Apple Store to regulate iPhone sales


modmyiphone, quoting their local mall's concierge, is reporting details of how Apple plans to sell the iPhone at its brick-n-mortar retail locations. Apple Stores will attempt to keep order and keep sales "fair" by employing the following methods:

• There will be numbered wristbands distributed for the iPhone.
• There will be 3 colors of wristbands and they will be numbered 1-500 (yes 500!!!!!).
• 24-hour security will be in place starting Thursday.
• Stanchions will be outside at 6pm Thursday [Ed--Huh?].
• There will be a restroom(s) brought in for access to the outside entrance where the line will be.
• The line will form at the entrance of the mall closest to the outside of the Apple store.
• Wristbands will be distributed in the line at 5pm on Friday.
• The first 50 customers will be let into the Apple Store at 5:50pm and then more groups of 50 following that until the store closes that night.

Further, according to calculations by ifoAppleStore, the mothership and AT&T may be planning to sell as many as 992,500 iPhones on the first day (ie the number of outlets multiplied by 500).

Editors' note: Offering additional toilettes onsite is a nice touch.

Nearly a million units on the first day? Assuming these numbers are correct (large grain of salt), Apple would deliver nearly 10 percent of its 18-month sales forecast in 24 hours...

Does that seem likely, let alone possible?