iPhone 3G now all but sold out in 38 states - Page 2

The stock checker on Apple's website is pointless. Why would any iPhones be left when the store closes? If you really want an iPhone, you're going to have to call the store and find out when shipments usually come (if they have gotten any shipments at all since launch), then camp in there.

Here we go again with the America bashing again.
If it was not for America you would not have Apple so in turn you would not have an option for the iPhone.
Also if you think another company would have made it, then why was the iPhone released by Apple and not another of those manufactures.
Only after Apple had released the 1st gen iPhone did you see the copycat mentality begin.
If you hate America, your not the first nor the last, just get in line.
All America has done is been the first in line to help when natural disasters hit other countries.
America and Americans have given untold BILLIONS to other countries for a multitude of reasons from AIDS to poverty to nation rebuilding (and I am not talking about IRAQ).
If you hate America so much then do not support her or her companies, and you can start by not buying Apple products.
If the recession is so impending and the demise of American consumer is a far gone conclusion, then why is the iPhone nearly sold out nation wide?

Also I would like to point out, if you think it is a good thing America enters into a recession then you are sadly mistaken.
Whether you like it or not America is one of the largest consumer nation's on the planet.
If a recession hit's America, it will be felt world wide.

And yet the stock languishes at $164.
Guaranteed to drop further when Wall Street expectations are not met. :

I live in the UK and have lots of idiot friends who like to bash america at every opportunity. If you study monkeys you can discover striking similarities, where the young males deliberately antagonize the dominant male so they can brag about it to their mates and increase their social status amonst peers. It has sadly become 'cool' to have a pop at the US. How sad.
Some humans are yet to fully evolve it seems.

it is a good point, but 8GB also run out of stock, i guess 8GB black and 16Gb White should be low in numbers...

The largest underlying reason Apple's stock has fallen, is not due to supply / demand, economy or anything else, it is Steve Jobs health.

Apple stock has continued to fall since his keynote address and the sudden weight loss of Mr. jobs.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07212008...alk_120853.htm

I really think that the endless tirades against America is unwarranted. It is only natural. When Sony wants to launch the Playstation or another product, they mostly launch in in Japan. European companies all launch in their home countries before going abroad. All non-US companies tend to forego the US when deciding where to launch a product. There is nothing wrong with Americans wanting an American product to be launched in America first. Apple was being ambitious, though some may say overly so, to launch the product in 21 different countries. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with arguing that if it was a staggered launch, America should be first, with other countries getting their phones later.

This is what is wrong with online posters who don't reside in America. You all tend to ignore reality and yet criticize whenever America is involved. So the next time Sony announces a Japanese launch of the Playstation 4, or if Nokia launches the N96 in Europe, you'll hopefully be aware of your hypocritical statements and I urge you to also post that Nokia is being very Euro-centric and selfish by launching their flagship product in their native country/continent.

So are there any numbers/speculation (certainly there's speculation by some analyst, there always is) about what is the most sought after model? I'd, honestly, guess the white 16GB's sell out faster than anything else. That's a combination of Apple not making as many and the fact that you get "exclusive" status when buying the white one because everybody knows you ponied up for the 16GB version. Don't think that's how things work? Look at the BlackBook, they charge extra for colored plastic and it still sells like hotcakes...

Don't worry - America has them as well. Michael Moore comes to mind...

You seem not to have caught the point of his comment about staggered rollout: Build enough for the first two rollouts, then, if you run out in the first, pull from the stockpile aimed at the second WHILE YOU BUILD MORE. Prevents shortage altogether. If you have too many for the first two rollouts, then cut production for the third and fourth rollouts.

As to ulterior motivations for liking the idea of staggared rollout, don't be so shallow. A good idea is a good idea regardless of who presents it or what their motivation. Ignoring a good idea simply because it benefits your opponent is just as stupid as ignoring your own faults, simply because they were pointed out by your opponent. It's pure ego, nothing more.

As to 'just stating the facts', not all facts are equal. Living leads to death. Wow, guess that means living is a bad idea, huh? I just broke my collarbone by crashing my bicycle. Guess I shouldn't ride a bike, huh? One negative truism is not necessarily grounds for pessimism (though each individual's experiences vary). Whatever image you are trying to convey to us about the 'American Attitude', cannot possibly be conveyed by such a universal trait as the human desire to be the first to gain resources. It's pointless to point it out. Trivial.

If you'd like us to understand your perspective on American Attitude, it would be better (more useful, that is, and more likely to convince someone) to paint a full picture, so that we can see the whole and appreciate it as you do, rather than to simply show us three pixels and say, "There! You SEE!!! It's OBVIOUS!" Coincidentally, the Political Outsider forum would be an excellent place to create such a thread, and you would likely get some worthwhile debate from it.

