Apple Store's US and UK sites run dry of iPhones, 3G imminent?

If we saw the typical "Ships in 1-2 weeks" here or whatever, we wouldn't be sounding an alarm, but something is going on here. Both Apple's US and UK online stores are joining the O2 choir and are now reporting the iPhone as "currently unavailable" -- no 8GB, no 16GB, no nothing. It seems that Apple either significantly underestimated demand for the 2.5G models ahead of the 3G release that's still a few weeks (or months) down the road, or the 3G model is a whole heck of a lot closer than we could've imagined. Is anyone suddenly having a nasty case of "I only want what I can't have" syndrome and regretting that they didn't order one of these bad boys a day or two ago?

[Via GadgetKing, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Evan Lugh @ May 10th 2008 11:41AM]

So I submit this, use my title but use a seperate story - i feel cheated :X

This tuesday?

[CraigJ @ May 10th 2008 1:48PM]

Well, I submitted it too, so what?

[Evan Lugh @ May 10th 2008 1:50PM]

That was the exact title..

[gabe @ May 10th 2008 2:04PM]

news like this makes me want to break my iphone.

hate fan boys with a passion.

i suppose i am a apple hating fanboy.

[StephenD @ May 10th 2008 3:37PM]

Don't start a sentence with "so".

[wasabi @ May 10th 2008 4:46PM]

so if i own an iphone does that make me a fanboy?

[Jon @ May 10th 2008 5:17PM]

Wow your a hero ?

[RC @ May 10th 2008 11:41AM]

You would think Apple and/or AT&T would make an official announcement a couple days before releasing it.

[Twitchy @ May 10th 2008 11:49AM]

But that is not the way Apple does it - when they announce something, then it is usually available immediately.

[L @ May 10th 2008 12:03PM]

Can't be - it would have to pass FCC etc first, and there would be *some* sort of report online by then.

[Josh @ May 10th 2008 12:23PM]

You assume they need to run it by the FCC when the only change is going from 2.5g to 3g. For all you know they got approval for both with the first model.

[Kyrra @ May 10th 2008 12:28PM]

I'd have to agree that the new 3G chip would require FCC approval. It's doubtful that they had final internal design for the 3G iPhone over a year ago when they submitted to the FCC. But we need either someone that is an expert with the FCC's processes, or just wait it out and see what happens.

[André @ May 10th 2008 12:37PM]

Just want to clarify a few things about FCC and 3G.

There are in fact several pre-approved 3G-capable chips, so Apple would not need another FCC approval if it features one of them.

And the FCC can also withhold information regarding a 3G iPhone on request by Apple until or just before it is released.

[gabe @ May 10th 2008 2:06PM]

(insert speculation)

[uclatommy @ May 10th 2008 4:42PM]

(Insert counter argument to above speculation)

[MARSHAK @ May 10th 2008 8:31PM]

(insert defense for speculation)

[Engadgetluvsappl @ May 10th 2008 11:42AM]

Maybe on the websites they're unavailable but not in stores. Do I have to go and take pictures of the heaps of unsold iPhones for you guys to wise up?

[Khaeos @ May 10th 2008 12:59PM]

ok..go on..i went to 6 different o2 and carphone warehouses in london..NONE of them have 8GB iphones in stock, and they dont know when they ll get new shipments either..one guy looked in the computer db and told me that they were sold out in every [official] shop in london...ofcourse, i can still go to chinatown to buy a unlocked one for 250 pounds but i prefer to buy a locked one, and unlock it myself for the sweet sweet price of 170...

[jblack @ May 10th 2008 1:16PM]

just to throw in my two cents...

i live in manhattan and took my iPhone to the 5th avenue flagship store last night for repair/replacement, and the gentleman at the genius bar told me they didn't have any replacement or loaner phones available at any NYC store. he also said they're not expecting any shipments soon.

[Engadgetluvsappl @ May 10th 2008 1:19PM]

OK, watch this space.

[Dan @ May 10th 2008 4:56PM]

I just got mine replaced at the Suburban Square Apple Store due to a malfunctioning earpiece, they had about 16 refreshed replacements available, but only 2 new ones for sale that I was able to see.

[Craig Danuloff @ May 10th 2008 11:45AM]

Maybe they're just trying to not encourage a lot of people to buy phones right before an upgrade, which results in either a high cost of trade-outs or really unhappy people. Isn't this what they should do?

[punitnaker @ May 10th 2008 1:56PM]

not normally, they usually just announce new releases and you the the unhappy customers. In the UK we normally have a 14 day return policy with NO restocking fee. But after new releases, they often extend this to 28 days. Furthermore, they are in fact quite lenient on those 28 days too, sometimes extending it a week. So this phasing out period is quite a strange move from Apple, its not normally the case

[Cash @ May 10th 2008 4:55PM]

No, they should announce a shipping date for the new phone (maybe even a price, just for the hell of it) and let potential customers decide for themselves. I know that's not the Apple way of doing things, but maybe Steve-o is changing his paradigm a little.

[Labeeb @ Jun 11th 2008 9:04PM]

YES

[JAmerican @ May 10th 2008 11:45AM]

Damit, I got my iPhone 30 days ago. Now I have to wait two years :(.

jk... that would be idiotic of me.

