Apple runs short of entry-level iPhones — Update
If you move fast, you might be able to snatch one of the last remaining 8 GB iPhones in California. It’s at the Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara. All the other Apple stores in the state — including the company’s flagship outlets in Los Angeles and San Francisco — have run dry of what has turned out to be the most popular version of the device.
And California is not alone. There are no 8 GB iPhones to be had in Miami, Boston, Chicago or Denver. The only store in New York City that carries them is the glass cube on Fifth Ave. If that store runs out, New Yorkers will have to drive to Syracuse, Atlantic City or out to the middle of Long Island. Either that or settle for one of the higher-priced 16 GB models, which are still available in most Apple stores.
By Friday night, only 36 of Apple’s 197 U.S. retail outlets still had 8 GB iPhones in stock, down from 46 on Thursday. The situation is reminiscent the period after the 3G’s launch, when Apple couldn’t make the things fast enough. By mid-August, however, supply and demand had reached a rough equilibrium.
[UPDATE: Either Apple shipped a ton of iPhones overnight or someone fixed its availability widget, because by 9 p.m. Saturday the situation had reversed: all but 14 Apple stores now report that they have 8 GB iPhones in stock.]
What’s going on now? There are several theories. One is Apple has diverted supply to Best Buy (BBY), which started carrying the iPhone in nearly 1,000 stores on Sept. 7 (see here). Another is that Apple is getting hit by a wave of first-time buyers, those most likely to be attracted by the $199 price point. A third theory — which may be wishful thinking — is that Apple has stopped production of the 8 GB model in preparation for some kind of memory upgrade. 16 GBs for the price of 8, perhaps?
Whatever the truth, it seems likely that Apple (AAPL) will be able to include in its earnings for the fourth quarter — which ends in 10 days — nearly every 8 GB iPhone built, because there sure aren’t many sitting in inventory.
You can check the supplies of iPhones at your local Apple store using the company’s availability widget after 9 p.m. the night before.
[Thanks to the Apple watchers at The Mac Observer's Apple Finance Board for the tip.]
Interesting law making you have going on in the new world.
So, if the Great Robber Baroney of the USA has formalised a monarchy, what happens to the war for democracy? Do we change the name on that, or what? I have long thought it odd that the UK, a monarchy with an upper house of hereditary peers, would wage war for democracy so openly. But whatever.
However, this American business seems rather vulgar. Why concentrate power in one man?
In Europe, when they gave the whole lot to the families who own the banks, they made a great show of it, and sold it very well. Europe has a commission that is appointed, unchecked by democratic process, and which owns money supply.
Switzerland is the only real democracy in the west.
Sorry guys - I felt i just HAD to post this somewhere.
Yeah the guy is kinda radical, but the quotes are (apparently) from the act itself.
from:
http://housingpanic.blogspot.com/2008/09/end-of-america-as-you-knew-it-is-at.html
— quote:
The Patriot Act of Finance, otherwise known as Paulson’s $700 billion bailout bill, if passed in its present form will be the nail in the coffin for an America by, for and of the people.
Just like the Patriot Act appeared to be written before 9/11, so does this Patriot Act of Finance appear to be written before the housing crash. And yes, both were rushed through a panicked Congress and complacent media in the middle of the night.
A nation founded by the people, for the people will be given to a very select group of bankers. Legally. Without a shot fired. Because Americans were too distracted and too dumb to know what was going on.
Brilliant.
Here’s how it will be done:
1) The key line in the proposed bill is this one:
“The Secretary’s authority to purchase mortgage-related assets under this Act shall be limited to 700,000,000,000 dollars outstanding at any one time”
What this does is give Hank Paulson, acting as an emperor with unchecked control over the nation’s treasury, a $700 billion line of credit in which he can buy up toxic debt for whatever price he’d like to pay, $700 billion at a time.
In other words - he could buy trillions. Trillions and trillions and trillions. Buying and selling, buying and selling.
He can sell the junk he buys from his banker friends for whatever price he wants, saddling the taxpayers with the loss. He keeps this process going, using his $700 billion credit card. Buy for 60 cents on the dollar, sell for 30 cents on the dollar. Buy for 80 cents on the dollar, sell for 5 cents on the dollar. He’s in charge.
$700 billion folks IS JUST THE LINE OF CREDIT. He can purchase trillions and trillions of bad debt with this credit card, as long as only $700 billion is OUTSTANDING at any one time.
2) Hank Paulson, CEO of Goldman Sachs on leave, has complete and total control over the nation’s treasure. He would be unchecked by Congress, unchecked by the President. He will be king. Here’s the text:
“The Secretary is authorized to take such actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in this Act, including, without limitation”
Using this power, Hank Paulson of Goldman Sachs could pay Goldman Sachs anything he wanted for their mortgage assets. Let’s say the market value was 20 cents on the dollar. Hank Paulson could pay them 100 cents on the dollar. Its his decision and his alone. No oversight. No limitations. Hank Paulson could simply give the nation’s treasure to Goldman Sachs.
