product is being abandoned by Apple.
* Other, please explain.

~ CB

 

[rhett7660]

3G iPhone is coming Tuesday, May 13th. Perfect timing.

I am dreaming if this is the case... but hey if it doesn't there is always the three or Tuesdays before WWDC!

 

[carfac]

Polls are not good when you fill them up with one persons point of view. The more qualifiers you put in, the less likely you are to hit exactly what people may think...

Case in point, my take on option one....

3G in June. Simply put, they under-estimated necessary stock. Replenishment NOT underway, they are just gonna let it ride (though announce 3g Specs early).

I do NOT think Apple will be building any more Gen 1's for any reason...

 

[Cleverboy]

Polls are not good when you fill them up with one persons point of view. The more qualifiers you put in, the less likely you are to hit exactly what people may think...

Case in point, my take on option one....

3G in June. Simply put, they under-estimated necessary stock. Replenishment NOT underway, they are just gonna let it ride (though announce 3g Specs early).

I do NOT think Apple will be building any more Gen 1's for any reason...

Actually, there's an "Other, please explain.". But I'm now convinced as well. There will be no G1 replenishment. They will ride out the coming weeks until the new models are shipping with firmware 2.0. That much now seems somewhat clear. Too much at stake, and over-ordering already necessitated early discounts.

~ CB

 

[Chaszmyr]

I want to know who said Apple is abandoning the product. lol

 

[SFStateStudent]

I thought Tuesday,May 20th, 2008, but it wasn't an alternative!

 

[ucfgrad93]

* 3G in June. Simply put, they under-estimated necessary stock. Replenishment underway.

I think that this is the reason why.

 

[newyorksole]

I think iPhones will stop being made next year at Mac World, Steve will say "it's been fun dipping into the cell phone market, but we are ceasing production of iPhones and will no longer continue to update it". Wouldn't that be the most outrageous thing you've ever heard? lol

 

[onlycopunk]

I think they just ran short of demand. People got their tax returns and bought them all up? There are a lot left with AT&T and o2 and Apple wants to funnel people to buy up the stock at those stores?

 

[alvintwj]

The memo is there, oh well.

Haa. My guess...
even if it was unveil before WWDC or any sooner
the crowds won't be able to get it before 15 June as listed on the AT&T memo sent out to it's stores.

 

[michaelsviews]

According to AT&T REP

By end of this month the NEW iPhone will be out

 

[andimaciphone]

O2 still has stock of 16GB iPhones

I have just checked the O2 site and they are still selling 16GB iPhones.

I think that the massive price drop to clear stocks of 8GB worked to clear the supply chain, raise consumer expectations for replacement/replinishment and avoid the buyers remorse window.

Here in the UK the price drop fuelled five people I know to buy one.

They have now shown all their mates, they all want one now but can't buy one except from ebay of go up to the 16GB version.

It will be fun to see what happens and whether the latent demand will actually come out in queues.

 

[BongoBanger]

You missed out:

* Poorer than expected sales, particularly in Europe. Replenishment of current model cancelled as it's not selling quickly enough to clear sales before the new version is released. Existing stocks in retail outlets being run down as far as possible.

Or...

* Supply chain balls up.

I'll go for the first option as it's by far the most likely.