I'm all for criticism and self examination, be it on an individual or national level. Just as long as it's done effectively and in the right place. Otherwise it turns into a pointless screaming match where people get insulted and angry, with no benefit.

C

Well no one can accuse the UK of abusing the dominant male. They're more into the arse kissing sort of thing.

It's funny that any criticism of America or Americans triggers defensive responses. They're so dominant that they can't take one on the chin?

Anyway, who say's America is the "dominant male"? Economically they're on their knees, politically they are isolated and militarily they have been shown to be defenceless to any bunch of nutjobs who want to attack them.

This is the twilight of the American age, an objective person would be looking to Europe or China to define the future. It's interesting to note that Apple, with their great success, manufacture their product in China (and Taiwan) and their team of top industrial designers are almost all European.

You have to question anyone who says they know why a stock moves. You really think that it's got nothing to do with the bear market in the wider world?

Maybe this is the problem. You are projecting your own small minded, self centered view of the world onto what other people are saying--then you get mad at them for presumably thinking like you.

Incidentially, my concern here, is not my ability to get an iPhone here in the US--I want one but it is not in my plans at present. My concern is for Apple, or more particularly AAPL.

It's funny that any criticism of a person triggers defensive responses. People don't like getting assaulted, regardless of who they are. Criticism is always easier to take when it isn't presented combatively. I've found that it is usually pretty pointless to use aggressive argumentative styles, as it almost guarantees that the person you are trying to convince will do nothing but ignore the point you are trying to make. Surest way to stop communication.

So again, take it to Political Outsider, if you truely want to do something productive. Otherwise we must question your motives.

C

Hey, make an inteligent criticism of America and I am interested in hearing it. However, criticize me for being an arogant American with steriotypical views for things that I didn't even say, well, then I will get defensive...

There is still India coming later this year and and I'm confident that China will onboard too. Both having a growing middle class, and despite an assumed considerably smaller percentage of potential iPhone buyers the shear per capita of each country could make either of them the largest iPhone populace.



I'm still miss your point. Are you suggesting that everyone asks in selfish ways that benefit on their short term needs? I don't. While I'm an American I don't think it takes a good deal of effort to understand why the iPhone was released in the US first. It is the home of Apple, Inc. and has purchased considerably more iPhones than any other country. From a business since it makes since to release to the US first.


I read their comments that way, but I also don't agree with the comments. The iPhone would have sold out in the US no matter what they did, but by releasing to N. America, Japan, and most of Europe and Oceania they have made headway as a global company, released their product to most of the 1st World countries (I hate that term), and have stifled most of the grey market sales that would have occurred.


You said that I have an "American-centric" attitude yet I am the one defending the countries you consider to be worthless while you are pejoratively pigeonholing and making bigoted comments toward or about an entire populace.

It is common that many Americans don't have a well developed worldview, but there are many reasons for this. Geography, for one. Europeans have the benefit of being able to travel relatively short distances to get to many other countries with different languages and different cultures. This just isn't possible in the US. But that doesn't mean the entire country is like that or that Americans think they are better than other cultures. It's just a different culture with different circumstances.


There are plenty of impoverished countries in Africa but not one of them is worthless or insignificant. They all have a rich history and every single one of them has the birthplace of prominent people who have changed this world for the better. I am not African but I do take offense to anyone referring to any country or culture as having no real value.

Careful now. He has actually got a good point, even if it wasn't presented in the best way. Most people (in my experience) DO function in a very self-centric manner. Most people's first priority is themselves. However, once that first priority is addressed, most people will also give consideration to the well-being of others. So I agree with his point that most are selfish, but not with the degree of crassness that he seems to imply as a part of it.

C

I agree with dagamer34 -- you have to call the stores mid-day.

The situation may not be as not as bleak as the iPhone availability checker makes it seem. Apple's availability checker is only updated at night, and can only tell you if there is stock left at the end of the day that can be purchased when the store reopens in the morning. What it can't tell you is if the store received a shipment mid-day and sold out before closing.

In the DC area, where I am, all the local stores showed as completely out of stock on Apple's checker, but on Friday I was able to snag a 16/black by calling the store mid-day to see if a shipment had arrived. I was told, "we just got them in. You better be quick!" They seemed to have a decent number of them and the store sales were brisk. A friend who got there two hours after me was out of luck.

Your best bet is to call you local store mid-day, and if they have received a shipment, rush over ASAP because they may not last until the next morning.

