AfterDawn: News

AT&T, Apple stores anticipate iPhone frenzy

With the iPhone set to begin selling on June 29th, AT&T and Apple stores in the United States are preparing for a rush. The iPhone is easily one of the (if not "the") most anticipated products of the year. Apple fans are expected to line up in the early hours of the morning outside some stores in hope of getting their hands on one.

Stores are not expecting to see a lot of stock available. Some are saying they expect about 40, while others set the number lower than that. "If I were you, I'd probably try going to some little store in New Jersey that nobody knows about," a sales representative from the AT&T store in Times Square said.



Even Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs was noted as suggesting that technology pundit Arianna Huffington go to an AT&T store where lines might be smaller. "There's no question there will be high demand for the iPhone, at least initially," Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research said. "People buy new versions of the Mac operating system in droves when it comes out. You don't see that kind of demand when Microsoft launches a new version of Vista."

The iPhone will be sold only at Apple and AT&T stores, available in a 4GB model ($499) and an 8GB model ($599) with a two-year AT&T service contract.

Source:
News.com

See the iPhone in our hardware section:
https://www.afterdawn.com/hardware/product_details.cfm/1329/apple_iphone

Written by: James Delahunty @ 7 Jun 2007 14:43

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• 42 comments

• Cinnjerm

  Maybe its just me, but if people were complaining about ps3 being too expensive and it did everything this iphone does except make phone calls< and it plays bluray> what makes analysts think that everyone is going to rush out and buy a 500/600 dollar phone. These people are retarded.

  7.6.2007 14:51 #1

• pollution

  I would not buy this because it is on AT&T network.

  7.6.2007 15:11 #2

• Ludikhris

  MY GOD 8GB FOR $600? I too have always wondered why people are so hesitant to buy certain things when others are crazy priced. For instance MP3 players in general are crazy expensive. 350 for a small 80gb HDD with a UI around it? Yeah, that should be like $200 tops. Then people look at something like a game console and say "My god that is way to expensvie" and the company is losing money on each console because the technology is worth MORE than what pay for. The market is crazy sometimes.

  7.6.2007 15:13 #3

• thegrunt

  What exactly makes ipods so great? I dont understand why so many people go crazy about them:/

  7.6.2007 15:25 #4

• sk8flawzz

  thegrunt, i dont know about others but i carry my ipod wit me cause of music, i always find time to listen to it, i wont die if i forget it at home, but i love having my music with me, i got a 8gb nano so it weighs nothing, i wouldnt haul a 80gb video around wit me 24/7

  7.6.2007 16:13 #5

• borhan9

  The reason why i would not purchase this when it first comes out is because of the fact that it may still have glitches and also I'm still tied up in my contract.

  7.6.2007 16:42 #6

• Edgewise

  exactly...people say the ps3 is expensive...hah!

  7.6.2007 17:00 #7

• lxfactor

  Originally posted by thegrunt:What exactly makes ipods so great? I dont understand why so many people go crazy about them:/try using one

  7.6.2007 18:44 #8

• rihgt682

  Quote:Originally posted by thegrunt:What exactly makes ipods so great? I dont understand why so many people go crazy about them:/try using one
  Thank you. Ipod is freaking great. and the cingular or the new at&t is actully the BEST network in US. But it depends where you live. But i don't like verizon cause it doesn't use GSM. At&t also have the biggest coverage. So STFU about i'm not using it cause it's at&t. So your not using it cause they put it in the best network in the united states? I had some problem with cingular or the new at&t. couple times. It was horrible. But it doesn't mean i hate they company or not use them anymore.

  7.6.2007 19:23 #9

• 26r0cK

  lol ok so now which would you rather have? PS3 or Iphone (noted that you have to pay monthly for your phone bill on top of it of course) ? lol man now i found sumthing extremely outrageously priced more than the PS3. I think the Iphone actually makes the PS3 look good lol.

  7.6.2007 20:22 #10

• elfman12

  Quote:[quote][quote=thegrunt]So your not using it cause they put it in the best network in the united states?
  Woah, woah, woah... Apple tried to get VERIZON to take the Iphone first, but were turned down. So you are saying that they went to the 2nd best first?
  
  Both companies have their pluses and minuses. It's not as clear cut as you made it sound. Remember that this iteration of the Iphone will NOT be a 3G phone, so it'll be interesting to track it's progress.
  
  And the ipod is a great platform. So was the Diamond Rio, so is the Zen, Zune... many other players are great, even if they aren't the most "popular".

