Analyst: Apple iPhone initial availability may be limited

“Apple Inc. plans to start selling the iPhone June 29, as the company prepares to challenge Nokia Oyj and Motorola Inc. with the new combination mobile phone and iPod music player,” Adam Satariano and Connie Guglielmo report for Bloomberg.

“The release date was announced in three advertisements posted on Apple’s Web site yesterday,” Satariano and Connie Guglielmo report.

“Apple has shipped more than 100 million iPods since Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs introduced the player in 2001. He’s seeking to parlay that popularity into sales of the iPhone, setting a goal of 10 million units sold in 2008,” Satariano and Connie Guglielmo report.

MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s actual goal is 10 million units by end of 2008, starting June 29, 2007.

Satariano and Connie Guglielmo continue, “Availability may be ‘limited,’ which could build ‘buzz’ for the product, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. analyst Bill Shope said in a report today.”

“‘Users may put off iPod purchases for the iPhone, but they may have to deal with a long wait,’ Shope said. He also said Apple will ‘need to go beyond just buzz’ to justify the phone’s price and two-year contract for consumers. JP Morgan is keeping its ‘neutral’ rating on the shares, he said,” Satariano and Guglielmo report.

“Shares of Apple, which also makes the Macintosh computer, …have risen 39 percent since Jobs announced the iPhone on Jan. 9. Apple’s market capitalization topped $100 billion for the first time last week,” Satariano and Guglielmo report. “Of the analysts who follow Apple shares, 23 rate them ‘buy,’ four have ‘hold’ ratings, and none advise selling, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.”

Full article here.