Just like in days long gone by, they came in search of gold but most left empty handed.
It was the highly anticipated launch of Apple’s latest new handsets – the colourful iPhone 5C and the top-of-the-range flagship iPhone 5S.
At Sheffield’s Meadowhall Shopping Centre there were several hundred people waiting in line to get their hands on the latest offerings from the iconic smartphone maker.
It soon became clear that there was one phone which almost everyone – including YourGadgetGuide – had come to get…the gold iPhone 5S.
The sad thing is that this was the phone which was in shortest supply…it sold out within minutes to people waiting in line. There surely could not have been more than a dozen or so units for sale but Apple was not talking numbers.
The YourGadgetGuide team queued from 3am for the 8am store opening and the mood in the line was upbeat and optimistic. Surely we would all get a phone and surely we would get the one we wanted.
With around three hours before opening, Apple employees were sent out to talk to the line of eager customers waiting to get their hands on the new phones.
There was only one question on everyone’s lips for the blue-t-shirt wearing Apple brigade…
“How many phones do you have in stock?”
The question was evaded at every turn.
“I don’t have any numbers.” “I have not been told stock levels.” “We have a good supply of phones.” “I have not been told how many of each model we have in stock.”
Within minutes it became clear why the Apple store guys were being a little evasive about numbers.
A series of announcements to the crowds standing in line overnight confirmed everyone’s worst fears…there would not be enough phones available to meet demand. Not nearly enough.
A groan rippled throughout the crowd as the news came through:
“We have sold out of gold iPhone 5S 16GB models.”
A few minutes later they had sold out of 32GB gold models and a few minutes later there were no 16GB models in silver/white.
Where had all the phones gone? Had the Apple store forgotten to order in stock? Would we get a phone at all? Had we chosen the wrong location?
The mood of the crowd changed. It was like football supporters all happy and smiling when their team was 3-0 up at half time in a local derby…only to concede four goals in the second half.
How could this happen? How could it happen to me?
As the crowd came to terms with the thought that they would have to get yet another black iPhone the news only got worse….and worse.
The 64 GB gold model was next to sell out, followed by the two larger silver and white models a few minutes later.
Now the new flagship smartphone from Apple really was available in any colour you wanted as long as it was black.
But even that was not to last for long.
After a few short minutes the by now bitterly disappointed line of people was told there were no more black 16GB iPhones for sale…then the 32GB model sold out and the 64GB model was next.
The store had not even opened for business and the entire stock was gone. This was not good news. It was an iPhone launch day disaster of epic proportions.
We, like hundreds of others who had stood in line overnight, left disappointed and empty handed.
What had been happening during this time was that Apple employees had been working their way down the line asking people what they wanted…everyone wanted the iPhone 5S. And as they gave their orders they were handed a ticket to take to the counter when the store opened.
My colleague Darren could not have put it any better when he told me:
“It is like the wedding planner organised a buffet for ten people when there were 300 hungry guests to feed.”
As news spread throughout the shopping centre one enterprising manager at another store said he was prepared to offer iPhone 5S models without a contract for £1,000…and he had immediate interest in his offer such was the demand for these phones.
I am annoyed at how this launch was organised…when demand is in tight supply it should be one phone per customer and I am sure my colleague Darren will have more to say about this shortly.
As I write this story, a few hours after the phones went on sale I checked online and found that, wait for it, 30,000 iPhone 5S models were up for sale in the UK with prices ranging from £755 to £999.
As I write this I am being told that my experience is far from uncommon…in fact it is an experience repeated at Apple stores throughout the world.
Frustrating to say the least.
We came in search of gold…we would have taken silver or black, but in the end we left empty handed.
A marketing ploy from Apple or a genuine shortage of iPhone 5S devices?
I think we should be told.