Deutsche Telekom CEO: iPhone Demand Possibly Outpacing Supply

FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- Deutsche Telekom says it's possible that demand in Germany for Apple's iPhones in the Christmas sales season may outstrip the supply in the trendy handsets, the German telecommunication giant's chief executive told CNBC Europe Thursday.

"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," Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann told CNBC Europe.

"The real question for me is whether we have enough devices and can meet customer demand," Obermann said.

Earlier Thursday, Obermann already said the number of registrations for iPhone is huge, again without giving exact figures.

Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile unit has the exclusive sales rights in Germany and will commence with selling the trendy telephone in stores Friday.

Sales will also start in the UK Friday, with Europe's largest mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse expecting to sell 10,000 iPhones on the first day in the U.K.

-By Klaus Brune, Dow Jones Newswires, +49 69 29 725 500; klaus.brune@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Posted to the site on 8th November 2007