Is it impressive or a marketing stunt. They sell out year after year. Why don't they just make millions more before launch - what doesn't sell will sell pre-christmas.
Okay, how many? How many more million? Store them where? How much more time devoted to production and security of storage, should they start building iPhone 8s right now so they have enough for next year's model? How much money do you expect to pay for this, because the cost has to be embedded in the phone for storage, extra security to protect these filled warehouses which store *unsold* product worth potentially billions of dollars. What is the exact formula, other than simply, "more." The costs, the supply chain constraints, the security, the money spent in the stock that just sits there, the lead time to manufacture millions of phones, perhaps the problem is all the impatient people who day one "MUST HAVE TODAY!" attitudes that should be managed, eh?!
You think the stock would just sit there? Really? It's darn obvious that if Apple had a few million more available they wouldn't be sitting around gathering dust. Your post doesn't make much sense since it's based on the flawed premise they'd have to be stuffed in a warehouse until someone wanted them.
To be honest I don't really understand why every iPhone launch, every single one, starts out with "constrained supply" unless that's the way Apple prefers it. 9 years in now if Apple wanted plenty of iPhones available for launch day, and considering Tim Cook's reputation as a master of the supply chain, they would have them. They can't reasonably be surprised by the demand after all these years. So the simplest explanation, which more often than not is the correct one, is that it all happens because that's the way Apple wants it. They would appear to be totally unconcerned, perhaps even pleased, if initial product stock can't meet demand, and why not? They're not going to lose any sale if someone has to wait an extra week or two to get an iPhone, and on the plus side it builds anticipation, evidence for a great product that everyone must want, and a sense of rarity "so get it now" leading to perhaps more demand for a few more of 'em. It works so there's zero reason to change anything. Next year they same thing will play out just as it has for the past nine.
Do you know how many iPhone Apple has to build in just one second to satisfy demand? The number, even of iPhone 6, is staggering. Way more than any company could cope but trolls like you will think everything is easy. There's people waiting, just shit iPhone out Apple. :roll eyes:
Fck...my 30 min late on pre-order day costs me 2 months late now...Thanksgiving delivery for Jet Black...
I was a minute late, and it was a week later (Sep 23) for my 7+ JB... so, all things considered, you're not doing too shabbily! Per my calculation, you should have got yours on March 31, 2017!
(Add: A 128GB Gold 7 I got for my son -- he turned in his 6 to ATT to get the 7 for just $100 extra --will arrive on the 16th, though).
I think I made it very, very clear that I wasn't talking about the iPhone. I have no idea how many total units Apple would need, much less how much of each SKU for each country, carrier and store. I brought to you a scenario in which you were suppose to describe how you would do it without any issues. I gave you all the basic components that make it tough for even Apple and Tim Cook to meet the most excessive demand on the most popular CE in history, and since you feel that demand isn't an issue, I gave you a specific demand to meet the needs of their customer base on launch day. If this is so pedestrian then you should have no problem giving me a detailed analysis of how you'd obtain suppliers, test components, test devices, finalize design and suppliers, make sure suppliers can supply, have back ups in play, get machines tooled and assembly lines setup and tested for mass production, finalize these processes, get production underway, make sure QA teams are satisfied with the progress, speed up progress, get all items boxed and shipped to every store or home for launch day to meet the needs of every single person who wants one on launch day. Get rogifan's help since he also thinks that you should be able to get all customers the exact size, color, capacity, carrier (or lack thereof), and location worked out before you even sell a single item to a single end-user.
I think it's fairly pedestrian for Mr. Cook, who I would think neither one us pretends to be. He has a little experience in that field...
Let's keep in mind that we're not talking about minor year-over-year changes, but instead pushing the envelope of design and manufacturing every year. If you really think this is all so simple that Cook never has to put effort into his job then you're simply not paying attention. Note: They had an video made on what goes into making the finish on the Jet Black iPhone.
Yes, they could have delayed the release until they had more stock on hand. How would that benefit anyone -- customers or stockholders? It's better that some people get their phones this week than nobody getting them.
Is it impressive or a marketing stunt. They sell out year after year. Why don't they just make millions more before launch - what doesn't sell will sell pre-christmas.
jesus not this nonsense again. look -- corporations breathe profit. they get it by selling things. they don't get it by intentionally not selling things for "sold out!" headlines. that's insanity. real profit comes from selling real products. not selling something now so they can sell it later doesn't make any sense.
also, these things don't grow on trees, you can only build so many in advance.
