Kinda goes hand in hand. If you care about your customers and continue to meet or exceed their expectations, your profits will reflect this. So, yeah, I think Apple does care about its customers, because without them, there would be no profits, moron.

justinpe

maven2k

2 options: restock or don't restock.

If they restock the secret's safe but they risk dumping/producing a shitload of iphones that may not be sold after the release of the new iphone.

If they don't restock the secret's out, but at least they create 2 things: greater demand, less unsold 1st generation iphones and a hell of a lot more mediahype (marketing droolage).

If anything apple just saved its own ass not that of the customers. If they could get away with it they'd keep selling the iphone 1 up to 5 minutes before restocking all stores with the iphone 2.

club662

Apple doesn't care about its customers, it cares about its profits.

Sleeper_Service

Data Access

In order to use data such as email, Google Maps, YouTube videos and web browsing, AT&T recommends using iPhone in a 3G or EDGE Network (coverage viewer), or from a local Wi-Fi connection.

Why does it say 3G?

syosh

desmondie

They could easily introduce a 3G iPhone at WWDC.

RavingRabbid

elvisml2

willnj2007

bmoctta

SierraJulietGolf

If the new phones are impossible to jailbreak (just saying), the EDGE versions will still ...

...nevermind. I don't even want to think about it.

kvstud

Joseph

Fluidity

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

2w2n

and if that happens, i'm gonna go out and use the $400 from returning my 16GB touch, on buying a 32GB touch.

rimplestultskin

BZATWORK

CEOself

Since we know one is coming out within the month, whether it is announced in 2-3 days, or 2-3 weeks, doesn't make a difference unless you are an unsuspecting consumer and don't know squat. If this is the case, you should probably squat and release your head out of your ass!

All in all, good strategy.

The Cut Squad

Apple.com NEVER sells out of anything; ever, they just let you buy it and tell you that you won't get it for a month.

This is news because it's never happened before, it 100% means something is coming soon.

robotleawesome

hardisonthefloor

Derek Devine

SowndOfDeth

jw

MastaFalse

But I hope the newer iPhone is being released.

MastaFalse

ferrdidly

snitch29

DeadWriter

ThePeacemaker02

snitch29

iscangel

nocar

ByeBye

Matt

It also helps when counting sales.

Sleeper_Service

"iPhone"

Jobs made clear when he returned to Apple that he hates conventional product-numbering schemes, and prefers how car companies do it -- this year's Mustang is different from last year's Mustang, but it's still a "Mustang".

Sheer bloody hell for anyone who needs to maintain these beasts (which model iMac are you using...?), but it keeps the marketing focused.

nojo

thepunisher0032

@kittenman: wouldn't that be kind of funny if they actually call it the iPhone 2...heck...that would be funny. I wonder what they're going to call it though.

ByeBye

kittenman

Only comparatively.

@TheManator:

Better than what?

Sleeper_Service

Christ, I can't read the comments here anymore. Makes me wanna go on a mass killing spree of all Gizmodo commenters. You guys all think you're so fucking brilliant.

ferrdidly

Sorry for the double post.

ByeBye

ByeBye

Yeebles

lemonsaab

Exactly.

Very good call.

AlexLand

Petezah

You have to give credit to Apple's Marketing department. They could create a 'buzz' about anything -

cameleon50

yablunk

What they're doing is trading off secrecy to protect people from buying the first-gen iPhone in its last days before its successor is unveiled. I mean, if you'd bought an iPhone and it was upgraded to v.2 days after your purchase, wouldn't you be pissed?

Ummm...doesn't apple often refund you the difference if you bought just before a price drop? And aren't Apple customers (especially iPhone owners) notorious for going nuts when the price does drop or when features are added?

Isn't Apple really just protecting itself? So they don't have to take back a bunch of 2-week old iPhones in exchange for the new version?

EQC

People, apple does *not* sell out of anything on the website. If there are ever stock shortages, the status of an item changes to "Ships in 1 - 3 weeks."

This is why this is news-- Because it's completely unprecedented.

erikislame

They switch when the new product comes out, not a month before. Also O2 confirmed that when stocks had run out the a new supply of units was inbound. Which has now arrived.

[shop.o2.co.uk]

So, like I said, silly argument.

Sleeper_Service

ByeBye

tkohrs2002

...

I wish tech journalists wouldn't try to be financial journalists. It's just embarrassing.

There are a number of much better reasons for this shortage which are:

1) Supply chain balls up.
2) Stock wind down.

My money's on 2).

Plus to suggest that Apple are trying to protect their customers by stopping them buying and old model is probably the singularly most funny thing I've read this week.

Sleeper_Service

"as the previous cups,"

"not locked down to the Folger's brand."

ByeBye

ByeBye

Simpsons-Movie-ruled

and I didnt think it was a "brilliant" move until I read that its purpose might not be to increase demand, but to prevent people from buying right before an upgrade, which IS very nice and uncharacteristic of apple.

so the article is justfied. Duh.

redkamel

SteveWTB

CTJoyce

jooshy

A fanboy point of view if there ever was one..

allstarecho

mferrari

daftrok

scndbst101

scndbst101

If you take a look at where the stock was 3 months ago, I think they can take a temporary hit before massive gains. Besides, with the iPhone 2, it's bound to break $200 again.

dagamer34

nojo

... They are all so sold out on the website. This is such a big story.

DeadWriter

jw

Tomahawk214

Iggy

Groggy Banana

thistle.john