Supply of iPhones on hold

MOBILE phone operator, O2, has denied that it underestimated Irish demand for the Apple 3G iPhone which is sold out in the majority of shops.

O2’s website indicated on Monday that the 3G iPhone — launched on July 11 — was out of stock in Ireland; yesterday morning the message was the phone was available once again but that had changed by late afternoon to say it was once again “out of stock”.

A poll of O2 outlets in busy shopping areas of Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Arklow revealed just one shop which had the 3G iPhone available yesterday morning — in Waterford’s City Square shopping centre.

The 3G version of the iPhone combines reportedly high-speed internet access with the original touchscreen iPhone’s music player, and conventional mobile telephone along with extra features such as GPS maps.

“We’re still experiencing small enough stock amounts at the moment,” said a spokeswoman for O2. “We’ve been saying all along that our stock has been coming in a limited fashion to us. When we get it, we get it out there.”

Shops are reporting quick sales of 3G iPhone stocks once they arrive on the premises, with some outlets operating waiting lists.

She denied that they had misjudged demand in the Irish market: “No, absolutely not. Having brought out the iPhone some months prior to the 3G, we would have been aware of the popularity of the device. Ireland is no different to any other country. We didn’t under-estimate demand but we’re doing all we can to meet it.”

The O2 store in Cruises Street in Limerick’s city centre said they had up to 70 people on waiting list for the latest version of the iPhone. Asked when they would get their next batch, a staff member said: “Hopefully this week sometime. There’s an awful lot of interest in them.”

At the O2 Experience shop in Dublin’s Grafton Street, they said “The pattern has been that we get them on Friday and Saturday, about 15 or 50 depending on the delivery, either way they go fairly quick.”

The O2 shop on Cork’s Oliver Plunkett Street said there was a worldwide shortage. “They’re coming out in a dripfeed. We don’t know we’re actually getting them in until the delivery arrives. Last week was the last time we had them.”

The St Patrick’s Street outlet reported a two-and-a-half-week waiting list, while the O2 shop in Arklow, county Wicklow also said they had a waiting list.