New NYC Apple Store's Staircase Is Da Bomb

Wow. Via Gothamist.

iPhones Still In Stock Saturday Afternoon in Chicago

At 12:30 pm on Saturday, the Chicago, Michigan Avenue Apple store had iPhones in stock.

I was planning to sit out the initial iPhone mayhem. For the Friday launch, I enjoyed the launch at my computer, reading online coverage. Saturday morning, I woke to reports that at the end of the Friday, most major markets still had iPhones in stock. So Saturday morning, I went down the the Chicago Apple store on Michigan Avenue (The Magnificent Mile) to, if not purchase a iPhone, lay my hands upon one. The store was packed, with most people milling around the dozen or so floor-model iPhones. I waited behind a man for five minutes for him to release his grubby hands from the sexy device, but I grew bored and casually asked a passing Apple employee if there were any phones left in stock. Yes, there were. So, I purchased an 8 gb iPhone.

If iPhones are still available, this begs the question, are they just not selling? They are selling. There was a line of ten people in front of me who all were purchasing iPhones. There has not been any let up on sales as of Saturday afternoon in Chicago. It seems Apple is following through with their plan to send larger shipments to markets where the iPod is saturated, namely big cities. It's likely this is both a marketing and sales strategy. From a marketing perspective, someone carrying an iPhone on a train in a big city will likely draw the eyes and interest of fellow passengers, which is, essentially, free advertising. From a sales perspective, there is bigger interest for the device in cities with mass transportation systems, as people who drive cars are not as likely to need the use of the video and internet features during travel.

Buying an iPhone: The Process Will (*Update* Won't) Take A While

*Update* Apple just released info stating that the iPhone will be able to be activated from home. This should streamline the purchase of the iPhone considerably.

One ignored aspect of the upcoming iPhone release is the fact you'll be signing up for cellular service. Your purchase of an iPhone won't be a simple "buy the gadget and go" experience.

Noted Apple analyst Shaw Wu of American Technology Research in San Franciso commented on the possible affect on overall sales, stating, "The iPhone is not a simple sale, you have to sign up the customer for service. Can they even get a couple of hundred thousand people through the stores in two days?''

It does not seem likely that AT&T stores will close Friday without selling all of their iPhones. If the stores carry inventory over to the next day, expect a lot of frustration from shoppers who were next in line and told to come back tomorrow.

Buying an iPhone: Still Some Questions Left to Be Answered

Many questions still remain about the details of purchasing an iPhone.

Will there be long lines inside or outside the store? What does the data plan cost? Will there be more than one data plan? How many iPhones at launch? How come I still can't find a Nintendo Wii?

AT&T corporate better get on the ball, as there is no reason to withhold this information anymore, unless the news is bad.

My prediction is long lines for the iPhone will form outside AT&T stores starting early and then start moving at 6:00 pm. This would allow for normal store traffic to flow in and out of the store until the iPhone is sold out. The problem is having people stand outside in the sun all day--people will be dropping form heat exhaustion left and right. That would be bad PR for Apple and AT&T. My closest AT&T Wireless store closes at 7:30 on Friday. So, they know they can sell out their supply of phones in an hour and a half and then be able to close up shop, telling everyone to go home.

Whether you should even try to buy an iPhone will depend on your resolve and the number of phones available. If it's less than a million available, all but the most hardcore should forget about it. I already had the experience with waiting in line for the second shipment of Xbox 360s, and I had to get there at 3 am to have the favor of being 30th in line.

*update* Engadget is reporting that AT&T stores will close at 4:30, then reopen at 6:00 to sell the iPhone. The Apple Phone Show is reporting that no Cingular stores will be selling the iPhone, only select AT&T stores.