iPhone availability may be suspect

News report from 'Macsimum' says the iPhone may be in short supply during the initial launch...

A quick survey by the Channel Checkers research group shows that demand for the iPhone is probably going to surprise everyone when the device launches. The firm expects “sell-outs and complaints about lack of availability of the phone.”

The Channel Checker survey of 36 stores showed that 64 percent reporting a waiting list. The remaining 36 percent said sales were on a “first come first serve” basis. The average number of names on each waiting list was 25 people (there are roughly 10,000 Cingular Wireless outlets).

“We did have one outlier in New York City, which we excluded from our average, that had 1,979 people on its waiting list,” say the Channel Checkers. “Another store said ‘we cannot give out that figure but the waiting list is running into the thousands.’ Another store reported that the number of calls for the phone was ‘indeterminable’ as the numbers were massive.”

The firm also that the HonHai firm is having trouble manufacturing to schedule and is running behind due to some part delays. It appears that the initial 12 million unit run rate won’t be available by mid-June, the Channel Checkers say.

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