If the first weekend of 3G iPhone sales is anything to go by, Apple is on to a winner with its upgraded handset. This is in comparison to the initial release of the iPhone, when it took 74 days to reach the same level of sales: one million.
While O2 Ireland said it does not release stock or sales figures, a spokesperson for the company confirmed “sales were extremely strong on launch day”.
In fact, several potential customers contacted siliconrepublic.com to say that attempts to buy an Apple iPhone 3G on Friday afternoon and through Saturday were met replies of ‘sold out’. But the question is: how many were sold?
No official number was given for the number of handsets supplied to both O2 stores and Carphone Warehouse stores around the country but one customer told siliconrepublic.com that just nine 3G iPhone handsets were supplied for walk-in sales to the O2 store in Cork city on launch day.
This does not, of course, include the pre-booked iPhones which could have numbered in the hundreds. However, customers queuing on a first-come, first-served basis would have found it difficult to come by a handset.
Meanwhile, another consumer reported that only two iPhones were supplied to the O2 store in Carlow, according to staff in the branch. It was also indicated that it would be at least two weeks before any more stock would come in and there were no guarantees on an exact date.
With demand high and initial stocks limited, it looks as though customers who missed the Friday morning launch will have to wait two weeks before getting their hands on the device, while US customers were still able to purchase theirs from Apple stores as of Sunday.
By Marie Boran
Pictured: Customers queue for the iPhone outside Apple’s flagship store in New York