From all outward appearances scarcity plays to Apple's benefit
If you think that scarcity is better than meeting demand, explain to me how not selling an iPhone benefit Apple more than selling an iPhone?
The only way I can see that being beneficial is when the cost to produce the item grows too high due to diseconomies of scale. Let's say that Apple doesn't have enough telephoto cameras for the iPhone 7 Plus, it's the only component they're lacking, and they find a component maker that will supply them additional units, but there's a catch. They will cost 20x more and affect the quality of the image in a negative way over what they demonstrated at their event, with reviewer models, and on their website. Should Apple get buy these components or should they avoid them because they aren't good enough? If I was running the company, I'd not buy them, even though people like you would say that I'm hoarding warehouses of completed units in order to invent a demand that doesn't exist.
Is it impressive or a marketing stunt. They sell out year after year. Why don't they just make millions more before launch - what doesn't sell will sell pre-christmas.
jesus not this nonsense again. look -- corporations breathe profit. they get it by selling things. they don't get it by intentionally not selling things for "sold out!" headlines. that's insanity. real profit comes from selling real products. not selling something now so they can sell it later doesn't make any sense.
also, these things don't grow on trees, you can only build so many in advance.
From all outward appearances scarcity plays to Apple's benefit
If you think that scarcity is better than meeting demand, explain to me how not selling an iPhone benefit Apple more than selling an iPhone?
Explain what iPhone sale Apple loses if you have to wait an extra week.
As for the scarcity principle itself and why in can be advantageous for a company when used as a part of marketing simply search it up. Articles about it are hardly scarce (pun intended), and they explain much better than I can why your company might make MORE profits by not meeting initial demands. At the end of the day profits are the highest priority. Whatever gets them there. . .
If you think that scarcity is better than meeting demand, explain to me how not selling an iPhone benefit Apple more than selling an iPhone?
Well in his world there's no angry customer. Everyone rejected will just be rejoice to come back for more. Isn't it fabulous?
You should do more reading about marketing. By the way does the "troll meme" ever get old? I'm way past getting my feelings hurt by name-calling. I know why folks resort to it. Don't get so emotional. Apple isn't under attack and there's no danger of them going broke. It's all good.
What's interesting is, Jet Black is "sold out" and thus not available at Apple stores on launch, but so far not one single person has received a shipping notice for a Jet Black Plus order either. This can still change before tomorrow, but if it doesn't? Very unlike Apple to not deliver any of the premier new model on launch day.
Apple did not make so many because they were thinking that the 7 wouldn't sell so well. Then they moved up the launch by a week (usually there is more time between the announcement and the launch, so there was less stock, then they had to something for the IPhone Upgrade program people, so there went the store stock.
Until we we see real numbers, I'm not going to assume that 7 is a big winner yet. All those people buying Apple stock on margin might be sorry.
cool story bro. got any facts to back this up, or is it all just bullshit you came up with?
Is it impressive or a marketing stunt. They sell out year after year. Why don't they just make millions more before launch - what doesn't sell will sell pre-christmas.
jesus not this nonsense again. look -- corporations breathe profit. they get it by selling things. they don't get it by intentionally not selling things for "sold out!" headlines. that's insanity. real profit comes from selling real products. not selling something now so they can sell it later doesn't make any sense.
also, these things don't grow on trees, you can only build so many in advance.
From all outward appearances scarcity plays to Apple's benefit
If you think that scarcity is better than meeting demand, explain to me how not selling an iPhone benefit Apple more than selling an iPhone?
Explain what iPhone sale Apple loses if you have to wait an extra week. .
They lose a week of sales that could be sold the next week. In most quarters, they lose sales for that quarter. They potentially lose sales to other vendors for customers with the conspiracy theory mindset, like you and Rogifan, that believe the company is withholding for unethical and nefarious reasons, and feel like it's a personal slap in your face. They lose sales from the "new hotness" factor that causes the constraint in the first place. They lose sales from the domino effect when customers are selling the devices to others around them simply by owning it.
At the end of the day profits are the highest priority.
You know Apple isn't a start up looking for investors by pushing a CGI-created product to entice investors, right? If you believe that profits are the highest priority, then please for the 5th(?) time tell me how creating a false demand is better fro the company's bottomline this quarter than not having the iPhone 7 Plus I am waiting for until November?
