Last week we learned that the next iPhone was not going to be the iPhone 5, but the iPhone 4S instead. Yes, we know this means the iPhone 5 is still coming we just do not know when. In the meantime, the iPhone 4S was released in a pre-order basis and according to news from today, AT&T and Sprint Nextel have both sold out of their pre-order allotments. Sprint, which is selling the iPhone for the first time, reportedly sold out of their $200 iPhone 4S pre-orders and will not be taking any backorders right now. AT&T said customers that pre-ordered can expect to wait another 3 to 4 weeks to get their phones. Verizon Wireless said they plan to ship their iPhone’s on or around October 20th.
Apple made the news when it released all of the much anticipated information for the new iPhone 4S only days before co-founder Steve Jobs died after a long battle with cancer. Once the pre-ordering was open, Apple reportedly sold 1 million in the first 24 hours and that is a record which beat the old record of 600,000 sales in 24 hours of the iPhone 4. This news was a good thing for Apple stock as it went up about 5 percent to almost $390 per share.
The new iPhone 4S wasn’t exactly what the customers wanted to see from the company, but nonetheless, the phone will be in stores on Friday and by the looks of the pre-orders, will be a hot seller for the first weekend. The phone will likely see more sales as it is available at more stores and in more countries than previous versions of the iPhone. Some are also saying that the passing of Steve Jobs may be a factor when it comes to slumping sales or less interest in the new iPhone 4S.
Steven Osinski, marketing professor at San Diego State University, said “Many potential Apple customers, who have been on the fences before, will probably now want to (buy) it,” and he went on to include that “It’s no different than when John Lennon was assassinated, sales of Beatles records shot up for a little while.” With that being said, it appears that Apple fans are just going to have to order the new iPhone 4S or wait a couple months and hope the iPhone 5 is ready to shop in the early part of 2012.
