Vodafone unloads 50,000 iPhones on first day

Richard Goodwin

Vodafone, the forth iPhone carrier in the UK, sold a staggering 50,000 iPhones on its first day despite its seriously uncompetitive tariffs.

The iPhone’s allure seemed almost ineffable as Vodafone shifted 50,000 of Apple’s finest on its first day in the shops despite prices being remarkably similar to the three other UK carriers - Orange, Tesco and O2.

Vodafone chief executive, Guy Lawrence, said there had been “exceptional demand” for the iPhone, which has resulted in delays as sticks of handsets diminished rapidly.

Vodafone announced last Thursday that there were delays on deliveries in Bristol, Stoke, Cardiff, Croydon, Gloucester, Newbury, Nottingham and Southampton.

Adding further to the overwhelming demand was the weather. According to Vodafone, customer service staff members struggled to make it into work, which resulted in limited services on account of staff shortages.

However, enquiries about individual orders can be made here: support@v-store.co.uk.

Nevertheless, bad weather can’t stop Twitter and commenting on the bad weather and massive demand, Vodafone’s official Twitter feed said: “Please be patient, all iPhone pre-orders should be delivered today/tomorrow unless your area is affected by severe weather. Thanks”.

As mentioned earlier, tariffs for the iPhone on Vodafone are remarkably similar to both Orange and O2 - ranging from £30 to £75 per month depending on which plan users sign up to.