News
Revamped iPhone hits UK
Andrew Wooden Jul 11 2008, 1:16pm
Comments (4)
Retail under strain as new version of Apples latest gadget goes on sale
Stores across the UK have been deluged with customers scrambling to get hold of the new iPhone, as it made its retail debut today.
02, which has the exclusive network deal with Apple in the UK, states on its website the phone is out of stock – though all the shops PC Retail visited this morning told us that significant shipments are expected Monday.
“We have seen strong demand for the iPhone 3G since it went on sale,” read a statement on 02’s website. “We are currently out of the initial stock supplied to us by Apple.
We are working closely with Apple to ensure a regular flow of new stock into Ireland in the coming weeks.”
Like most things Apple produces, the phone has enjoyed a huge amount of hype and popularity since the first version launched a year ago. This 8GB version is aimed at the business market as well as the consumer, rivalling devices such as the Blackberry.
Last year the firm sold four million of the devices, and it plans to ship a further ten million this year.
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Comments
“*******s you are out of stock...”
Posted by: RetailerX - Jul 11, 2:09pm
The store I went into today had two phones for launch, but are miraculously getting 50 yes, 50 iPhones in on Monday. I'm sorry but you can't possibly manufacture 50 x how ever many Carphone Warehouse stores there are 25 times more phones than you had ready for launch over the weekend, ship them from wherever the are manufactured and get them into stores, No, sorry, that's complete and utter bulls***.
You're holding stock back to manufacture 'iPhone sells out in minutes' headlines.
People simply can't have games played when it comes to contract phones. If I wasn't guaranteed one on Monday now, I'd have had to buy another phone altogether. My contract is up on Sunday and I'd be without a phone otherwise.
A PR disaster waiting to blow up in their faces is what O2 and Carphone Warehouse have done.
“Re: *******s you are out of stock...”
Posted by: trailer trash - Jul 11, 2:20pm
My girl friend went into carphone warehouse in Reading at lunchtime and picked up a new 8GB iPhone for me no problem!!!
“Re: Re: *******s you are out of stock...”
Posted by: Bob the Builder - Jul 11, 2:49pm
Dude, chill out!!! And how would you be without a phone when your contract expires on Sunday?? Mobile phone contracts are minimum terms contracts, your phone won't stop working on Sunday just because your contract comes to an end.
Plus, whoever said that they are going to manufacture and ship 50 per store over the weekend? They have already said on the web site that quanitties will vary per store and maybe their shipment was delayed.
However I totally agree that it's probably intentional to create the newspaper hype as you say, but this is business and headlines are what creates the demand. If you wanted one that desperatley why didn't you pre-order one?
“Re: Re: Re: *******s you are out of stock...”
Posted by: hermanmunch - Jul 11, 3:10pm
@ Bob the Builder...
Lol, I know, but my contract is set to end on Sunday... I'm moving from T-Mobile to O2 so, my line is actually being cut off, but I see where you're coming from.
The manager said they had 50 coming in... I'm inclined to believe that because them. Had it been just a colleague, it might not have been as believable.
As for pre-ordering; well, I did want to and had the opportunity to order from both but O2 would only deliver to my home address which no one will be at during delivery hours and I'd imagine it would be the same for the majority of professional people so no allowing delivery to a work address was very, very stupid of O2 meanwhile, Carphone Warehouse weren't giving customers the option to add further bolt-ons and I wasn't willing to take the risk of being told that I couldn't add anything after the deal was done. Otherwise I would have...