Mike Wuerthele
As accounts surface claiming that the iPhone 7 will be particularly constrained at retail for the launch, sources familiar with the matter are saying that they will be no more or less limited at launch day than for any other first day of sale since the iPhone 4.
While the numbers of phones that are expected at retail for Friday's launch are not yet known, AppleInsider has learned that store managers both at Apple retail and other brick-and-mortar stores aren't expecting any more, or any less, stock than they had for previous launches.
"Sure, I've heard the rumors," said an Apple store manager. "It's always tough. Has always been tough during the first few days after everybody got wind of the iPhone."
"We're high-volume, compared to most other stores," the manager said. "It might be different at some of the slower stores, but we'll be able to feed the line for at least a while on Friday."
The same manager told us during initial reports of bad customer experiences with the Apple Upgrade Program that there would be dedicated staff to unload iPhone and Apple Watch shipments for a few weeks after launch.
At other Apple-authorized retailers, the story is different. A Best Buy store manager advised us to wait until mid-October for guaranteed stock, with Target suggesting the end of September before coming in to see any stock at all on the floor.
Microcenter representatives we asked have no idea when there would be stock on the floor for consumer purchase, beyond a time table of "before Christmas, sometime."
Walmart stores will depend on geographical area and historical sales. Stores with larger electronics sections will have floor stock "within a week or two" of release. Stores still retaining the closed-off electronics section with one entry and exit are "low priority" for deliveries, and aren't expecting any phones on the floor before the end of the year.
"Why would Apple want to spread the word about no store stock?" asked a different Apple store staffer. "The media eats that up."
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7 Comments
Ah yes, the "particularly constrained" narrative. Fact is Apple can't have enough supply to meet demand on launch weekend. No different than any other year.
Stupid!! There is no conflicting report. Just, Apple influenced by so called industry analyst, media reports that iPhone 7 will be boring and not whole lot interest buying. That myths got shattered and Apple got caught in middle., That simple.Now, Apple trying to meet demand equation and that is not panning out. It's all about demand and supply economics.Even the little kids know it. Poor Apple can't lean from past.
How long ahead of time can Apple afford to stockpile iPhones in your mind? Their manufacture run rate can only be ramped so high and they need firmware to be ready before packaging the phones.
When I went to get my SE earlier this year, I had hard time getting one on day one. I went in thinking there would be plenty in stock and didn't need to pre-order it. Boy we're we all wrong.
So I think it all depends on how many Apple guesses will sell. So it may be limited if people actually do go and pick one up in store. All us nerds already ordered them online, so it will be the on average consumers for first weekend store sales.