  7.6.2007 20:36 #11

• i1der

  iphone offers great tools and music on it... I have a ipod and only use it on my car nothing better and i Drive 4 living. I'm Jealous cause i can't have one, not a big fan of the plans that Att and cingular has to offer, if was a T-mobile i would so buy it (with my Credit card lol) expensive yes but worth every cents. Thats my opinion though.

  7.6.2007 20:44 #12

• duckNrun

  The article says it all in this one sentence:
  
  Quote:Apple fans are expected to line up in the early hours of the morning outside some stores in hope of getting their hands on oneApple fans who are cell users who have contract expiring or current contract with ATT/Cingular will be the ones to line up to buy this phone.
  
  Everyone else will just shake their heads muttering #$@%@&* fan boys!
  
  As for the iPod. There is ONE reason I own one. I wanted a device that I knew was reliable and had decent sound quality that was using flash. That's it. Had I wanted a HDD based one I would have a Creative Zen. Had the Zen flash based player been out months ago when I bought my iPod I would have gone with it instead.
  
  I enjoy my iPod. I enjoy NOT using iTunes to load it. But for the choice of supported formats and options the Zen wins hands down IMHO.

  7.6.2007 22:10 #13

• borhan9

  Would the apple phone turn out to be a phoney :P

  7.6.2007 22:36 #14

• georgeluv

  man i was all amped up to get a whole familys worth of these iPhones when my family plan expires in october but seeing as they are 600 bucks each not the 300 i anticipated it looks like ill just be getting a envy or sopmething, or maybe settle with a cheapo then get the the psp phone.
  
  EDIT: i mean seriously wtf? 600 bucks? how would you even feel confortable carrying that around? you put this thing down for 2 milaseconds and its gunna be gone. you shouldnt have to gaurd your cell phone like a peice of fine jewlry, its something you have to wip out and use constantly. and we all know how good cell phone companies are about replacing high end expensive phones even when you have the optional insurence. hell the stupid phones so expensive you could use home owners insurence on it!

  8.6.2007 05:26 #15

• justme81

  Originally posted by Cinnjerm:Maybe its just me, but if people were complaining about ps3 being too expensive and it did everything this iphone does except make phone calls< and it plays bluray> what makes analysts think that everyone is going to rush out and buy a 500/600 dollar phone. These people are retarded.I used to work in retail so let me tell you Apple people are lets say fanatics about anything with "I" in the title.

  8.6.2007 08:42 #16

• pollution

  I would not use the iphone because it is on AT&T network and is not best network in the world. This is user opinion that it is best network in the world. There is no best network, all depends on what you use the cell phone for.

  8.6.2007 10:06 #17

• WierdName

  Quote:...At&t also have the biggest coverage. So STFU about i'm not using it cause it's at&t. So your not using it cause they put it in the best network in the united states?...You are using fallacious reasoning there. First you put down an opinion as fact then based their argument as wrong because it didn't match your "facts".

  8.6.2007 10:43 #18

• mfstark

  Originally posted by thegrunt:What exactly makes ipods so great? I dont understand why so many people go crazy about them:/I think it's becuase they were marketed so strongly so early on when there was a fairly big market gap for large capacity music players. Now they've become a fashion icon, they're very visually distinctive.
  
  I don't understand why the iPhone only has 4 or 8 GB capacity. Am I the only one who thinks that's shit? Surely for a multimedia handset with a big screen like it has, they should be emphasising its potential as a video playback device, with storage capacity to match. For the price it should have at least 30 GB of storage.

  8.6.2007 16:33 #19

• pamsipod

  I have become an Apple fanatic since I bought my iPod, and I want an iPhone, but it isn't going to happen until other networks are carrying it. I pay way too little for a ton of features right now to change carriers. If I changed now, at a very minimum, my bill would double. I'm not stupid, I guess I'll have to wait...it sucks though!

  8.6.2007 16:56 #20

• cart0181

  Apple needs to open up their minds to other "input options" for the iPhone. My current phone, the PPC-6700, has no less than 6 input options not counting a USB connection to my PC. If the onscreen keyboard is the only way users can input data, the iPhone will be in trouble. Windows Mobile has a corner on this market IMHO. Oh, and my phone costed $475 when it first came out and now it's like $250 or something. It can do way more stuff than the iPhone could ever dream. iPhone= no Infrared, no expansion slot.