AI's headline is misleading if not plain wrong... From my experience, "selling briskly as each shipment arrives" would be more accurate than saying they are "sold out"

I have to slightly disagree. I say slightly because I still agree that the best way to get an accurate answer as to if your local store has iPhones in stock is to call them, but you can use the iPhone 3G Availability website at any time of the day to monitor their stock. You can do this by simply adjusting the system clock on your computer to a time that is after 9:00pm. This then allows you to visit the availability page to view a store's current stock.

I have done this a few times today, and each time I have check, more stores are showing green circles as opposed to red squares.

Now, I can't say it happens in realtime, and there may be some lag involved (minutes, hours), but you can definitely view it anytime you want, and each time I have viewed it today, more stores are obtaining stock.

Try it. You will probably be surprised at the number of stores that are showing iPhones available. The red squares still vastly outnumber the green circles here in America, but the stores are slowly refreshing their supplies.

Why isnt there enough to go round.

But your suggestion is exactly what Apple did. Only 21 countries on July 11th out of 70+ launched. Delay of over a month from announcement to launch, when most signs were pointing to end of June launch.

What is true is that Apple failed to accurately predict demand by a lot. At the launch of any new product, there will be some shortage (see iMac, MBP, MB, MBA, most iPods, etc), but this is turning out to be worse than the iPod mini, which was constrained for almost 6 months. If many Apple Stores got new stock today, than this isn't that bad. But if many Apple Stores don't get re-stocked this week, then it's clear that Apple didn't expect this high of a demand worldwide, and didn't procure enough manufacturing facilities or components.

(Note that companies desperately don't want to overproduce and have inventory sitting around for months on end, leading to clearance sales. See Zune and even Xbox as examples.)

Demand > Supply

I agree with the colors thing. I think that was a dumb move. i understand changing things up so you know that you have a 1Gen in hand and not a 2Gen. but they should have just done white or black. 99% of folks are going to put a cover on it anyway, so they can pick their color that way.

I disagree about the worldwide thing. they needed to expand the markets to cut down on the breaking of the phones to sell overseas. or at least try to cut down on it. i suspect that a fair bit of those sales were well meaning folks that would have bought them legally if they could. but they couldn't so they did what they could and were probably shafted with a much higher price.

and in terms of the general demand issue, there was no way they could prepare. even if they had done an 'interest' list it would have been just a very broad guideline since many of the folks probably would have backed out for one reason or another. and a lot of folks wouldn't make up their minds if they were interested until the last minute.

i have little doubt that even if it takes a month for restock, the customers will be there. who knows, at that point they might allow shopping by appointment if the demand isn't flooding still

my local store (just outside of Los Angeles proper) ran out of 16 gig blacks early thursday morning, 8 GBs around Friday lunch and 16Whites about 6.30 that evening. Saturday they got about 50 16Blacks which went that day. I wasn't working yesterday (I work at another store on that same mall and could watch the lines out my store's windows) but I asked one of the sales people and he had been told that another delivery (exact models unknown) was already in transit and should show up early this week. so they are trying to avoid any long stockouts.

never happen. the cell phone companies are in this for the new customers. selling it at 'full' price would just make the phones available for folks to unlock and use with whomever, not with the contracted carrier.

so the phone services would never agree to it. and there are likely contracts that give them to power to stop such an idea.

so perhaps the best plan would be to just sell the dang things at like $500/$600 with no lock and let the customers deal with figuring out the rest. i'm sure the Apple store employees would love to not have to deal with the service set up

agreed.

what a lot of folks here and outside seem to have forgotten is that the iphone just started last year. as a piece of equipment it is a toddler. in store activation and a world market is a baby, a new born baby at that.

so yeah there are going to be problems. there's late nights, there's spit up on your favorite shirt cause you forgot to get out a burp rag, there's upset stomachs, there's boo boos from falling down trying out this walking thing for the first time. etc

but things could have been a lot worse. and Apple by now knows what and where the issues are and will work to fix them. because that is what Apple does. but some of that fixing will take time.

I have little doubt that Apple will bounce back.

compare this expected drop to something like Barnes and Noble or its rival Borders Books. I have a friend that works for Borders. when he started two years ago he was awarded stock options at a price of around $25 a share. He couldn't cash them in until the end of his first year, at which point they were worth only $27 a share. He figured why both and let them die. now they would be worth about $5 a share and his employer is taking offers for someone to buy them (much like AOL and TimeWarner when AOL almost went bust). and this is after cutting back the work force (his store lost two management positions and has a hiring freeze that he tells me is company wide), plus no more overtime pay for working holidays and several other perks are gone.

