The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Dan Mead, Verizon CEO, claims that the short lines at Apple and Verizon retails stores wasn’t due to weak demand for the Verizon iPhone 4, but instead due to strong online sales, and a staggered availability.
An excerpt:
Verizon first offered pre-orders of the phone to existing customers on Feb. 3, and then began selling it in stores one week later. Mr. Mead said the company staggered the launch of the Apple Inc. device in phases so that customers would have a smooth purchasing experience. “It was a conscious decision to spread the launch over three phases,” said Mr. Mead.
Mr. Mead said more than 60% of iPhone sales occurred online. That heavy activity online contributed to short lines on launch day, which were noted by many news outlets. “If we had not done online, you would have seen a much different flow in the pictures,” he said. In a few days, the company will double the number of stores that sell the iPhone, going from 4,000 to 8,000.
Mead would not give sales numbers for the iPhone, and instead punted until the company’s next earnings call. He also hinted that Apple will support the company’s 4G LTE network, but refused to announced what products and when they might take advantage of said network technology.
So, there you have it. An executive who is at least somewhat legally obligated to tell the truth, has stated that the iPhone 4 launch wasn’t a dud. Now, what defines a dud is another matter entirely.
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