Long queues of iPhone crazies fans snaked around shop buildings last night, as yet again the Apple marketing-machine manages to create thousands of willing hype-victims volunteers to add to the seemingly ever-growing aura of the Cupertino company – and all parting with £500-odd for the pleasure.

OK, perhaps I’m being cynical – I know people like to feel part of something special and whether or not you agree that the release of a new mobile phone is entirely worthy of becoming such an “event” is, of course, entirely subjective.

Whilst it’s true that Apple benefit hugely from the hype, it’s also true that all the fanboys and girls in the qeues will benefit as well, each having their spanking new iPhones to show off to friends……..or will they?

According to several national reports, there will be thousands of expectant fans that are going to be left empty-handed. There has been plenty of early warnings, though; not least from Apple’s form with previous incarnations of the iPhone, the iPad and all varieties of  iPod.

Over at the O2 shop, they have made it very clear that as a “response to iPhone stock shortage” the new iPhone “will only be available for existing O2 customers at launch”.

The Guardian notes that many retail phone shops have received far fewer handsets than they expected and some of those same retail outlets “believe the company is holding back stock to increase hype around the product, and that it has more devices in storage for release in the coming weeks”.

Pocket-lint have been tipped off about a similar situation up and down the country. According to their sources, Apple have only delivered a measly 16,000 handsets for the launch day – it was thought that over 50,000 would be available initially. Pocket-lint also mention that “some branches of Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U haven’t had their deliveries at all”.

I hope none of you were queueing outside those particular stores.

But at least we’re not alone; early reports suggest that initial stocks are running extremely low all across Europe, Japan and the United States, so we’re in good company. It seems that there will be some rather agitated fanboys and girls across the entire globe – may I suggest a pre-order next time?


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