Iphone Still Selling (out)…

After Apple sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs in its first weekend of release, surpassing even it’s own expectations, the company scrambles to respond to a still-spiraling demand that severely outweighs its inadequate supply. 

Now, more than two weeks later, with Apple Store lines still wrapping around city blocks, shortages creating near-permanent lines, some smaller Apple Retail Stores mobbed on the mornings that deliveries are expected, and many stores needing to close lines and send potential customers home well before the business day is out, Apple institutes several new policies to better serve its customers.

For starters, Apple has started opening all Apple Stores 2 hours earlier than previously, at 8 am rather than 10 am (except on Sundays). Stores close at 6 pm (4 pm on Sundays).

Apple is also in the process of hiring new store staff to accommodate the surging demand of the iPhone 3G and help speed things along. One helpful change is that customers who are uncertain about their eligibility to buy an iPhone will now be greeted waiting in line outside Apple Stores by staff members there to prescreen and pre-qualify them for an iPhone 3G purchase, and supply them with an iPhone 3G claim ticket. Once a waiting prospective customer receives their claim ticket, they’re free to leave the line, if they so desire, and return at a later time that day to pick up their new iPhone 3G.

Another contributing factor to the unwieldy delays is the lengthier in-store activation procedure the new iPhone 3Gs require. To satisfy growing customer impatience Apple hopes to help improve expediency with these changes, but even more improvements may still be in order.

As of today, July 30, Apple Retail Stores in Arlington, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cincinnati, Ohio; New York, New York; Nashville, Tennessee; and Seattle, Washington are sold out of the 8 GB, $199 iPhone 3G.

The U.S. isn’t the only country overrun by iPhone fever. The iPhone 3G is so popular worldwide, that even consumers in countries where the iPhone 3G is not yet being sold, such as Russia and China, are reaching out to consumers in the U.S. to purchase iPhones on their behalf. Both Russia and China are second only to the United States in iPhone use, despite neither this model nor the first generation iPhone being available for purchase in those countries and with the product’s release there not even on the schedule yet.

Currently the iPhone 3G is being sold in 21 countries with promises of availability in 70 countries soon (whatever soon means). One wonders if the current gap between the iPhone 3G’s supply and demand will delay that process too.

Whatever the situation, and whenever the iPhone 3G sees release around the globe, one thing is for certain – people just can’t get enough of the iPhone 3G.

Corey Bruhn is the owner of iPhone Mobile Mob, http://www.iphonemobilemob.com, who specializes in reporting news, updates and unique features of the Apple iPhone.