It seriously amazes me that Apple always seems to be supply constrained these days considering a supply chain guru is CEO and his right hand operations man is COO. I mean the Jet Black phone was out of stock as soon as it went on sale. If there are manufacturing issues why not tell people up front that quantities will be limited or delay the launch of that model until sufficient quantities are availalbe. I'm glad they released a statement though. Hopefully they'll get fewer disappointed walk in customers.
it seriously amazes me that trolls always seem to supply new ways to shit on apple these days.
seriously, what's so hard for you to comprehend? they can only stockpile so many millions of units in advance. i woke up at 2am, checked the app often, and got a jet black on Day 1. sorry you didn't.
please tell me me you're a retiree or student and not actually in the work force somewhere...
Is it impressive or a marketing stunt. They sell out year after year. Why don't they just make millions more before launch - what doesn't sell will sell pre-christmas.
jesus not this nonsense again. look -- corporations breathe profit. they get it by selling things. they don't get it by intentionally not selling things for "sold out!" headlines. that's insanity. real profit comes from selling real products. not selling something now so they can sell it later doesn't make any sense.
also, these things don't grow on trees, you can only build so many in advance.
From all outward appearances scarcity plays to Apple's benefit
If you think that scarcity is better than meeting demand, explain to me how not selling an iPhone benefit Apple more than selling an iPhone?
Explain what iPhone sale Apple loses if you have to wait an extra week. .
They lose a week of sales that could be sold the next week. In most quarters, they lose sales for that quarter. They potentially lose sales to other vendors for customers with the conspiracy theory mindset, like you and Rogifan, that believe the company is withholding for unethical and nefarious reasons, and feel like it's a personal slap in your face. They lose sales from the "new hotness" factor that causes the constraint in the first place. They lose sales from the domino effect when customers are selling the devices to others around them simply by owning it.
Oh, so you think I was intimating Apple had some evil reason for not having enough iPhones on hand? Well there's where your problem lies then. That's not at all what I said or even hinted at. No wonder you disagreed with me, you didn't understand or incorrectly read what I posted.
Is it impressive or a marketing stunt. They sell out year after year. Why don't they just make millions more before launch - what doesn't sell will sell pre-christmas.
Okay, how many? How many more million? Store them where? How much more time devoted to production and security of storage, should they start building iPhone 8s right now so they have enough for next year's model? How much money do you expect to pay for this, because the cost has to be embedded in the phone for storage, extra security to protect these filled warehouses which store *unsold* product worth potentially billions of dollars. What is the exact formula, other than simply, "more." The costs, the supply chain constraints, the security, the money spent in the stock that just sits there, the lead time to manufacture millions of phones, perhaps the problem is all the impatient people who day one "MUST HAVE TODAY!" attitudes that should be managed, eh?!
You think the stock would just sit there? Really? It's darn obvious that if Apple had a few million more available they wouldn't be sitting around gathering dust. Your post doesn't make much sense since it's based on the flawed premise they'd have to be stuffed in a warehouse until someone wanted them.
To be honest I don't really understand why every iPhone launch, every single one, starts out with "constrained supply" unless that's the way Apple prefers it. 9 years in now if Apple wanted plenty of iPhones available for launch day, and considering Tim Cook's reputation as a master of the supply chain, they would have them. They can't reasonably be surprised by the demand after all these years. So the simplest explanation, which more often than not is the correct one, is that it all happens because that's the way Apple wants it. They would appear to be totally unconcerned, perhaps even pleased, if initial product stock can't meet demand, and why not? They're not going to lose any sale if someone has to wait an extra week or two to get an iPhone, and on the plus side it builds anticipation, evidence for a great product that everyone must want, and a sense of rarity "so get it now" leading to perhaps more demand for a few more of 'em. It works so there's zero reason to change anything. Next year they same thing will play out just as it has for the past nine.
Another, "I know better than they do," expert on supply chain management. YES, the fucking stock would sit there. Do you know how many months in advance they start to build these things? Do you realise how many components go into the making of these phones, and those of course would need to be fabricated FIRST, such as the chips. You demonstrate zero knowledge of business in your "they aren't going to lose any sale" and utter ignorance of corporate risk and management/business decisions, it's laughable. But, any opportunity to slam Apple from the armchair critics association of people who have never held positions such as those.
