The release of the newest iPhone 3G S begins on Wednesday and reports are that it has already sold-out of phones to be handed out on opening day. Apple Insider and Information Week are both reporting that sources are saying that customers who ordered after Saturday the 13th should not expect to receive their iPhone on the opening release day.

Both Apple Insider and Information Week are indicating that customers wishing to upgrade or to purchase the new iPhone will now likely have to wait 7-14 days to receive their new phone. This is a problem (If you will call it a problem) that Apple has had to face with each version of the iPhone. Too much demand compared to what it is able to produce and distribute. I think most iPhone owners could predict that there would be a rush to get the newest version, and it is probably not a surprise to many that there is already a delay. For the third straight release Apple has scored big with pre-sales on the iPhone. It appears that the iPhone is going to continue to expand in the cell phone market, and is going to continue to bring AT&T a lot of needed business. With the added software and hardware in the new iPhone 3G S there does not appear to be competition that can match the innovative designs of Apple. Additionally, the continued expansion of the Apps store and the rising number of Mac computer users only bodes well for the continued growth of the iPhone. I had a conversation with a friend about the growth of the iPhone and what it means for the cellular industry, and he made the interesting point that AT&T's hold on the iPhone is something that should not be viewed as a permanent partnership. He seems to think that the iPhone will experience even more growth if Apple were able to expand beyond just AT&T to companies like Verizon. Many argue that the Verizon network is better, and that the addition of the iPhone would likely take quite a toll on AT&T's customer base. The crazy opening day sales make me wonder if Apple could support both networks in terms of the production of the phones as it already has difficulties with just AT&T. I am sure the company could find a way to bump up production to a higher level if the phone were made available to both networks. One thought that I have been wondering about is could Apple eventually buy the AT&T network so that it could have control over both the iPhone and the cellular network?? I do not know if this is even feasible, but the prospect of it is very interesting, and with Apple not expanding to the very large Verizon network I question the possibility of Apple adding a cellular network?. Any thoughts about why this has not happened?? What are the prospects of an Apple Cellular Phone company, if any?