Apple on the other hand did just sell over a million iphones and is probably doing a healthy amount of computer sales with their annual free ipod for college kids thing. so what's a measly $10 drop in the stock. they can turn that around just by announcing a new laptop or such.

"2 bit" countries in Africa plus India and China are the only places in the world where carriers will add 100 million + new subscribers in the next 5 years. Those carriers are extremely powerful and command cashflows and growth valuations that are the envy of AT&T and Verizon. Don't be arrogant based on ignorance.

it would be great if they had a menu item on the phone system for current avail on the phones. because that website I have been told is just the end of the day. it is not updated throughout the day so it is often wrong.

but imagine calling your local store.

"Thank you for calling the Apple Store at XX. For blah blah . . . . For current iphone availability press 7."

"Today is Monday July 21st. As of 10am. We are currently out of stock on all iphone models. Please call back as we will update this information as more stock is received"

you call back at 1pm just after a new shipment comes in

"Today is Monday July 21st. As of 12.30pm, we have the 8Gig iphone and the 16Gig in white available for purchase."

you call back that evening about 8pm

" . . . as of 8pm, we have the 8 gig iphone available for purchase"

and so on.

yes it would take a few minutes for someone to record the message but it would give accurate info and stop the poor staff from having to repeat the details for tons of callers or dealing with pissed non iphone callers that couldn't get through

Funny you think you're addressing 'all of America' when you make a statement like that? Are you representing the views of your country? Are you an ambassador of some stripe?

Sold out when? Maybe between 9PM and 9AM but Apple stores appear to be taking deliveries of iPhones and showing inventory.

The availability checker is pretty close to live although you will need to adjust your system time to get by the code that checks your systems time to allow you to choose a state. As of a few minutes ago several stores in CA already show having stock.

I'd also like to mention that I've tested this theory. My hometown Apple store in Reno, NV showed as having 8GB phones at about 2PM on Thursday last week and sure enough I called them up and they had them in stock. I called them a few hours later when they changed to red on the availability tool and they were out. The following day (at different times) the same happened with the 16gb phones.

the investors need to have a little faith. just because we don't know the succession plan doesn't mean there isn't one. or that the company is suddenly going to go to hell because Steve isn't at the helm. Apple is not just Steve Jobs

Does this mean no one else will ever get a new iPhone and Apple has no intension of making more. I am disappointed because I thought i could just wait a few weeks before getting mine and not deal with a crowd. Where can I get a used one?

I thought this trick was well known, but just in case you haven't tried this yet, here's a tip for anyone interested in iPhone 3G purchasing strategies.

Tip: In my experience, the iPhone availability page is accurate (up to a certain point anyway), and you don't really have to wait until after 9pm local time to check store(s) in your area. If you manually set your computer's clock to post 9pm, and refresh the page, it will show you current availability with reasonable accuracy.

Since the new iPhone has the same plastic back as older iPods, and its prone to scratching (re: Ars Techinica iPhone 3G Review) mine will be going into a case immediately. I could care less what color the back is so I was more than happy to settle for the first available 16GB model. Using the availability tip above, I looked for Seattle area stores, noticed the store in Tukwila Southcenter just went green for 16GB White, I started towards Tukwila. Took me 20 minutes to get there, the store was busy but noticed no lines, asked one of the employees if they still had any 16GB in stock, he confirmed they just received a shipment of white 16GB 3Gs not more than an hour ago, I said perfect I'll take one. No lines, no hassle, and purchase and activation took less than 10 minutes. This is what the purchase experience should be, I promised myself that I wouldn't purchase one until I could just walk in the store and buy one, no lines no multi-hour wait.

For those of you that know you'll be putting the iPhone in a case, there's really no reason to concern yourself over the color of the plastic back, and if you want the 16GB model, go for the white model, the demand is less and they're more readily available vs. the black model.

I didn't know if worked that way. Thanks for the tip and welcome to AI.

What part of my comment did you construe as arrogant toward and ignorant about Africa?

quick good tip and works but many stores in still shows out of stock, but 9.57AM PST here

availabilty tool should be available any time, hmmm not sure why someone needs wait till the dawn to purchase the iphone next day ...

Hmm, this is definitely the first time I have posted in defense, however I have read at least 2000 messages to this one response.


hmmmm idiots.

Yeah and they buy $20 cell phones on $5 per month plans. They represent growth but they're not buying many iPhones or other high-end product. Maybe the Mugabe and his cronies are but the populations are too poor right now.

I'm not sure what you point is about the cashflows of large corps who play in this market. They're not African companies. The Indian and Chinese companies are bigger and indigenous but so what? This isn't a game of "my country is better than yours".