(Updated 24 June 2010) Apple and AT&T have done it again – an iPhone release so screwed up that no one knows what is going on nor what will happen. On June 15th, online preorders began but quickly overwhelmed the system and brought both company’s servers to a halt. As if that weren’t enough, thousands of preorders were cancelled without any previous warning or even charged multiple times, leaving even more people confused and frustrated.
After that initial screw-up, the only hope about this launch was that Best Buy, Radio Shack and Wal-Mart would (allegedly) be carrying a little extra iPhone 4 stock on launch day in addition to preorders of their own. Nope… to help fix the preorder mess, Apple seems to have reallocated stock to original preorders so that everyone else will have to wait until June 29 (after a last minute internet warning, though I didn’t learn of the change until I pulled up at my local AT&T store early on the morning of the 24th).
Now if that wasn’t enough, those who did manage to get a device are reporting hardware issues with the phone, including yellow tint on large portions the screen and an antenna issue that causes the phone to lose reception depending on how it is held in your hand! Looks like it might be best to hold out until these issues are addressed.
Yes, it is just a phone and the stock will surely replenish, but honestly I would like to know why can these companies, after three years of iPhone release experience, not get things right? Did they honesty have no clue that demand would be high? Or did they prefer to receive worldwide media blitz at the expense of their often-too-loyal customers who blindly think that Apple can do no wrong? Additionally, the back-and-forth cycle of the blame game has begun, with Apple blaming AT&T for the faux pas and vice-versa.
Grow a pair, Apple, and take the blame for your obvious mistakes. Oh, and congratulations on another poorly-handled product release.