Who the hell is slamming Apple?? Certainly not me. As I pretty plainly said this is the way Apple wants it to be IMHO. If they wanted a few million more available to sell at each year's launch they very obviously could since they already know the initial demand is ALWAYS high and everything they have will sell in very short order. So no I "don't know better than they do" since I agree with the way they're doing it now. It works. I just think I know better than you do.
way to deflect. first you said you didn't understand why this happens every year. then you suggest they could just squirt out some more, then you suggest they wouldn't in fact be sitting around in a warehouse for weeks or more before launch (which is what william was referring to), now you don't address this fact after he explained why they would of course be sitting on that inventory.
inventory costs money. read radar's excellent post #31 before you try again.
They lose a week of sales that could be sold the next week. In most quarters, they lose sales for that quarter. They potentially lose sales to other vendors for customers with the conspiracy theory mindset, like you and Rogifan, that believe the company is withholding for unethical and nefarious reasons, and feel like it's a personal slap in your face. They lose sales from the "new hotness" factor that causes the constraint in the first place. They lose sales from the domino effect when customers are selling the devices to others around them simply by owning it.
Oh, so you think I was intimating Apple had some evil reason for not having enough iPhones on hand? Well there's where your problem lies then. That's not at all what I said or even hinted at. No wonder you disagreed with me, you didn't understand or incorrectly read what I posted.
If you believe they are artificially creating demand when they could be selling units to customers, then yes. What amazes me is that you and Rogifan think the demand has to be invented.
It seriously amazes me that Apple always seems to be supply constrained these days considering a supply chain guru is CEO and his right hand operations man is COO.
1) These days? WTF are you smoking?
2) Every fucking year you act surprised by normal supply and demand issues with a new product. Every fucking year the basics of given to you, and every fucking year you choose not to understand that Apple's supply is affect by both customer demand and that demand pressure is affected by the number of items it can build. Every fucking year.
i have to believe our precious little concern troll is very, very old, and new concepts have a hard time taking root.
Is it impressive or a marketing stunt. They sell out year after year. Why don't they just make millions more before launch - what doesn't sell will sell pre-christmas.
It's quite simple, if you just think about it.
1. Starting production earlier means that you must complete all manufacturing testing and optimization earlier, you must install any specialized equipment earlier, you must bring on additional required staff earlier. Everything prior to production ramping is also moved to earlier dates. It's not like Apple has everything ready and is sitting with huge bins of parts and idle factories, purposefully delaying the start of production. The whole supply chain needs time to ramp prior to ramping production; if even one component isn't ready, then not one phone can be assembled. So it's a huge coordination task, and volume production begins when it begins. Nobody is purposefully holding back supply.
2. Scaling production, once begun, could alleviate much of the initial supply constrants. Apple, along with its production partners, could build twice the number of assembly lines, order from suppliers twice the component flow, requiring partners to scale up their own production capabilities. But you don't scale production to meet an initial surge in demand. That would be a foolish waste of energy and resources. You scale production closer to what you think steady state demand will be, so that you and your many suppliers aren't scrambling for workers, training them, building out more production lines, which require more floor space, only to soon after idle those production lines, layoff those extra workers you just took pains to find, hire, and train, and shut the lights in now empty facilities. That would be insane. When you have a popular product like the iPhone, you suffer some initial supply constraint in order to optimize these other things.
Don't worry, I'm copying my comment so I'll be able to paste it here again next year.
You also have other negatives at this scale when it comes to competition. Your inevitable leaks get released even sooner, competitors see your direction and counter even faster after your release date (or worse, even before your release date) due to their much smaller lead times due to fewer units needed for market), and the magic of the new device is negatively affected the longer customers get a whiff of what is likely to come with new release.
For the last one, there's a reason why the event was less than 2 days before the pre-orders start, not 6+ months ago when the design was finalized. With an OS, you unfortunately need to developers to have knowledge of core changes, but if Apple could go back to a time when they could keep the OS secret until the day it was available to all customers, they would.
They lose a week of sales that could be sold the next week. In most quarters, they lose sales for that quarter. They potentially lose sales to other vendors for customers with the conspiracy theory mindset, like you and Rogifan, that believe the company is withholding for unethical and nefarious reasons, and feel like it's a personal slap in your face. They lose sales from the "new hotness" factor that causes the constraint in the first place. They lose sales from the domino effect when customers are selling the devices to others around them simply by owning it.
Oh, so you think I was intimating Apple had some evil reason for not having enough iPhones on hand? Well there's where your problem lies then. That's not at all what I said or even hinted at. No wonder you disagreed with me, you didn't understand or incorrectly read what I posted.
