Piper Jaffray estimates iPhone shortage could last through August
Got your hands on a shiny new iPhone 3G? If you answered yes, you’re one of the lucky ones. For those of you that didn’t pick up the new handset during the last week, you could be in for a long hard journey. According to industry analyst Gene Munster, the current iPhone shortage could persist through mid-August, crushing the dreams of would-be iPhone 3G owners everywhere. Herman Munster dropped word that initial demand for the handset outstripped Apple’s estimates, resulting in a supply shortage that is causing problems across the U.S. Things should even out before too long, but if you’ve had your sights set on a getting one within the next 3-4 weeks, you might want to consider camping out at your local AT&T or Apple store. Make that Apple store, since we all know AT&T stores selling iPhones are totally like 1,800 of Steve Jobs’ red-headed step childs. They’re good from some iPhone cases but that’s about it. Sorry, folks!
This “shortage” scheme worked wonders for the Wii all over the world. Especially at Christmas time. They’re still in high demand.
The best benefit to a cooling-off period, however, will be the sanity check that it induces. Fresh new BlackBerries arriving in the field during the waiting period may be enough to shake some Apples out of the tree, I’m sure. Perhaps customers will reach for low hanging fruit rather than wait forever… (I’m not sure how long I can keep that metaphor going…)
On the other hand: If you don’t mind taking out a 2-3 year mortgage to own a device which will be obsolete in about a year from now, then waiting in line on the street for hours each day seems a good investment to me.
My concern in the very beginning … can Apple make enough of these things?
I think this shortage stuff is being made up so that people would dfelay their purchases until the Bold makes it on the scene. I know it sounds strange’ but instutional investors want to see both companies prosper and in that way they’ll doubly propser.
As for RIM’s Bold = yesterday’s news.
I know people who waited on line Friday morning for over 6 hours. I also know a person who walked right into a store on Saturday afternoon and picked one up. I also know another person who went to a store yesterday and picked one up too.
You may have to do a little research but they aren’t that hard to find.
The he is Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray.
There is a difference between the Wii and the iphone. Sony and Microsoft does not come out with new gaming consoles every month, so the high demand for the Wii is warranted, therefore the strategy works. For the iphone, however, phones come out every month. If they hold out for higher demand, people will just get the next NEW phone coming out. Blackberry and Nokia are both coming out with new phones soon. The iphone is not worth the hype. Its just another Apple product. It is well rounded when it comes to technology but nothing really stands out except for the OS and the touch UI. Given the overall price tag (including the 2 year contract), it is not worth the time or the money to wait for the iphone. The iphone will be come ancient history in about 9 months when Apple releases info about iPhone 3rd generation.