With last Friday’s addition of 22 new countries, the iPhone 5 is now available in 31 major markets but many would still be hard pressed to buy one due to dwindling stock both in the United States and in other countries around the world. By all accounts, the iPhone 5 demand is off the charts, Mapgate be damned.
Matter of fact, quite the opposite is happening: demand for the iPhone 5 is surging as mapping woes don’t appear to slow sales (though customer satisfaction ratings did take a hit). Looks like that CEO apology was a pre-emptive maneuver to smartly protect the brand in the long haul…
John Paczkowski quotes Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster in a post over at the AllThingsD blog:
Demand remains high. The bottom line is that consumers do not seem to be overly concerned about the shortcomings of Maps.
His data is a blow to the faces of folks who go so far to call for iOS chief Scott Forstall’s resignation.
As for Cook’s apology and Apple recommending third-party apps – something the company rarely does –Â Topeka analyst Brian White writes:
Given the insatiable demand for the iPhone 5, we do not expect the map issue to impact demand. Longer term, we believe this apology will help Apple further its brand of trust with customers and it is only a matter of time before the company delivers a great map experience.
Munster surveyed twenty Apple Stores in the United States and found iPhone 5 inventory in just four of them.
BGR notes that those looking to but a Sprint iPhone 5 could be in luck.
By the way, Verizon subscribers should apply a carrier update that solves problems with WiFi incurring cellular data charges. The carrier also confirmed that customers will not be charged for any unwarranted cellular data usage.
As for iPhone 5 demand, I’m based out in Europe and can confirm that the device is hard to come by in Münich, Germany (they typically sell out within hours of stock replenishing), with only 16GB and 32GB black models available in Slovenia this past Saturday and only 16GB models available in Münich.
Yeah, that also means I’m still on the lookout for a 64GB white iPhone 5 model.
How’s iPhone 5 availability in your country?