Enough Pre phones for all in the first run? I remember reading that they were planning to manufacture something like 200k units in the first production run of the Pre. Don't know if that was entirely accurate, but if it is, it seems like a small number. What does everyone think? Its obviously got a bit of a following building.. the bloggers all seem to love it.. do we think there'll be enough to go around? Or will some of us be left to wait for further shipments?
yeah.. 200k is definitely not enough If that's true, I might not end up getting one since I'm in canada I would be ticked.. I need a new phone by september
I wouldn't be surprised if they only ship 200k. I also think that the Pre aren't going to just Sprint Store. Best Buy might get some too. I would like to know how much is enough to satisfy everybody.
I think Sprint may not allow BestBuy to sell the Pre for a few months. It may not be a good idea but the thought is to take all the money at first, especially if they subsidize the phone heavily.
Well I know I won't have to worry since I'm not getting mine until the end of the year. I'm sure there will be a unit for me by then!
I am going to get the phone when it comes out, if they have any left in my store at home. MY treo 800w and I are not currently not on the same page. 200k could be a safe estimate. I would assumed, after they see sales, they would order more phones for production.
Sellouts do nothing but increase the buzz. It might be beneficial to "create greater demand" by limiting the initial supply. Do people want something more they cannot have? Then again, you advertise to drive traffic to the stores and is it wise to turn away customers? The BlackBerry Storm sold out and that created a mild buzz. Of course, any buzz might have been quelled a bit by the sub-par reviews.
I think the best example of what you are describing is the wii. I still believe that Nintendo created all the hype for the wii by limiting supply. Even after a year (and people not really playing it anymore) they kept the hype machine going with short supply. I think this could work toward their (Sprint/Palm) favor if they create a huge buzz in the beginning and the headset turns out to be a true winner. Word of mouth could drive the demand through the roof! But maybe that is just my dream! :laugh3:
but the wii didn't really have any direct competition. it was a unique product. The Pre will have competition from the new iphone, android and any other smart phones coming out.
Great point. Same thing with WiiFit. I wasn't that concerned about WiiFit until I realized it was in such demand. Oddly enough, when I was getting the BlackBerry Storm, a Best Buy rep went by me with a WiiFit. I ran and almost tackled her. I'm a sucker for hype. As it turned out, there was another guy looking to buy multiple WiiFits. He was surrounded by Best Buy staff who stripped him of the second Wii Fit. It's now collecting dust under my coffee table. On occasion, I'll step on it to see how my BMI is doing and to hear the critical voice of the Wii chastising me for not doing my Yoga lessons.:tounge:
At the time it was being touted by analysts as a 3rd gen system (whether it was or not) people got it and realized the fun factor. The hype generated by short supply could possible work the same way for Palm. And I hope that the Pre will be a different type of phone that could raise discussions. Nothing like the wii did of course!
Exactly, short supply and a lot of talk could make any product a huge success. But I think that you need both for it to work.
I think it all comes down to will the Pre be able to sell itself and keep people's attraction if there ends up being a shortage in manufacturing. When I get the phone, I will be proudly touting it to my friends and family, but if there are flaws or gaps in the functionality, I will point that out too. The storm is a perfect example of a phone that couldn’t sell itself after its release. 200k is a conservitive amount; however maybe that's based on their release date and how many they will have manufactured by that time. perhaps the actual pruduction of the phone will not stop. It's just that at 200k they will ship the first "Batch" and continue.
I just hope my Sprint store has enough for me to get one. I might take the morning off to get it, then I'll show it off to my coworkers so they can try to get it after work. Create some hype around the office, so they can create hype amongst their friends, who creates hype amongst their friends....^n Most of the hype right now seems to be amongst people like us who are watching every second of every day for a release date so we can camp out. Once they start seriously advertising and once we start showing off our precious' it should take off pretty well, word of mouth is a very powerful (and cheap) marketing strategy. So how long do we think it will take to manufacture 200k? A month or so? I smell release date bingo....
I'm tellin ya.. if Sprint doesn't do a pre-order program for the Pre, you better believe my arse will be camping on a sidewalk in front of a Sprint store. In the immortal words of Bruce Dickinson as interpreted by Christopher Walken and slightly modified by yours truly : "I've got a fever ...and the only prescription is a Pre!!"
LMAO!!! That was one of the best skits ever! "I gotta have more Pre, baby!" "Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more Pre!" LMAO :laugh3:
Humm... did anybody catch a "how its made" episode about how cell phones are made? total mechanical/robotical production line or all human or mixed?? if there is a mixed production line: 200,000 / 30 days is 6,666 per day... sounds impossible 200,000 / 60 days is 3,333 per day... maybe... 200,000 / 90 days is 2,222 sounds feasible... If they started in sometime in the middle of February and take into consideration shipping, US distribution, and stocking/inventory, Id say we are on track for a mid May release...
I also hope they have enough in the pipeline for the initial release! I know that perceived shortages or limited availability can spur demand and cause frothing at the mouth by some that have to have it first.... Sprint/Palm need as much hype as possible to build that wave of desire for this phone... they did an excellent job at the first of the year and that wave of desire is still riding high! I can't wait to get my hands on one!
I agree, I think Sprint should enlist the strategy that I THINK Nintendo used. Which is to have the supply but withhold it on purpose. Then if the buzz is dying due to shortage you can quickly getting it going again with a new shipment.
