10,000 iPhones sold in Germany on launch

T-Mobile on Friday said that it has already sold more than 10,000 iPhones during the first day of sales in Germany, according to Reuters. Apple's multitouch cellular handset debuted yesterday in Cologne as shuttles ferried masses of eager customers to the retail store from Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich. One T-Mobile store opened at 12:01 a.m. local time to sell the devices at 400 € each, but Deutche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann already expects a potential shortage of iPhones this holiday season. T-Mobile today announced that "the company is well prepared to further meet high demand for the iPhones," despite Obermann's worry over ample iPhone supplies heading into the busiest shopping period of the year.

"We're not giving out precise forecasts, but registrations on our Web site lead me to believe (the Christmas sales period) will be a strong sales period," Obermann said. "The real question for me is whether we have enough devices and can meet customer demand."

Anxious customers waited in line outside T-Mobile despite wind and rain for their chance to purchase Apple's iPhone. T-Mobile employees reportedly began handing out blankets, umbrellas, hot beverages, and pretzels to those customers still waiting outside.

Filed under: Apple