  8.6.2007 17:05 #21

• thegrunt

  Quote:Originally posted by thegrunt:What exactly makes ipods so great? I dont understand why so many people go crazy about them:/try using oneYeah I have used one.My sister has a nano and its not that great

  8.6.2007 18:57 #22

• viccybhai

  Guys
  
  I was using window since I was a kid and just.... just 2 years ago I bought my first mac laptop ..the worst thing i did to myself ... lols.. I can't even tuch window anymore ....
  
  window user please why we as consumer should come in between mac vs pc war but bottom line APPLE is far ahead you know why someone computer GURU has said that " if you want the best hardware go make the best software " and thats the bottom story of APPLE, the extensive research apple do ....
  
  any way now lets come to cellphone, till now nothing come close to Nokia till now the best cellphone maker, they are the best till now
  
  but now its going to be Apple now, TRUST me it's going to be tomarrow's truth wait and watch ....
  
  and whoes said it is expensive ... mind you sir you wanna buy cheap stuff iphone is not for you, go get yourself some $50-$60 worth of phone this phone is for Top executives and hight rech red necks like me ...lols
  I have used Nokia's and sony's top of the line phone like Nokia comunicators and p900 series of sony ... you think I am a rich guy ... no I am not ..... but I wait and instead of buying 2 -3 cheap things I buy one .... AND YOU KNOW WHY I DO THAT, it's very simple for me .... the easy to use software and fast operating system
  
  apple iphone has all built in, you guys know anything about mac osx 10 OS, FIND OUT PLEASE......... you will be with me ..... it never slows down never crash ... i have open 50 web browser pages+2 movie on quick time, downloading songs on itune, burning my photos and writing mail
  
  that all I DID IN ONE SHOT
  
  can any one do it in windows ...... don't think guys NO SYSTEM CAN DO THAT EXCEPT OSX 10 ...... ask a mac user if you don't believe me ...
  
  I am not trying to hurt any of my fellow friends user's ego it's just a truth I am sharing .....
  APPLE DON'T PAY ME TO SAY THAT .... LOLS
  
  AND THE SAME OSX 10 IS IN IPHONE
  
  NOW I CAN IMAGINE THE POSSIBILTY
  
  IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE US ( MAC USER) GO TO apple.com/iphone and watch the keynote launch
  
  bottom line iphone will make the change the way people make calls
  
  thank you for allowing me share my views here
  
  regards to all of my friends

  8.6.2007 19:32 #23

• redwet

  Well, I'll definitely get one on the launch day.
  
  IMO, if you think it's too expensive or simply just doesn't worth it, you are NOT in the targeting market of iphone. (at least the 1st gen iphone)
  
  Think about it, VERTU phone priced from $4k-30k ,most of them doe not even have color screen! a LG PRADA phone priced around $800, it's just a phone with the PRADA brand on it!
  a ROLEX(not to mention Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe,etc)priced from $3k-2xK, it doesn't run more accurately than a $10 china made quartz watch!
  
  it's more about an iconic item then a practical commutation tool.
  
  For the AT$T(Cingular) part, I think it's great!! It's not the best netwrok, it runs on GSM, the world's most popular cell phone network! That means you can use your phone almost any where in the world!
  
  No 3G??!! Come on! By the time 3G become available and affordable anywhere in the US, iphone will be on the xGen!!

  9.6.2007 00:28 #24

• viccybhai

  yes Red you are right cingular may not be the best in the world but it's GSM and is far ahead of CDMA i travel all over USA and I never had any problem with network
  
  as far as 3G is concern it's a hype created by cell phone company which will not be a issue in iphone I used cingular gprs in my Nokia 9500 comunicator and it's not bad at all

  9.6.2007 03:00 #25

• ZzeusS

  Of course you guys hate GSM - you're never going to leave the country :)
  
  Ever.
  
  For everyone else, it's valuable to have a quad band travel capable phone.
  
  As far as coverage, why argue what's 'best' if you don't know.
  
  http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/

  9.6.2007 04:48 #26

• GernBlan

  People buy the Apple OS upgrades in droves because when Apple upgrades their OS it's usually because they absolutely need to and not because it offers new features. It wasn't too many Apple OS versions ago where you couldn't copy or delete folders in Apple OS. You had to go into each nested folder and work at the file level to empty the folder first, then you could copy the folder, then you had to work with files, then the empty folder again...blah blah blah. This is something PC users have been able to do since back in the MSDOS days. I am a career network engineer and supporting Macs has been an absolute nightmare because of stupid stuff like this.
  
  Supporting iPods and iTunes has been even worse.
  