If you believe they are artificially creating demand when they could be selling units to customers, then yes. What amazes me is that you and Rogifan think the demand has to be invented.
I've zero idea whether they're artificially restricting supply or whether it's by pure happenstance that something seems to happen every year to restrict supplies, nor do you. It doesn't matter either as I'm firmly convinced Apple benefits from it either way. In general scarcity makes a product more desirable and thus more valuable to a potential acquirer who is less likely to question the price. It also tends to prompt immediate decisions to buy when you find one rather than put things off.
And yes I know you're already familiar with how scarcity can play to a company's advantage. I'm writing that for others and not you. In Apple's case I don't think (yes that's a guess like everyone else's) that having plentiful supplies of a new iPhone model at launch, particularly a new color that everyone who thought about it already knew would be popular, is a high priority for them. I do believe they could have planned for more product in many of the releases if it was to their advantage to do so, and would have if it were so. Of course in any particular year or model there could be something beyond Apple's control (dual camera module?) that leads to a temporary restriction. With that said Apple has more control over their product and components than most other smartphone manufacturers. Remember all the stories about Apple buying up inventories of essential components well in advance and thus limiting the supply available to competitors? I do.
Comments
(Add: A 128GB Gold 7 I got for my son -- he turned in his 6 to ATT to get the 7 for just $100 extra --will arrive on the 16th, though).
Yes, they could have delayed the release until they had more stock on hand. How would that benefit anyone -- customers or stockholders? It's better that some people get their phones this week than nobody getting them.
If you think that scarcity is better than meeting demand, explain to me how not selling an iPhone benefit Apple more than selling an iPhone?
The only way I can see that being beneficial is when the cost to produce the item grows too high due to diseconomies of scale. Let's say that Apple doesn't have enough telephoto cameras for the iPhone 7 Plus, it's the only component they're lacking, and they find a component maker that will supply them additional units, but there's a catch. They will cost 20x more and affect the quality of the image in a negative way over what they demonstrated at their event, with reviewer models, and on their website. Should Apple get buy these components or should they avoid them because they aren't good enough? If I was running the company, I'd not buy them, even though people like you would say that I'm hoarding warehouses of completed units in order to invent a demand that doesn't exist.
As for the scarcity principle itself and why in can be advantageous for a company when used as a part of marketing simply search it up. Articles about it are hardly scarce (pun intended), and they explain much better than I can why your company might make MORE profits by not meeting initial demands. At the end of the day profits are the highest priority. Whatever gets them there. . .
Not a big deal either, just very unlike them.
cool story bro. got any facts to back this up, or is it all just bullshit you came up with?
You know Apple isn't a start up looking for investors by pushing a CGI-created product to entice investors, right? If you believe that profits are the highest priority, then please for the 5th(?) time tell me how creating a false demand is better fro the company's bottomline this quarter than not having the iPhone 7 Plus I am waiting for until November?
seriously, what's so hard for you to comprehend? they can only stockpile so many millions of units in advance. i woke up at 2am, checked the app often, and got a jet black on Day 1. sorry you didn't.
please tell me me you're a retiree or student and not actually in the work force somewhere...
way to deflect. first you said you didn't understand why this happens every year. then you suggest they could just squirt out some more, then you suggest they wouldn't in fact be sitting around in a warehouse for weeks or more before launch (which is what william was referring to), now you don't address this fact after he explained why they would of course be sitting on that inventory.
inventory costs money. read radar's excellent post #31 before you try again.
For the last one, there's a reason why the event was less than 2 days before the pre-orders start, not 6+ months ago when the design was finalized. With an OS, you unfortunately need to developers to have knowledge of core changes, but if Apple could go back to a time when they could keep the OS secret until the day it was available to all customers, they would.
And yes I know you're already familiar with how scarcity can play to a company's advantage. I'm writing that for others and not you. In Apple's case I don't think (yes that's a guess like everyone else's) that having plentiful supplies of a new iPhone model at launch, particularly a new color that everyone who thought about it already knew would be popular, is a high priority for them. I do believe they could have planned for more product in many of the releases if it was to their advantage to do so, and would have if it were so. Of course in any particular year or model there could be something beyond Apple's control (dual camera module?) that leads to a temporary restriction. With that said Apple has more control over their product and components than most other smartphone manufacturers. Remember all the stories about Apple buying up inventories of essential components well in advance and thus limiting the supply available to competitors? I do.