Get it now?
3) Deputizing the banks and investment banks as “agents of the government”. Seriously. Here’s the text:
“Designating financial institutions as financial agents of the Government, and they shall perform all such reasonable duties related to this Act as financial agents of the Government as may be required of them”
4) Have no outside control over the firesale of assets and loss to the taxpayer. Again, Hank Paulson and Hank Paulson alone shall be in control. No auditors. No oversight. No multiple bids. No nothing. Hank Paulson and Hank Paulson alone. Here you go:
“Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets. The Secretary may, at any time, upon terms and conditions and at prices determined by the Secretary, sell, or enter into securities loans, repurchase transactions or other financial transactions in regard to, any mortgage-related asset purchased under this Act.”
5) Hank Paulson has final say. Hank Paulson knows what’s best. Hank Paulson cannot be reversed. Hank Paulson cannot be sued. Hank Paulson is king.
“Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency”
– end quote–
@ sleepy
Why are you so darn cynical? At least post the POSSIBILITY:
4- They are simply selling them as faster than they can make and ship them!
I mean - you gotta admit that this is a possible cause!
HTC Dream looks pretty cool to me, even though I’ve been a mac girl since, I dare say, the ’80s. I think more people will be hearing about it. Here’s where I found it: http://rizzn.com/blog/2008/09/gphone-spotted-in-wild.php
“from outside the reality distortion field”
Ha, yeah right. What other company and product inventory is being tracked (and wildly speculated upon) with such fervor.
yeah sure, the HTC Dream Android phone… 99.9 % of the people does not even know about it.
I think it is a publicity attempt to drive sales before the announcement of the HTC Dream android phone on Sept, 23rd. Get those sales in before the competition comes out.
This is no way surprises me, ever since the Ipod came out, Apple (AAPL) has proven it’s a master of marketing. I just got mine over the weekend, and being a Mac devotee, it interfaces with all my hardware. Whoever says it’s impossible to love a material object, clearly doesn’t own one of these.
As for Apple as a stock and its share price…I read an article that said the company may well go on to sell 4.1 million units in this quarter alone. That should get analysts re-estimating the company’s value. And that’s just THIS quarter. Next quarter is the holiday season, which should bring a windfall in sales.
Mac naysayers always tend to underestimate the company just b/c their sales of computers don’t rival that of the major PC suppliers like Dell, Sony, Toshiba, etc… When they get a gander at their final sales figure for the years, perhaps they’ll rethink their position.
Apple share price will probably go down on this news. It has got to be the only company that can sell out of a highly priced product in a new market and yet continue to be regarded with grim suspicion by the quality.
Consider, all those erstwhile parasites in suits (hello banking community) were advocating investments in worthless mortgage securities at the same time as they were cautious on Apple stock.
Explanation? Bankers are dumb herd animals who gamble with your cash. And, of course, Apple crazies scare away the sort of low key, mass migration towards a trend that ensures it becomes truly MEGA. Like, for instance, energy drinks and playstation.
Check out the Ireland Apple store opening for further hard evidence that Apple is a bona fida cult.
I don’t see the shortage from Apple’s web site now…
I heard a rumor Apple was getting out of the cell phone business to pursue the typewriter business, so it makes sense there are no more iPhones left.
I just bought two new 8gb iPhones today in the new Hillsdale store. Didn’t seem to be any shortage there.
“So most likely this is about replacing inventory of iPhones with defective plugs.”
Heh…. not quite. The recall is for the 50 cent power “brick” that plugs into the wall, not the phone itself.
Let’s just hope the 8GB models are selling like hotcakes and the 16 GB model will soon become the entry level model for $199 while a new 32 GB model replaces the 16 GB model as the top model. That will just about kill all the competition in the smartphone market.
Apple just issued a recall for the ultracompact power adapter they use on the iPhone, urging people to stop using the existing adapter.
“Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter.”
http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram/?sr=hotnews
So most likely this is about replacing inventory of iPhones with defective plugs.
Probably a combination of 3 things: 1. bringing forward to September the headline announcement of 10M in 2008 by shipping current production to third parties (sold) in preference to own stores (inventory) 2. diverting production to overseas markets while enough new US power adapters are manufactured to meet new iPhone and recall requirements. 3. change from early adopter enthusiasts buying mainly 16G to first timers thinking 16G is pricey and pointless.
ex ped: Reason No. 1 sounds very smart to me.
I’ll bet it is demand. Best Buy is out of iPod touches all over California.
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8GB iPhone BAILOUT!!!