iPhone

Might be a deliberate ploy; get the iPhone some free headlines. Stimulate demand through scarcity, and far fewer pissed-off buyers who buy a 2G iPhone a week before the 3G iPhone is available. Another possibility is that some components simply aren't available in sufficient quantities to keep the 2G iPhones flowing while building up stock for expected demand for the 3G iPhone.

I think there is an angle on the "component shortage" stuff too. Apple seems, through patents and careful supplier selection, to be extremely adept at customization. When I look at pretty much any other product out there I see much more of the stuff having a "parts bin" look. I suspect that they only way Apple gets the bigger contract builders to agree to "Apple Only" type production is by contracting on a "batch rate" basis. The contract houses are not going to dedicate lines to Apple stuff and flow it out till there ain't no more the way that Asus or some generic phone company is going to do it. Apple probably gets some very detailed accounting of every last screen, touch controller, battery assembly, connector jack that is shipped and assembled.This costs more to do, but if the contract house knows it has a specific "deliver by or else" date they almost certainly run the Apple stuff in a nearly non-stop way then shift the workers to more "whenever it gets done" type work. This is a very advanced kind of logistics/manufacturing strategy and probably accounts for a lot of the other side effects of Apple 'scarcity'. Apple takes the by-product of the batch runs and matches that to its ability to see real time inventory levels AND history at all its stores -- they are not unique in this as Wal~Mart and other retailers also manage inventory this way. Apple is unique in that the high value products that is does move around are probably nothing like the truckloads of suntan lotion and laundry detergent that float around the Wal~mart logistic web...

For the past 36 hours, the online Apple Store has listed the iPhone shipping estimate as "Currently Unavailable." Not "5-7 days" or "1-2 weeks."

Are we going to see a new model sooner rather than later?

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Are we going to see a new model sooner rather than later?

I sure hope so. I need a new phone and we dont get iPhone here until the new one is out.
Although I have seen shops here in Melbourne selling iPhones.

Yeah. I really need to replace my phone, too. I wish they'd just release the thing.

Still unavailable... on the 12th at lunch time EST.

Anybody think they'll announce it tomorrow? I doubt they'll ship it but maybe they'll start allowing preorders. Going 4 weeks without selling any iPhones isn't going to look good.

I wonder where all the analysts that said Apple was stuffing warehouses full of iPhones are now?

They're all talking about unlocked phones.

Reasonable people realized they were probably mostly unlocked, but there were a few highly paid analysts who speculated Apple was stuffing the channel with iPhones because of lack of demand.

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Mokers
Reasonable people realized they were probably mostly unlocked, but there were a few highly paid analysts who speculated Apple was stuffing the channel with iPhones because of lack of demand.

Who probably don't actually walk on the surface of the Earth much -- I mean seriously, I think that the #1 most identifiable phone is still the Razor variants from Moto, but #2 is iPhone -- I don't care where you go they are everywhere...

Which brings me to my dilemma -- darling wife has carelessly smashed here Razor into a state where the vital hinge is busted up real good and routinely falls apart. She needs something.

I could spend $90 on an identical replacement. Or about $50 more on one with 3G data and give her the hand me down Razoe I'm using. Or spend my portion of my "economic stimulus" on an iPhone and give her the hand me down. Other alternatives? Anything I have overlooked?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2008 10:37AM by stan adams.

was at apple store on 14th. no iPhones.

The comments are generally more believable than the article, but at least the article is not totally off in dope smoke land:

http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/5/apples_3g_iphone_coming_this_week_no

I guess I'll pull the trigger on a plain ol' Razor unless I can find a 3G unit for dirt...

stan, don't a lot of plans offer practically free phones with their plans? maybe you could go cheapo for a month, then get an iphone.

ddt

I have a grandfathered plan. And wife that wants a replacement phone ASAP. I'm thinking even if, best case, there is some kind of big price cut, any iPhone is still going to be $249, roughly 3x the cost of a straight Razor...

In the hands of an experienced barber, a straight razor will give you the closest shave.

Argh har har...

No wonder I liked Sweeny Todd so much!

The iPhone has been out of stock for 6 days now. I'm surprised their stock price hasn't taken a hit for this. At least AT&T is selling refurbs now.

I wonder if some ship sank? I wonder if Boris has friends that are dock workers: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/62830.html?welcome=1210956533

This might be a bad time to ride an elevator at One Infinite Loop...

iPhone Watch 2008: Day 9

Still no iPhones available.