[snitch @ May 10th 2008 5:35PM]

No you don't, you just have to extend your contract to 2 years again, well not even you just have to grab another one from a apple store & replace your old one with it, no new contract will requiered for the new iphone, as per AT&T

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ May 10th 2008 11:46AM]

A freind bought an iphone from 02 thursday and arrived this morning. Hes bringing it over later cant be that out of stock.

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ May 10th 2008 12:25PM]

http://shop.o2.co.uk/promo/iphonetariffs
Told you 02 had iphones left even if they only have 16GB left like they said at the beginning of this week. they said they were only taking stock of 16GB iphones.

[Nick @ May 10th 2008 4:07PM]

It's o2 not 02 - the o is a letter, not a number.

[spencer @ May 10th 2008 11:46AM]

I just got my iPhone in November. But, I dont care about the new iPhone coming out because I dont even have 3G service in my town, which sucks, because it would be nice to have 3G.

[Rob Fleming @ May 10th 2008 11:47AM]

Is everyone just dumb? Say it like it is:


APPLE HAS SHIFTED ITS PRODUCTION LINE TO 3G IPHONES. BECAUSE OF THIS PRODUCTION REALLOCATION THE 2.5G IPHONE SUPPLY IS NOT MEETING DEMAND OF CONSUMERS. APPLE IS NOT RAMPING ANYTHING DOWN AT ALL, THEY ARE SIMPLY SELLING MORE THAN THEY ARE CURRENTLY PRODUCING.

[Evan Lugh @ May 10th 2008 11:48AM]

3G IMMINENT - FRANCE HAS 0 TOO
http://www.grabup.com/uploads/941e8be05b8b396f2390a41f05b86ffb.png

[Chris Ziegler @ May 10th 2008 11:47AM]

Wow! Pretty shortsighted there, wouldn't you say? Wouldn't you agree
that the online Apple Store -- the virtual store in the sky -- has a
longer lead and a closer connection to the factory than the brick and
mortar store does?

And what does this story have to do with your longstanding belief
that we love Apple and hate Nokia, anyway?

[Vit @ May 10th 2008 11:49AM]

Another conning sales tactic by Apple!

[CraigJ @ May 10th 2008 1:51PM]

Apple makes submarines?

[Esat Dedezade @ May 10th 2008 11:53AM]

"Is anyone suddenly having a nasty case of "I only want what I can't have" syndrome and regretting that they didn't order one of these bad boys a day or two ago?"

Surely the only syndrome they would have is the "I'm so glad I waited a bit longer so that now I can buy the better improved version of the product" syndrome?

Which is better than the "FFS I just bought this thing and in a few weeks time a newer version is coming out" syndrome.

[Josh L @ May 10th 2008 12:29PM]

"FFS I just bought this thing and in a few weeks time a newer version is coming out"

Shouldn't Apple fans be used to this sort of treatment by now?

[Chris McDowell @ May 10th 2008 1:20PM]

Maybe you should have bought it a year ago when it first came out. They are always going to come out with a newer version and there are always people that will get burned. It's like that for every company. Maybe do some research because everyone should have been able to figure out it was coming out soon. They made the decision to buy or wait.

[Esat Dedezade @ May 10th 2008 6:39PM]

I don't own an iphone. I have an N95. I was just using others as an example.

[jzep @ May 10th 2008 11:57AM]

Well the AT&T stores seem to have a healthy stock and they're proud of it. So I guess its just for the benefit of them to keep selling ( out-dated) phones i mean its not like customers are going to leave them because a new version came out.

[Jedi @ May 10th 2008 11:56AM]

That's John Appleseed, he knows more than he's letting on.....

[olly247 @ May 10th 2008 3:14PM]

hehe, that made me giggle

[Robby @ May 10th 2008 11:57AM]

Thanks for posting this! Thought I was going crazy at 2AM when I found this. Salivating for the new phone. Love the email and web browsing on the current iPhone (edge could be faster, but I guess that is why there is so much hype on the 3G version) but I hope they improved the phone quality. Most people I know have a tough time talking on the iPhone. "Can you hear me now?"

Robby
http://www.gadgetking.com/2008/05/10/iphone-currently-unavailable-at-us-apple-store-online/

[Jedi @ May 10th 2008 3:25PM]

So by switching production to the 3G iPhones they are ramping up the new one and the net result is that by not making the old one, there are none...

[Mike Peluso @ May 10th 2008 12:06PM]

I'm good to buy one starting the 15th of this month. The biggest thing that is exciting me about the new iPhone is the rumors of the subsidy programs that will be available on AT&T. $600 i have a problem with. $300 my wife will not make too big of a stink, so i can just go get one when available. :)

[shanejonas @ May 10th 2008 12:10PM]

definately good news for me! i was going to buy one soon!

shanejonas
http://shanejonas.com

[m0nkey @ May 10th 2008 12:09PM]

It's gone from the German webstore as well

[Evan Lugh @ May 10th 2008 12:17PM]

Yep, all stores which sell it online are saying unavailable.

[Alex Linhares @ May 10th 2008 12:24PM]

I think that this is as official as Apple gets. It will probably come back to the site later on... and if it does Apple would have signaled that the new one is coming out soon, so the whole I want to return it fiasco would be avoided.