iPhone Shortage Does/Does Not Mean 3G Imminent
by Eric March on April 2, 2008 at 10:25 pm
If analysts can be counted on to do anything, it’s toss out conflicting theories as to why things are the way they are. This time, the iPhone shortage being reported across numerous Apple Stores around the US is giving rise to the idea that the anticipated 3G iPhone must be hot on its heels. Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster kicked things off when three Apple Stores around New York, plus stores in San Francisco, Chicago, and the entire state of Florida sold out of the 16 gig models. This spurred the blog and forum wires to buzzing about whether this meant a new model was imminent and if so, what month we could expect to see them in.
Then, Gizmodo’s recent lunch with AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega even contained a strong allusion to the idea when de la Vega was quoted as saying, “Let me repeat what I said: I think that you’re going to see our integrated devices be 3G devices in the not-too-distant future, and I mean months. That should be clear enough” (Referring to something he said in a previous meeting with PC Magazine’s Sascha Segan). He didn’t come right out and say it, but the inference was there in spades.
Not everyone is jumping on the 3G bandwagon just yet though. Tony Sacconagi, an analyst for Bernstein Research, believes that there is a more mundane and practical reason for the shortage. Sony Ericsson recently experienced a shortage of parts — parts also used in the iPhone, and if Sony is running low, then so too must Apple. Another possibility currently circulating amongst the armchair pundits is that Apple’s incursion into the various international markets is draining its US stock. Even less likely is the idea that an interim model with 32 gigs will be released to tide the masses over until the 3G launch. Given that the 16 gig model is still leafy green, we can likely write this one off.
We all know the 3G is coming, and there have been estimates placing its arrival as soon as May and as late as September. I am of the opinion that we certainly won’t see it before June, and a more likely release date is September, tucked in with the iPod line refresh. Time will tell of course, but for now, this is all just so much coffee klatching.
(Sources: TUAW, Just Another iPhone Blog, iPhone Alley, Gizmodo)
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Posted in iPhone OS 2.0
June 20th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
[...] much right on schedule for a September(ish) iPod refresh period; if you’ll recall, reports of iPhone shortages began to pop up right around the end of march/beginning of April, starting with 8GB model [...]