This truly seems insane. Normally companies are dumping stock before releasing the newest version. Is this a cut supply creating demand?

I don't get it. I don't understand how a consumer that's willing to pay $400 for a phone doesn't research enough to know a new, better one will be coming out in a month's time for the same price.

I just don't get it.

And it's now that I claim my iPhone with State Farm, get back my $600 and hop in line, yet again, at 4:00 AM.

I could get used to this yearly routine...

Some people can't wait. Some people got it because they think the 2nd gen will be more expensive. I don't know how they got that assumption, but most people are stupid anyways.

I asked him if he thought anyone should tell these poor saps that they should hold off for a month-before their dreams are crushed-but he just said "I don't think so."

That would be grounds for termination if he did.

They are probably making the 3G iPhones and have thus quit making the 2G iPhones (shouldn't it be 1G and 2G). Thus the shortages in Europe and in the US. Also makes me believe that Vodafone will not sell the old iPhone but rather only the new.

@kOtic:
Covered under homeowners\auto?

Instead of bashing first gen people, you should be thanking them.

If the iphone wasn't succesful and sold out as it has, there would be no 2nd gen, perhaps apple could've dropped out of the mobile business.

@Y2KGTP: Personal articles policy. :)

The only thing i'm not covered for is nukes, war or acts of terrorism.

Alright, where's the story i can make butt and flatulence jokes at... this is not it.

It's not just NYC... it's everywhere. Call an Apple Store and ask. Check the Apple Website...

Generally Apple employees are very much out of the loop when it comes to new product.

@Biscuitcleaver: Unless they read Gizmodo!

maybe they are selling the daylights out of them....

why not - i bash them - but they are a very desirable, especially aesthetically.

At the Fifth Ave Store, we sell out within an hour of putting them on sale. Almost all of them are bought up by Chinese resellers. They are highly organized, and are likely exporting them en masse. They operate in teams of 10 or more. They will have a scout downstairs, milling around. When we put them on sale, the rest come barreling down the stairs, each armed with a gift card in the amount of 2162.07. They run the phones up to the minivans waiting upstairs, and then come back down, to do it again, at which point, we have to find our Cantonese speakers to tell them that they may only buy 5 phones EVER.

Retail <3 iPhone

Out of those 30, I bet 95% are foreigners.

Having worked for Apple, I know this is how they operate. They hate having leftovers so the time the new stuff to come out when the old stuff is running out.

This is the most obvious signal that the new one is dropping soon.

I predict that when the 3G iPhone doesn't come out next month there will be rioting in the streets.

Apple employees would never tell anyone to hold out for a new iPhone. When I worked in retail, I never told anyone to hold out for anything either, because we wanted that current crap sitting on the shelves to be pushed out in the customers' hands rather than back on the supply truck.

Well this is no surprise to me. I had to wait nearly 3 weeks for a replacement 16GB iPhone at my Apple Store, just got it last week. Haven't personally seen any shortages at the AT&T store but it looks like their letting stock run out. Question is what about all of us with iPhones that get damaged - are they going to give a free upgrade to the 3G phone?

@Noobs-R-Us:
I'm with you
I would say exactly the same.
People buy a "cheap" iPhone and resell or just use it because isn't available in their country yet.

I know that because I'm from Brazil and everybody that travels to the USA today is buying iPhones. It's very cheap compared with other good phones here, like the N95 (that costs about US$800 here)

@LJKelley: 3G and 2G refer to the generations of wireless protocols that support different data rates. Rather than the generations of acutal released iPhones.

Haha I guess ramman345 is one of those people who can't wait for any iphone.

@djtooshay: People in masses are idiots.

Someone help me out. Should I claim my phone as stolen, or smash it and claim it broken? Does anyone have any knowledge on this subject?

@ramman345: Damaged iPhones will probably get replaced with refurbished old phones. Remember that Apple sells its older models refurbished at a discount right on its website with warranty.

Fanboys all of you I say: Fanboys!

@kOtic:

smash. if you say stolen they may ask for a police report

As in Catholics? ;-)

What I don't get is why would you stand in line with that many people for a back ordered product? Just mail it out to me.

@apeguero: nice try.

@kOtic: You do realize your premiums will go up when you make a claim. Also I'd check your deductible as well...most times it's $500 or so. You obviously haven't thought this through.

yea, hording rice is so April 2008, let's all start hording iPhones now.

@mobilehavoc: I paid a flat $30 to have it insured for 12 months. There is no deductable.

Well not everyone reads tech blogs & this is proof of that. I just hope the new 3G is release in the US first so i can suckered someone with my 8GB model unlock for $400 & i can say Hello to the 3G at no extra cost

@Joseph: Actually, the Nietzsche quote is, "madness of a single person is something rare, [...]but in crowds, it seems to be the rule."

@snitch29: I hope they have a 32GB iPhone model.

@kOtic: I wish my insurance company was as stupid as yours. Do you have a business card for your insurance agent?

Can somebody explain why Jobsy had to announce the first iPhone 6 months ahead of time to avoid disclosing it in FCC filings (at least thats what they told us), but this time around everyone is epxecting it to be announced and available next month?

What has changed? I mean there's no way Apple files a public document without someone gleaning each and every detail. If they are going to sell iPhone II in June, why haven't we known all the details for months?

They were sold out last night at the one in SOHO NYC also. So who knows?

In fact, the manufacturers that send parts to china for Apple to assemble into iPhones sometimes fall behind; We have had shortages in the past when the bluetooth manafacturer ran out because our large demand, and it pushed everything behind for stock all across the states.
But I wouldn't know.

@Noobs-R-Us:

Right. Sure that many of them were at the store to buy iPhones for their friends from overseas.

Noobs-R-Us is correct. In New York, in particular probably most iPhone buyers in Apple Stores are tourists or locals buying for friends abroad or pro unlockers/resellers.

A friend was in town from Italy recently. She had money from friends to buy two iPhones. I had her e-mail her friends a story, IN AN ITALIAN NEWSPAPER, saying that the 3G iPhone release in Italy was imminent. Her friends didn't care -- they wanted to be the first kids on the block with an iPhone...

I think that for many people in countries where the iPhone is not sold, it is a huge status symbol.