UK iPhone provider O2 suffers site crash from user crush

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 07 July 2008 21:13

Your IT - Mobility

Huge numbers of UK citizens desperate to pre-order the iPhone 3G, due July 11, have crashed O2’s site to crash soon after it opened at 8am UK time. While it’s back now, a similar thing happened in Australia!

According to an article at the UK’s Times Online website the UK's iPhone telco O2 had it website crash within an hour of opening for pre-ordering earlier today.

A pre-order is different to registering interest, which over 200,000 people had already done. Pre-ordering is meant to guarantee delivery of the iPhone 3G, and guarantee that you’ll get one.

Given that many people said they were holding off on the iPhone until a 3G model became available, and given the fact the iPhone 3G is definitely a better model than the original iPhone, it’s no surprise to see such tremendous interest in Apple’s latest super smartphone, iPod and mini-computer all-in-one.

The Times Online said an O2 spokesperson spoke of “phenomenal” demand which caused the site crash, and added: "Unfortunately we have had a few problems this morning - there was an unprecedented demand at 8am when the pre-ordering went live, but the site is working again now.”

When one of Australia’s iPhone selling telecommunications companies, Optus, simply announced iPhone pricing plans last week, its site too seemed to go off the air for around an hour, where it was simply impossible to connect to the site.

However the storm soon passed, and normal service was restored.

Actual sales figures for the iPhone 3G will certainly be fascinating to watch unfold, to see if the pre-launch hype is matched by post-launch sales.

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