  I wouldn't buy an iPhone if my life depended on it. There are MUCH better music/video phones available out there that are not only better featured but a fraction of that price. Not to mention that Apple + wireless anything = NIGHTMARE. I simply will not support Apple networks because they are completely flakey and unreliable. Do you really want to rely on the iPhone being able to wirelessly communicate with AT&T? I hope you don't ever need a phone for an emergency.
  
  The entire iPod craze is fueled by people who are electronically naive and don't know how to properly research a product. Everyone should know by now that Creative was first, and Apple simply copied them (and Apple was successfully sued for it, too), marketing it better to the masses using Bono and preschool quality animated shadow dancers. Wow. Yeah, that definitely made me want to go get an iPod -- forget feature set, reliability, inexpensive accessories. I want a product with cartoon shadow dancers on the box. In the meantime, iTunes is the worst application on the face of the planet, as it's just been in the very latest version that they automatically download cover art? Windows Media Player has been providing this function for years now. Seems like a recursive folder manipulation problem all over again.
  
  Meanwhile, Apple puts out the second generation iPod Shuffle and charges $79. Creative comes out with a better looking Creative Stone for $39, and you're not stuck with lousy iTunes for the interface. Which would you buy? Nevermind. Most people won't see the logic in that, as they're already lining up for an iPhone with their wallets taped to their foreheads.
  
  Just pay the $50 to upgrade your phone on your current plan to a MP3 capable phone. There, you're done. I will be blatantly laughing at the sheep lined up around the block trying to buy an iPhone. Get a life.

  9.6.2007 06:51 #27

• tyrone10

  you know the iphone is bs. Think about it, every single time apple releases something, within a few months there is an updated version with many more features. Just wait a few months till they upgrade it and/or drop the price. I mean think about it. $600=an ipod and a smartphone. $600=a mac mini. It's just really not worth it, and on top of that price, it's only available to AT&T customers, and I'm sure there's some extra fee for using the iphones data features.

  9.6.2007 11:40 #28

• cart0181

  GernBlan
  
  That's what I was "trying" to say. You just said it better. :) I didn't know that about Apple Networking though. I've always sensed this "naivety" among iPod owners, I just couldn't put my finger on it. You're right about the shadow dancers, lol. Are we kindergarteners?

  13.6.2007 08:06 #29

• pamsipod

  "GernBlan]People buy the Apple OS upgrades in droves because when Apple upgrades their OS it's usually because they absolutely need to and not because it offers new features. It wasn't too many Apple OS versions ago where you couldn't copy or delete folders in Apple OS..."
  
  
  GernBlan, you are imagining things, I just purchased a creative zen for my cousin, and what a nightmare trying to get music on it. As true to form, microsoft's media player wouldn't allow me to add any music until it was converted to mp3 format (by third party software I might add). Supposedly the creative zen's software had conversion software in it, but I couldn't get anything converted without doing backflips. iTunes on the other hand converts music automatically, no jumping through hoops trying to find playists and crap like that.
  
  That said, I have had a pc in my home since about 1986, and they have ALWAYS been complete microsoft crap! I'll take an ipod, iphone, and mac over any microsoft product any day! Call me electronically naieve , you are talking to the masses, I know enough to get done what I need to get done, I will never be a computer genius, and don't care to be.
  You on the other hand are a close minded pc drone, that won't even give Apple a chance. Your loss.
  

  Pamsipod

  13.6.2007 11:00 #30

• GernBlan

  Pamsipod said:
  GernBlan, you are imagining things, I just purchased a creative zen for my cousin, and what a nightmare trying to get music on it. As true to form, microsoft's media player wouldn't allow me to add any music until it was converted to mp3 format (by third party software I might add). Supposedly the creative zen's software had conversion software in it, but I couldn't get anything converted without doing backflips. iTunes on the other hand converts music automatically, no jumping through hoops trying to find playists and crap like that.
  
  Not a surprising experience at all, PamsIPOD. Your name really does say it all. The answer to the no-doubt completely confused look on your face is: No, Einstein, you cannot copy proprietary DRM iTunes/iPod music files over to a Creative Zen product, which uses Microsoft Media Player to synchronize. I'm sure the Creative Zen did need for you to convert retarded iPod format music over to the industry standard MP3 format before it could be copies to a non-Apple media devices. Why on earth would expect anything different. Frankly, I don't have much faith in your story being true anyway, because if you're so gung-ho on iPods, why did you stick your poor cousin with the "horrible" competition? And who buys their cousin anything? I may have believed the story if it was a sibling, a child, a spouse, a parent...but a cousin? Right.
  
  The best two-word answer for your Creative Zen problem? No duh.
  
