iPhone 4 expected to draw crowd
AT&T retail stores expect large crowds and long lines to form Tuesday when Apple’s latest version of the popular iPhone hits the shelves. Pre-sold phones arrived this week, but the retailer expects record sales for the latest smart phone. | Nathan Strickland/FCT
Apple’s latest edition in the iPhone series hit stores on June 24, but the high demand has left many retailers short of stock.
Neil Hughes with appleinsider.com suggests that with the number of preorder sales breaking records and reaching new heights, Apple is estimated to sell around 9.5 million headsets in the June quarter.
The iPhone 4’s predecessor iPhone 3GS sold an estimated one million in the first three days of sales, which has since pushed investors to believe sales numbers for this latest edition of the iPhone to be even greater.
Hughes reported that the majority of preorder consumers at one AT&T store slightly favored the 16GB black device version over the 32GB.
According to a memo published by “modmyi,” AT&T won’t have the white device version of the iPhone to sell until later this summer.
There had been speculation that some cities did not get the inventory of iPhone 4s they needed to meet demands on the launch date, which happened Thursday.
Officials at the AT&T store in Russellville posted a sign on the front door that pushes back the availability date because of inventory shortage:
“Due to the unprecedented demand for iPhone 4, AT&T Company owned retail stores would not have iPhone 4 inventory to sell until Tuesday, June 29.
“For customers who preordered an iPhone 4 on June 15, your preorder has been processed and will be delivered as planned, beginning tomorrow, June 24. Preorder customers will receive an email notification when their iPhone 4 has been shipped. If you elected to have the product delivered to this store, our sales associate will call you to arrange pick up.”
The Russellville store is expecting a long line to form on the sidewalk in front of the store Tuesday as anxious customers arrive to get their hands on the newest technology offered by AT&T.
Officials urge people to get up early and get in line because the store will only be selling iPhone 4s while supplies last.
The Russellville AT&T store will open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29 for those who want to purchase the latest edition in the iPhone series.
