O2 boss Matthew Key must be regretting ever saying that he expected to sell 200,000 iPhones in the UK in the handset’s first two months on sale. Now those two months are up, it’s being widely reported that O2 has fallen short of these expectations - with the source being “people familiar with the situation” quoted in the Financial Times as saying O2 has shifted 190,000 iPhones in that period.
You wouldn’t think this shortfall would be worth tearing your hair out over. However, the problem for O2 is that bullish analysts were quick to predict that the operator would smash through its 200k forecast during that initial two months. So it’s the analysts who were wrong, rather than O2. Now those same analysts are saying Apple needs to cut the price of the iPhone to get sales back on track.
O2 isn’t commenting officially on iPhone sales - it’s been reported that Steve Jobs has told them to keep mum - but a spokesperson did tell the FT that they were “delighted” with the response to the iPhone, which has seen “unprecedented levels of customer satisfaction”. So not quite as many people have bought it as they hoped, but the people who have are impressed, is the gist.
(via Financial Times)
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