  Pamsipod said:
  That said, I have had a pc in my home since about 1986, and they have ALWAYS been complete microsoft crap! I'll take an ipod, iphone, and mac over any microsoft product any day! Call me electronically naieve , you are talking to the masses, I know enough to get done what I need to get done, I will never be a computer genius, and don't care to be. You on the other hand are a close minded pc drone, that won't even give Apple a chance. Your loss.
  
  Jobs would be so proud of you...such an Apple Zealot! Naive and uneducated people are always willing to take what they're given, regardless of the flaws, as long as it's pretty, stylish, or the current trend. People who KNOW what they want and expect from electronics and technology would never buy anything Apple because they simply cannot tolerate the flaws, lacking features, backwards interfaces, and juvenile advertising. I have no doubt that you do really like Apple products better -- you don't even understand what limitations come from their extremely proprietary audio and video formats or else you wouldn't have tried to copy them over to a Creative Zen.
  
  I've been forced to give Apple chance after chance in my career, and they've ALWAYS failed. They are simply trendy toys, and will never be anything but that.
  
  Trust me -- it's not my loss.

  13.6.2007 13:49 #31

• pamsipod

  GernBlam
  Blah...Blah...Blah...Go winner
  

  Pamsipod

  13.6.2007 14:13 #32

• pamsipod

  Gernblan, how old are you anyway, 12? No, wait, that is an insult to 12 year olds everywhere. You must be more like 5... I know you are, but what am I? Sticks and stones may break my bones...blah, blah, blah, grow up!
  

  Pamsipod

  13.6.2007 14:38 #33

• GernBlan

  Ah, that's so cute. Panzypod (or whatever) so quickly ran out of technical arguments for the iPod (not that she ever had any) that she's now gone with such incredibly telling remarks as, "blah blah blah" and "How old are you, 12?". I'm amazed by your debate skills.
  
  Look, we can tell by your username that you own an iPud (not a typo). I'm sure your reasons for buying one were very technical and well researched. For example, you got the iPud (not a typo) because it came in a pretty pink color, you saw a U2 version of the iPud (not a typo) and you think Bono is just dreamy, and all your friends have one, so...you just had to get one...like fer sure...like totally...iPod 4-life! and a fushia tote case to match. "Luvin' it!"
  
  Eventually, the limitations, bad programming, and poor interface will catch up to the admittedly excellent marketing of the iPud (not a typo). And when it does, I will be laughing! Not as much as I will be at all the nitwits lining up to pay $600 for an i(diot)Phone, but I will be laughing.

  13.6.2007 15:16 #34

• cart0181

  Actually, Gernblan argues intelligently and from experience.

  13.6.2007 15:51 #35

• rammstein

  I have an ipod and love it too. One thing I was wondering about though. My ipod has an 80gb hard drive on it and can hold quite a bit of information. Thousands of movies and thousands of songs. I have about 19gb left to play with right now. What I'm wondering though is this; the high end iphone has 8gb...what ? Does anyone know how many songs or movies you can put on this ? Doesn't sound like much to me, but hey maybe they do some awesome file compression. My thought is that even with the best file compression the quality of the music and video has to suffer. Not only that; $500 for something that holds 8gb. I'll wait a while for the one that holds 100gb before I trade in my 80gb ipod for anything new.

  1.7.2007 07:16 #36

• ZzeusS

  Not putting an SD or TF slot in the device was a pretty slimy thing to do.

  1.7.2007 09:53 #37

• Unfocused

  @GernBlan
  
  Well spoken. It is amazing what a little research will provide. Sadly, the iPod is successful because all of the sheeple flock towards what they see advertised. Creative to my knowledge has only had their product (Vision:M) in a popcorn commercial. This was only on screen for maybe ten frames, and the only reason that it was recognized is because I own one.
  
  I love the fact that all of the iPod sheeple seem to think that Apple is such an innovator. Even after the settlement by Apple to Creative, they still think that Apple was first to market.

  30.7.2007 20:46 #38

• WierdName

  There is one and only one reason I want an Ipod. That reason is that I want a portable music player that can also function as an external hard drive that can hold 80GB. And I would definitely use every bit of it because after the music, the rest of the space would go toward disk images of my games. I don't quite understand the frenzy of I-whatever enthusiasts. It's just overpriced proprietary hardware/software that you can't upgrade or fully customize without paying a crapload extra.
  

  Doesnt expecting the unexpected make the unexpected expected and therefore mean your expecting the expected which was the unexpected until you expected it?
  Opinions are imunities to being told we're wrong.
  
  

  30.7.2007 22:03 #39