AT&T confirms iPhone on track for late June launch

[AppleInsider]

Apple Inc. remains on track to ship the first of its iPhone mobile handsets in the U.S. by the end of June, a high ranking executive for wireless carrier AT&T confirmed Wednesday.

"Our expectations are good. Our testing has been good," said AT&T Chief Operating Officer Randall Stephenson. "The iPhone is on target to launch in June."

Stephenson's comments come in the face of recent and unsubstantiated blog reports, which speculated that the touch-enabled mobile communications device could be delayed due to technical issues.

Speaking at a Boston College Chief Executives' Club luncheon attended by Reuters, the AT&T exec reiterated that his firm, which has an exclusive deal to sell the highly anticipated Apple handset in the U.S., has received over a million inquiries from customers eager to purchase the device.

At the same time, however, Stephenson could not say how many iPhones would immediately be available upon launch.

"We're sorting through that right now," he said. "We got a million people waiting to buy it so we're hoping we get a million."

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

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[g5man]

I think AT & T will get one million and Apple will take the other million. They will sale 2 million in the first two months alone.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by g5man

I think AT & T will get one million and Apple will take the other million. They will sale 2 million in the first two months alone.

I think you are right. I really think that this product will start strong and increase in sales each month until February of 2008. I think that month will be the first dip in iPhone sales compared to previous months.

I'm also anticipating 18M units through 2008, not the 10M goal mentioned by Jobs, assuming that non-US sales start 6 months after its initial release.

[kungming2]

Good news! I can't stand yet another delay. I need new Apple hardware by the start of the fall semester.

[jtrwallace]

"We got a million people waiting to buy it so we're hoping we get a million."
They don't even know? That scares me. When one million people inquire about the phone it means that most likely at least one million people will want to buy the phone. They will need more for that. Not everyone that wants one has inquired... I haven't. Perhaps now I should have. DAMNIT

[damiansipko]

Originally Posted by jtrwallace

"We got a million people waiting to buy it so we're hoping we get a million."
They don't even know? That scares me. When one million people inquire about the phone it means that most likely at least one million people will want to buy the phone. They will need more for that. Not everyone that wants one has inquired... I haven't. Perhaps now I should have. DAMNIT

No worries. I inquired, and decided against an iPhone. You can have mine.

[g5man]

Originally Posted by damiansipko

No worries. I inquired, and decided against an iPhone. You can have mine.

LOL

I doubt AT & T would tell us exactly what Apple will do when it comes to numbers. Of course not every person who inquire will buy, but there will be plenty who did not inquire and buy like me.

[Dean812]

I can't wait for this thing, you dont even know! I already found out what I need to do to cancel my Verizon account. $175 to end the contract early. I dont care how much it is. I WANT ONE!!! This is THE phone to have. Looking at all it does Im amazed only a million have inquired. Its unlike every phone on the market. It redefines what a cell phone does.

[nagromme]

"recent and unsubstantiated blog reports, which speculated..."

Pretty much sums up 80% of the bad "news" about Apple and 50% of the good "news."

As for supply--I'm expecting MAJOR supply constraints, Wii-style. Grin and bear it. Apple will ramp up fast, but not AS fast as demand I expect. And I say that without even knowing the monthly plans.

Originally Posted by Dean812

I can't wait for this thing, you dont even know! I already found out what I need to do to cancel my Verizon account. $175 to end the contract early. I dont care how much it is. I WANT ONE!!! This is THE phone to have. Looking at all it does Im amazed only a million have inquired. Its unlike every phone on the market. It redefines what a cell phone does.

Wait if you can: read some early reviews and see if anything emerges that make it worth waiting for version 2. And as you wait, the cost to end your contract early should drop (I would hope the fee is based on your time remaining.)

I want it too, but I've done mental exercises and meditated on mountaintops to make myself wait for 16 GB--and hopefully 3G support. Christmas time?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by nagromme

"recent and unsubstantiated blog reports, which speculated..."

Pretty much sums up 80% of the bad "news" about Apple and 50% of the good "news."

As for supply--I'm expecting MAJOR supply constraints, Wii-style. Grin and bear it. Apple will ramp up fast, but not AS fast as demand I expect. And I say that without even knowing the monthly plans....

I foresee many people having to wait a couple days for a shipment to come in. I foresee this happening much at the Apple stores, but at the Cingular stores/resellers.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted a cellphone and was told it was out of stock. I'm guessing that Apple will be charging Cingular for each iPhone, thereby losing the responsibility if (and when) the iPhone get stolen. With Cingular having so many stores/resellers to stock it will be up to each of them to determine how many iPhones to order.

[pazimzadeh]

With this partnership with Cingular and AT&T Apple can't seem to be able to keep anything secret!

[melgross]

Originally Posted by jtrwallace

"We got a million people waiting to buy it so we're hoping we get a million."
They don't even know? That scares me. When one million people inquire about the phone it means that most likely at least one million people will want to buy the phone. They will need more for that. Not everyone that wants one has inquired... I haven't. Perhaps now I should have. DAMNIT

He meant a million quickly. It takes time for a ramp-up. I'm sure a million phones will be available.

[petermac]

That will be 5 years after its release. Will the iPhone mimic the iPod sales success? Could there be a iPhone Communications Store selling comms services. ie bulk SMS's for a party invitation, or can there be some nifty links via .mac.

I think they'll do it. Here in Australia we wont get the iPhone for 18 months after US release, that'll blow out to 24 months by which time the iPhone will be a version 3 or 4. And some of you guys can't wait till END of June . Us poor Aussies have patience forced upon us .

Pete

[BlackSummerNight]

My iTunes Library just passed 4G. I guess it's the 8G model for me. I might just not load a few movies to keep it under 4G.

[rickag]

http://arstechnica.com/journals/appl...nt-meet-demand

Wonder if this has any validity and if so will the iPhone either ship late or in short supply?