According To Tim Cook, Apple Underestimated Demand For The iPhone 4S In China
by Joe White
January 25, 2012
A couple of weeks ago, Apple's launch of the iPhone 4S in China descended into chaos: Apple Stores didn't open on time, unhappy customers threw eggs, and eventually, a SWAT team was called to the Beijing retail store. According to Business Insider, during yesterday's financial conference call Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that the company had underestimated demand for the iPhone 4S in China.
As reported by Business Insider:
“We thought we were betting bold,” Cook said about sales of the device in China on a conference call yesterday. “We didn’t bet high enough.”The intense crowds - punctuated with "scalpers" looking to sell handsets on at inflated prices - meant Apple Stores, and specifically the Beijing retail store, simply couldn't cope with the demand for the iPhone 4S. Though Tim Cook has acknowledged that Apple failed to prepare for the launch of the iPhone 4S in China, the handset still isn't available to purchase in Apple Retail Stores, and the Chinese Apple Online Store has sold out of iPhone 4S smart phones. The iPhone 4S will likely return to retail stores in China soon, though hopefully this time round the appearance of the handset won't result in the need of a SWAT team. We'll keep you posted.