UPDATE:Vodafone NZ Says Apple's iPhone 4 Sold Out Nationwide

30th Jul 2010 08:55

(Adds comment from customer, Apple and background.) By Lucy Craymer Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--Hundreds of Apple Inc. (AAPL) customers in New Zealand awaiting to collect their new iPhone 4s were turned away Friday just four hours after they went on sale in what has been termed by customers as a "nightmare" launch for the Cupertino, Calif. company. Apple's launch of the new smartphone in New Zealand was mysteriously delayed with eager iPhone 4 customers queuing from dawn only to be told when stores opened in the morning that the smartphone would not be going on sale. "Staff showed up just after 8 a.m. and said there were no iPhone 4s coming in today and they didn't know when they were coming in," said Jacob Creech, a customer from Wellington. "It was quite a nightmare and the worse thing was there was no information." Vodafone NZ, the unit of Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.LN) which is selling the handset in New Zealand, announced at 11 a.m. local time that the iPhone 4 would be in select Vodafone stores from midday, but would only be available to those signing up to long-term contracts. Earlier models of the iPhone, including the iPhone 3GS, could be purchased without a contract, the company said. By 4 p.m., Vodafone said the entire iPhone 4 stock was sold out nationwide. Along with New Zealand, Apple's new smartphone began selling in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland Friday. It was made available for purchase through Apple's retail and online stores, as well as authorized Apple resellers. The launch in New Zealand was expected to be no different than other countries with Vodafone NZ's website advertising the phone ahead of time. However, all mention of the phone was withdrawn late Thursday night from the website and only reposted this afternoon. According to Apple's New Zealand website, the iPhone 4 was still tagged as "coming soon" to the store. Vodafone NZ spokesman Paul Brislen refused to comment on what had caused the delay, how many handsets had been shippped or why so few iPhone 4s had been shipped to the country. Apple spokeswoman Fiona Martin declined to discuss availability issues but said the Apple online store would be selling the iPhone 4 from this evening. The popularity of the iPhone 4 in overseas markets indicates that consumers are unfazed about reception problems on the new smartphone. In the U.S., Apple has faced mounting criticism over the antenna design of its iPhone 4, with customers complaining about dropped calls. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said earlier this month it will issue free cases to all buyers to address the issue. Apple reported earlier this month that its fiscal third quarter net profit surged 78% from a year earlier, thanks to the popularity of its tablet computer and the iPhone 4. The company also issued a strong forecast for the current quarter, allaying concerns that the iPhone 4's high profile antenna problems might slow Apple's sales. -By Lucy Craymer, Dow Jones Newswires; 64-4-471-5990; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 30, 2010 03:55 ET (07:55 GMT)