Where have all the iPhones gone? (1 Viewer)

[Ted Todorov]

Apparently iPhones are gone from many (most?) Apple Stores nationwide, and apple.com is showing them as 5 to 7 days shipping. While the sell out was confined to NYC, I thought it was just foreign visitors taking advantage of the nearly worthless dollar, but now I'm mystified. Possibilities:

3G iPhone coming much sooner than anyone expects?

Sudden demand spurt that Apple totally failed to anticipate? (All those iPhone SDK developers buying test phones, no doubt )

Component shortage a whole year into iPhone manufacturing?

Factories too busy making 3G iPhones to make enough 2.5Gs?

What do you think guys?

 

[ErichH]

Apple is on the same release plan that's been known for months. June - If they decide to go before the conference, it would be strange. Expect a big deal event for 2.0 hardware.

It's only 60 something days away, so why not thin the channel.

Verizon has been calling me with all kinds of free crap if I'll re up my expired plan. When I mention the iPhone, I usually get a quick end to the sell. Nice

 

[Ted Todorov]

We are talking closer to 90 days if they release it post WWDC or on the 1 year anniversary. Anyway, even if it was just 60 days, it makes NO sense for Apple to kill their supply this far in advance. They would lose huge amounts of sales -- not to mention cheese off their existing customer base -- imagine losing your iPhone and then having to wait 2-3 months (or even a week!) to buy a new one?!?

There has to be a different explanation than deliberate supply constraint due to a June release.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Even if the new iPhone is announced in June (which is expected)
I don't think we'll see the first 3G phone in stores till the fall.

Of course, wouldn't it be neat if the new phones were immediately
put on sale?

 

[Ted Todorov]

They will be put on sale within days of the announcement, if not that very day. The iPhone is too crucial a product at this point for Apple to leave any kind of gap. The FCC will keep testing secret for a period of time, if asked to, so there is no reason to make the 3G iPhone public until right before the release. I'm sure something will end up leaking from the retail chain, so they might do the announcement slightly in advance, but just slightly.

And I think the 3G will go on sale in June, not in the fall.

 

[Yee-Ming]

If that's true, then I'm glad my friend wasn't able to buy an iPhone for me on a recent trip to the US (line in the Apple Store was too long).

 

[Ted Todorov]

 

[ErichH]

Yep - One look on ebay is all it takes to see how crazy the market is for unlocked iPhones. I can't say it's an unjust attitude considering AT&T's 2 Billion and counting LoveFest with Apple.

Hopefully, Apple will keep the price in line with current models
and not charge some insane price for the 3g. AT&T could make it even more painful by upping their plan price as well. The current 60 bucks for 450min is, in the words of my sales friend, `A Little Happy' or `They're rather proud of themselves'

 

[Patrick_S]

From my experience the notion that the FCC will keep testing secret is not accurate.

If the FCC does the testing it is public record from the get go. This is why a few large manufactures are actually certified testers (I doubt Apple is one) and others use private third party testers. That way they can submit the certification paperwork and basically pledge that the product will meet all of the standards necessary without letting competitors know all the specifics of the product. If I recall correctly the paperwork generally has to be submitted 100 days prior to launch.

 

[BrianShort]

If a 3G iPhone really does come out by June, I'll most likely pick one up. I may have a substantial amount of unexpected income soon and this would make a nice present to myself. I do hope the 3G can be turned off though... I don't have 3G available in my area, but would definitely like the feature for times when I am in areas that support it. I also hope that Apple reconfigures the headphone jack so normal headphones will fit without adapters.

 

[ErichH]

Apple is famous for audio/headphone jacks that only work with their stuff. As General Monroe says to Korben Dallas, Old tricks are the best tricks.

Todays tidbit - 3G iPhone's Upcoming Chip Found? | Gizmodo Australia

and - What S-GOLD3 Could Really Mean For the Next iPhone | iLounge Backstage

Seems like every 2-3 days there's a new rumble.

 

[BrianShort]

Really? The iPhone is the only thing I know of that has this issue, though I've only started following Apple products closely for a few years. I sure hope the MacBook Pro I'm getting tomorrow works with a regular set of headphones!

 

[ErichH]

You'll be OK with the pro. G5 & Pro towers are OK.
G3,4, and most pre intel iMacs were not.

 

[BrianShort]

That's crazy, I didn't know that.

PS I got my MacBook Pro yesterday. I'll say I love it once I let go of some PC stuff I was really used to!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

One of the iPhone rumors that has been floating around
is that the new phone will have videoconferencing capability.

Could you imagine calling someone and having a video
conversation both ways on your iPhone?

If this is true it will be the single biggest "killer app" in the
phone industry --- surely one that will make people ditch their
Blackberrys.

Of course, it is only rumor.

 

[ErichH]

iChat AV on the iPhone. What a concept.
The camera through the touch screen would be a very sexy item. I agree with Ron.

I'm iChatting with someone and GPS is on at the same time, and I can take a second call and add that person to the conversation. One on video, the other audio only via cell, GPS talks to me at the same time. Am I dreaming here? Oh course, I'll need the phone mounted on my dash, so I don't take my eyes off the road. Oh yeah, an app that allows iChat toggle to forward camera

 

[Ted Todorov]

Clearly the author of this article doesn't know the answer -- the next Apple is Apple -- name another company with more upside potential.

 

[ErichH]

agree - the SDK was a very big deal
a small drive footprint will be key to most of these apps

 

[Ted Todorov]

The iPhones have vanished again. At this point it seems overwhelmingly clear that the 3G iPhone will appear around Apple's WWDC (starts June 9th). AT&T have cancelled vacations starting June 15th. So that weekend would seem like the best moment for the 3G release.

Is it too early to choke off supply a month in advance?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

This was posted on iPhone Freak over the past day...

"Alright guys, I'll keep this short, online Apple stores (US/UK) are now officially out of stock of any model of the iPhone (8gb/16gb.)
This just shows us how close they are coming to releasing the new 3G iPhone to the consumer market. If Apple does not restock their
shelves soon with the 3Gs they will lose a good deal of business, from this we can infer a late May or early June release of the 3G.

Additionally, actual Apple Stores throughout the United States and Europe have run bone dry in terms of iPhones, in a few more weeks
the 3G iPhones will be ours!"