Report: iPhone 3G shortage could drag on for weeks

It's been a full week since the chaos of launch day, but lines for the latest iPhone continue to snake out of Apple stores, and analysts are warning that it might take as long as a month for Apple to replenish its stock.

Computerworld reported Thursday that only 50 of 188 U.S. Apple stores had the iPhone 3G in stock, with only 13 stores having all three iPhone models on hand. The most popular (and hence, most scarce) flavor: the black 16GB version.

Meanwhile, customers are still waiting hours in line for the privilege of buying an iPhone. I dropped by the Soho Apple Store on Thursday afternoon, expecting a relatively calm scene; instead, I found a line of about 70 (sweltering) people that stretched around the corner.

And as far as AT&T stores go, well ... as CNET puts it, "fuggedaboutit." AT&T outlets across the country are apparently swamped with backorders, with 10- to 21-day waits before phones arrive.

Unfortunately, the shortage could get worse before it gets better. Computerworld quotes an analyst who predicts "problems for another two to four weeks" until Apple boosts its inventory.

So, what happened? The Computerworld story cites two main problems: The iPhone 3G's simultanous 21-country launch, which meant fewer handsets for the U.S., and sustained demand that far outstripped Apple's expectations. Demand for the original iPhone dropped off quickly after the initial rush, according to Computerworld.

Still in the hunt for an iPhone 3G? Anyone brave the lines recently? Who's waiting it out? Vent away.

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iPhone 3G shortage to last two to four weeks, analyst says [Computerworld]