iPhone 4 fever takes hold. Again
First shipments, O2's restrictions and a cunning plan from Best Buy
The first pre-ordered iPhone 4s are shipping, ahead of the launch on Thursday which will see O2 holding back stock for customers while Best Buy pitches pre-sales to the queue.
The first devices are being shipped to those who managed to pre-order the iPhone 4, to be in their sweaty palms by Thursday's launch. Best Buy's plans for the launch have been leaked, and indicate that even the retail giant isn't expecting to have enough stock for those queuing outside, while in the UK O2 has decided that with such limits in place existing customers should take priority.
That's in stark contrast to previous UK launches and the US situation, where network operators see the iPhone (exclusive) as a way to gain new customers. But UK operators haven't offered Apple enough this time around, so everyone will be offering the iPhone 4 on the same day and competing for stock rather than customers.
In that context it makes sense for O2 to reward existing users with access to the limited stock – at least until the end of July, by which time the situation should have improved.
Thus even Best Buy fears it won't have enough stock for everyone, and plans to sell pre-orders to those queuing outside while ensuring that those who do get Apple's latest toy leave fully equipped with every accessory they can carry.
Best Buy's plans, which were leaked to iClarified, don't involve requiring customers to buy accessories (as one Australian store tried) but note that accessories will be available and should be pushed hard.
The plan also recommends approaching those queuing outside to grab a pre-sale before the store opens, getting the customer to commit to coming back another day rather than trying elsewhere.
Basically it's another iPhone launch, with all the theatricality that entails, even if the high-fives and static grins look a little more forced each time. As Best Buy titles its launch plans - “iPhone 4. This Changes Everything. Again.” ®
COMMENTS
Is it me?
It seems this whole thing looking more and more like a circus. Let me guess the slogan for next time round, "iPhone5, this changes everything, again and again" only to be followed with "iPhone6, changing everything, ad nauseum" and "iPhone7, more of the same not staying the same". Yes I understand you've got a lot of stuff like an extra camera, sortof multitasking and a flat backside, like most everybody else. Seriously, they're going to need a new marketing guy and soon. Ok, I'm done, the fannies can down vote now.
the faithful are called
and lo, Jobs came down from on high and waved the shiny things, and
the eyes of the faithful did glaze over in a hypnotic trance. Then the
announcement came to go to the temple for the annual gathering, and
they did flock at the temple of iStore and open their wallets and say
"help yourselves" to avail themselves of the blessings of Jobs
dross
Whenever a new widely-publicised event happens the media shoud hand out "opinion codes" to people who use cliched, regurgitated opinions as social accessory. That way you can just post "004" and we can all go "ah - some twat positioning himself as superior and unaffected by group behaviours to service his tragically absent self esteem", without having to read the shite YET AGAIN.
The self-righteous tedium of Register posters...
" It's phone for f**ks sake, nothing more, nothing less"
What a load of sanctimonious bull. I don't care if all you use your phone for is making calls, but find me a hand-held gaming platform as good as the iPhone. Thousands of titles, often high-quality, available for free or next-to-nothing. Good luck with that on Android or Symbian.
As much as I want Android to catch iPhone, and as much as I think WebOS is the best smartphone OS in the world, I will buy an iPhone 4 for what 3rd party developers do with it, not for your sweeping cliche of another Apple fanboy kissing Jobs's arse.
If you looked through his previous posts...
You'd see that he doesn't just slate Apple
