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!”
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. 
