3 more months! Noooooooo!

July 4, 2008 9:34 AM

16gb iphone 3g shortage in the UK? Say it aint so!

I just went into my local O2 store to register my interest in the new iPhone and to get my credit checks done.

I mentioned I wanted a black one, and the manager said not to worry as it was only the 16gb ones that come in white. I told him I actually wanted the 16gig model. Then he dropped the bomb:

"Oh we aren't expecting to get any 16gb iphones in on the launch day. In fact it may take up to 3 months to get them in stock"

That came from the store manager, but the guy I was dealing with seemed to think that there would be some 16gb iphones available.

I guess it wouldn't be a major product launch if there wasn't a shortage. But 3 months!

Any of you guys know anything about this? Do any of you work for O2? I don't think I could live with an 8gig one. I just hope that this guy didn't know what he was talking about.

Hope me please!

(And yes I WILL be at the sore at 7:02am on the morning of launch like the sad little fanboy that I am.)

posted by gergtreble to Technology (5 answers total)

If the O2 stores and staff are like ATT stores and staff in the US, they won't know what they're getting until the actual boxes arrive. Even the store managers. The folks at corporate are more wired in on what the details are and they don't tell the customer facing staff until the last possible minute. If they could somehow keep the store and phone personnel from knowing the the iphone actually existed, they wouldn't tell them until launch day.

I think the consensus is the current iPhone users will want the 16GB version over the 8GB version and many of those who show up at the shops on launch day are those kinds of fanboys. It is in Apple and O2's interest to have a supply of 16GB models because they make more money on them. The 8GB model is around for the same reason the 4GB model was around on the original US launch day: to get to a price point. US$199 is a great price point to get new customers but many of them won't be arsed to stand in line on the first day to get one. Only the fanboys do that.

When the phone was launched in the US, many of the ATT stores ran out of the 8GB model (at the time it came in 4GB and 8GB models) but they got more within days. Apple stores, on the other hand had plenty in both sizes on launch day.

If there is anything that will ruin this product launch, it will be the wireless carrier in each country. If when Apple was talking to O2 about initial quantities and flavors, the O2 people said they didn't think there'd be a strong demand for the 16GB flavor and just signed up to receive a lot of 8GB, you are at their mercy. Only your wireless carrier can manage to fuck up the product launch because they believe they know you better than you know yourself.

Of course, this launch will be different since it is going out to many countries simultaneously and the ODMs in China can only make so many. I would expect shortages (some places out of 16GB, some out of 8GB in the same city, let alone country). It won't be three months before the 16GB arrives. If the UK runs out of 16GB on the first day, it will restock as fast as possible and you will get them in days not months.
posted by birdherder at 10:05 AM on July 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

When the original iPhone launched in the US, availability was great at Apple stores (took them days to sell out) and sucked at phone stores. I bet you will have no trouble getting a 16GB 3G at an Apple store.
posted by w0mbat at 10:33 AM on July 4, 2008

I bet you will have no trouble getting a 16GB 3G at an Apple store.
You'd have lots, actually, as so far Apple has said they're not going to be on sale at Apple stores in the UK. O2 and Carphone Warehouse only.
posted by bonaldi at 12:29 PM on July 4, 2008

Don't they have to be sold at a phone store itself because of the nature of the activation process?
posted by oxford blue at 12:28 AM on July 5, 2008

bonaldi - my sources say that the iPhone will be available at UK Apple Stores.
posted by w0mbat at 3:18 PM on July 7, 2008