Technology – Page 6

iPhone 4.1/5

I’m not going to say that I I’m some kind of super reliable authority on the crazy world of Apple rumors however I have made an observation over the last week that may have some merit on the pending and imminent release of the iPhone 5/4.1.

I work in retail for a major Mobile phone company and have done so for some time. 11 years to be exact. Part of my job involves managing stock allocation with in own little domain. If I work back to 6 June 2010; the day that the iPhone 4 was announced by apple the stock situation for the iPhone 3Gs 16GB was already falling off the edge. What I mean by this is that around 3 months before there was a noticeable drop in stock allocations for the 3GS combined with a push on offers on the older 3g model.

Apple don’t normally communicate stock level allocations. Basically you don’t get much of a chance to see what stock you are going to get from apple until you actually have it. You place your order for units and then you get what your given. Often you get exactly what you have asked for; but not all the time. Over the last 3 weeks the stock situation on the iPhone 4 and 3Gs 8GB has been a nightmare.

Offer around the iPhone 3Gs 8GB have been running in force across most UK networks for the last month and I have seen about a 80% drop in iPhone stock on last allocation.

yesterday all Pre-pay stock of all iPhones models was reallocated for contract stock. Stock rooms across UK mobile retailer are emptying of iPhone stock.

This could have been just the retailer that I work for. No. I have spoken to contacts within all of the major high street mobile retailers and they are give or take a little in the same situation.

The pressure is building; a storm is about to be unleashed.

We all know this already unless you have been sleeping under a rock or just don’t give a crap. The overall consensus however is that we are looking at a new iPhone 5 and that we are looking at a “fall” release along with iOS 5.

l think we are going to see something else happen.

Based on the current stock levels and and the beta stage for iOS 5. Its clear that something new is in the pipe lines. One issues is however that we have not seen any massive reliable information regarding new bodywork for the iPhone. Something that would be hard for apple to hide. The nightmare Apple had with the great iPhone leak of 2010 when an employee lost his iPhone in a bar will make apple extra careful this time around but with the current storm building people will be looking for the leaks.

With nothing solid going on in that department it would suggest that something else is happening. They are going to be using most of the same parts they have now. An easy update on the camera, a quick switch on the glass on the back of the iPhone 4 and finish it off with a iPad 2 processor. They could update the screen without any information leaking out as most display manufactures are spitting out small high end screen like they are going out if fashion without any idea who the hell they are making them for. Smaller memory chip would allow for an easy storage update and you are done. A new, but not so new iPhone 4.1

discontinuation of the iPhone 3Gs 8GB; a new iPhone 4 8GB and the release of a new iPhone 4.1 32GB and 64GB.

iPhone 4 out of stock from the 24th

7 days to go till the launch of the iPhone 4 and people are clocking up a large wedge of pre orders. Apple reported 600,000 pre orders for the new iPhone, the largest number of pre orders ever. This is great news for the success of Apple’s newly designed iPhone however can they actually deal with the kind of volume customers are asking for in such a short time?

Apple is going to release the handset in five countries on June 24th. That’s going to be a fuck load of iPhone’s. In the UK O2, Vodafone, “3” and Orange are going to be selling the handset from day one. The first three networks have all been taking pre orders left, right and centre; however the largest mobile company in the UK “Everything, Everywhere” (E2) that controls both Orange and T-Mobile are not, but why not?

E2 are in a position to release the iPhone 4 on the T-Mobile and Orange networks however there is no sign of doing so on T-Mobile from launch day. They have been jumping up and down about getting the handset out on Orange, they ever email customer to let them know pre orders were going to start; then took a step back.

This could be the craziest marketing ploy ever, it could just be one big fuck up or it could be something else.

I think that Apple’s iPhone warehouses are as empty as my wallet the day before payday.

Orange have a choice; they could take a large volume of pre orders then try to get the handsets out of door as quick as they can. The only issue with this is none of the people with pre orders are going to give a crap about any of the other handsets Orange sell while customers wait for there number to get called. The other manufacturers start to get pissed off that the network is not shifting their products. If the wait is a long one customers also started to get pissed off.

The real reason that Orange isn’t taking any pre orders? Apple is sending them 6 handsets in the first month, one for each region of the UK. If you not getting the stock then you need to make sure its business as usual then you just sell them as you get them. They would still get bogged down with customers asking for the stock but by not pretending that you are able to supply every man and his dog you don’t piss off every man, just his dog. Wouldn’t they just loose loads of customers? Not if the other networks are in the same situation. They can only sell the stock they get.

When the stock does start to hit the stock rooms and warehouses the customers that have been waiting for ages for their networks to “Fulfil my fucking pre order” they have already started to look around. That would be when Orange takes the deal.

Clever but risky move from Orange, Apple however are the true winner.

I think that Apple’s iPhone warehouses are as empty as my wallet the day before payday, except the triple storey super warehouse that stocks the Apple Stores.

My guess is there stockrooms are going to be bursting to the seams with nice, shiny new iPhone 4’s to buy. It maybe at a premium but with the middleman cut out of the mix it’s going to be a big fat wedge of profit through the tills of Apple stores all over the UK. Also during the “great iPhone 4 shortage of 2010” a chance for them to get each and every person that walks into a Apple Store…

“would you like a [insert iProduct] with that!”

Android is going to hit it extra big.. Quickly!

I’m going to put myself out there and say that over the next few week will be the start of the mass switch from OS X (iPhone) to Android as the mobile system of masses.

The first phase of the early Android has come to an end (HTC Hero, Motorola Dext, HTC G1) and Adriod had so far done a great job to get to its current position in the market; now the big players running Android are starting to land.

The new Sony Ericsson Xperia (Android) handsets are about to hit the stores. I believe that this will be the first range of handsets that will drive the similar cool, easy to use and geeky for the none geeks feel that drove sales in the iPhone. The collection of application that are available for Android handsets compared to the iPhone are not as much of an issue as it used to be and is only going to get better. Windows Mobile, now re-branded as Windows Phone with WM 7 is just too little, too late.

Sony Ericsson has some great handset designs (when they put the effort in) and once people have got passed the initial “Sony Ericsson handsets always have rubbish software on them” issue; and realise that its not Sony Ericsson under the hood; I think that we are going to see a lot of the new Xperia handsets floating around attached to the side of peoples heads. The X10 will be the front runner.

Do you think Android is going to be the front running in the mobile market?

Am I wrong?

What color are your pants?