Story by
Ernst-Jan Pfauth
Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He a Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He also served as The Next Web’s blog’s first blogger and Editor in Chief, back in 2008. At De Correspondent, Ernst-Jan serves as publisher, fostering the expansion of the platform.
Despite their incredibly inefficient way of selling the iPhone – 6-hours waiting times and shop-assistants who sell to their friends first – T-Mobile has sold 120,000 of those shine objects since July 11th. T-Mobile CEO Hamid Akhavan gives a simple reason for the distribution problems. “Our (sales) expectations were surpassed,” he told Reuters. Of these 120,000 phones, 75,000 phones were sold in Germany.
I’m actually surprised by these somewhat low numbers. Especially in Germany, home of 82 million people, one would expect to sell more than just one phone per 1100 people. Even in the first six weeks. Akhavan told Reuters that the distribution had hit a snag due to its wide-spread launch in 22 countries. The Dutch have always been famous for their critical and direct attitude. Well, T-Mobile won’t deny this. Since they haven’t received complains from Austrian and German users, but they did from Dutch users. Typical…