Best of 2011: Apple iPhone 4S Release
It's the holidays, and we've got a special gift for you this year. Each day this week, Supply Chain Digital will select one top daily story from 2011 to feature here in our Best Of: 2011 section. Enjoy!
Not even Apple’s supply chain can stand up to the mighty demand for the iPhone 4S.
The highly anticipated Smartphone is reportedly sold out at U.S. carrier stores for preorders ahead of its launch date on Friday, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint have said on their respective websites.
AT&T in particular is showing a 3-4 week waiting period on current preorders, as Apple tries to temper its spiking supply chain.
Many are speculating that Steve Jobs’ recent death has contributed to rising Apple sales, who view the iPhone 4S as a tribute to the co-founder’s legacy.
“Many potential Apple customers, who have been on the fences before, will probably now want to (buy) it,” San Diego State University marketing professor Steven Osinski told IBTimes.com New York.
“It’s not different than when John Lennon was assassinated, sales of Beatles records shot up for a little while,” Reuters reported.
Apple reportedly boosted its iPhone production for the second half of 2011 in anticipation of increased demand, which was probably a smart call in terms of supply chain management. According to a report in August by Digitimes, Apple adjusted its total iPhone order volume by about 12 percent, raising its order total from 50 million to 56 million units.
Apple iPhone 4S preorders broke several company records, surpassing one million orders in the first 24 hours. As a result, company stock prices rose by about 5 percent on the NASDAQ market.
Some customers were disappointed that no iPhone 5 was announced, but the iPhone 4S appears to be the Smartphone of choice this holiday season thanks to a myriad of new features.
