'Nightmare' iPhone 4 launch
2010-07-30 09:07
Wellington - Hundreds of New Zealand customers were turned away empty-handed on Friday as the second phase of the Apple iPhone 4's global launch got off to a "nightmare" start.
The iconic US company has sold more than three million of the advanced smart phones since it was launched a month ago in the US and other top markets - but it has also been besieged by complaints over poor reception.
Sales were officially expanding on Friday to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
But in New Zealand, Apple fans waiting outside shops, some since dawn, were left frustrated when the launch was mysteriously pushed back until the afternoon.
Customers formed new queues several hours later, but were told that only Vodafone account-holders could buy the smart phone due to a lack of availability.
Criticised
One prospective buyer called the launch an "epic fail", while another described it as a "nightmare".
"It's been terribly handled. Vodafone is blaming Apple, Apple is blaming Vodafone. No one seems to know what is going on," Jacob Creech, from Wellington, told the Stuff website.
"I'm going to get my phone and then terminate the contract straight away."
It is the second hiccup for Apple in New Zealand after the launch of its iPad, when the company was criticised for refusing to reveal where the tablet computer would be available.
Meanwhile Australian customers waited in the rain in central Sydney before the gadget went on sale at midnight, while long queues marshalled by security guards were seen outside shops in the morning.
Computer science student Sam Dunster, 19, waited outside one outlet from 02:00 on Thursday, while other diehard fans huddled outside the nearby Apple store overnight for its 08:00 opening.
"I came early because I thought there would be more of a queue," Dunster told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Reception problems
The phone has already caused problems for Apple because of problems with its antenna which causes reception problems when held a certain way, dubbed the "death grip". Apple has offered free cases to fix the issue.
Details of the device - which boasts video chat, high-definition video and sharper screen resolution - were leaked before the initial launch after technology website Gizmodo claimed an Apple employee left a prototype at a bar.
The original iPhone launched in 2007 brought smart phones to the masses. Apple has sold more than 50 million of the handsets in the past three years.
And despite a more crowded market, the latest version has already sold robustly since the initial launch in Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the US late in June.
The new iPhone and iPad propelled California-based Apple to a record profit of $3.25bn in the June quarter, a rise of 78%.