Johannesburg, 17 Sep 2012
The first batch of iPhone 5s made available for pre-order on the Apple Web site on Friday sold out within the first hour.
The iPhone 5 officially goes on sale in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK this Friday. Apple is employing an aggressive rollout schedule for the iPhone 5, and will reportedly sell the handset in 100 countries by year-end - which will be the fastest iPhone rollout to date.
Within an hour of pre-orders opening for the iPhone 5, customers were told they would have to wait two to three weeks for delivery of their new handset. The high traffic to the Apple Web site also meant that, at 12:01am Pacific Time, Apple's servers were overwhelmed and customers were greeted with a “We'll be back” sign. This was soon rectified, and fans also started placing orders via the Apple Store app.
While Apple has not released any figures, spokesperson Natalie Kerris said: “Pre-orders for the iPhone 5 have been incredible. We've been completely blown away by the customer response.”
The iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out about 22 hours after opening last year, leading to speculation the demand for the iPhone 5 is higher than ever before.
While the iPhone 5 offered few surprises when it was unveiled last week, the lukewarm reception from the tech industry appears to have done little to dampen consumer enthusiasm for the device. Much like last year, when there was disappointment around the iPhone 4S (when the iPhone 5 was already expected) the handset went on to break all previous sales records, with over four million units sold over the first weekend.
The iPhone 5 features a larger four-inch Retina display, thinner, lighter design and LTE support. The high demand for pre-orders saw Apple shares reaching an all-time high of $696.98 on Friday.
Reuters quotes Topeka Capital Markets analyst, Brian White as saying: "Clearly, iPhone 5 fever is in full swing. When you do a pre-order, the last thing you want to do is upset customers, so obviously they are overwhelmed with the demand. No one wants to sell out in an hour."
While some commentators question how Apple could have misjudged demand for pre-orders and have speculated that the rapid sell-out may be a marketing ploy, other analysts say it is indicative of high demand and constrained supply.
Analyst with Cross Research, Shannon Cross, says: “Given that the company announced an aggressive rollout schedule, we assume management's plan includes a rapid increase in production.”
With the iPhone 5 only officially going on sale on Friday, some people have already started queuing outside Apple stores in both the US and UK.
CNET reports the group of people currently camping outside Apple's 5th Avenue store, in New York, mostly consist of publicity seekers looking to promote their companies or services.
Outside London's Regent Street Apple Store, friends George Horne and Richard Wheatcroft have also settled in for the week, hoping to raise awareness for their charity “The Hope Boutique Bakery” that helps vulnerable women find employment and training.
The SA release date for the iPhone 5 is yet to be confirmed by Apple.
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