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Roessnakhan

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2007
3,518
510
ABQ
Pre-order for the iPhone 5 went flawless, I'll never wait in line for an iPhone again. Wastes too much time.
 

Cody21

macrumors 6502a
Aug 9, 2012
544
0
Knoxville, TN
I've never bought an Apple product on launch day but for my first iPhone this fall (5S) I intend on doing so. Does anyone have any experience on how this works? I know that with the 5 there was a reservation system. Did only people who reserved their iPhone line up at Apple stores? Or can you receive the iPhone through preordering on launch day? Also: do malls with Apple Stores allow people to line up inside early in the morning?

Your best bet is to pre-order. You'll get the phone on release day if you pre-order in time. If you prefer ordering straight from Apple, I've read a lot on here about the Apple Store app being the quickest route, and I can personally vouch for that after using it to pre-order the iPhone 5.

The problem with waiting in line is it's first come, first serve. It's impossible to know how many phones they have in stock. Also, I waited in line for the iPhone 4, and we didn't get to wait in line inside the mall, but instead had to wait at the mall door. Lines can get big by the way.
 
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Shockwave78

macrumors 65816
Jul 10, 2010
1,082
60
There is no need to camp out really, Here in New England there are many Apple stores, ya sure if you want to be first in line then go for it. But the Apple stores here have 1000's available on launch day. . I showed up on launch day for the iphone 5 around 12pm and the line was around 500 and growing. This doesnt even include the the people that were getting there phones 4hrs before i got there. They had many tickets left from what i saw(500-1000 easily)

I don't think i will ever pre-order again, i will just go to the store and get one.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,056
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
I stood in line from 5AM at the store in Frisco for iPhone 4, it was already packed. Honestly, if you're going to do the standing route, don't assume that it won't be busy. I didn't get to the front until 9:30AM.

And my credit check that originally went through, didn't go through when I was up there trying to pay for it, and when my dad tried to add it to my mom's line, it threw up an error. So we had to go drive up to AT&T which was like 20 minutes away, wait like two hours for them to open, and then he had to pay off the overdue bill.

Luckily, the guy made arrangements to just let us come back in with no problem, but some guy totally got pissed off about it and got nasty to security about it.

I thought about waiting in line again, but there's really no point. The free bits of food and water are nice, but so is sleeping for a few more hours. I ended up coming home and sleeping pretty much the rest of the day.

So I'm ordering online this year and it'll arrive as early as 9AM on my doorstep.
 

jbachandouris

macrumors 603
Aug 18, 2009
5,778
2,904
Upstate NY
Waited in line for the 4 and 4S. Pre-ordered the 5 at 3:30AM. It came at 10:30AM on Launch Day. Pre-order really is the best option, but it seems like Apple has been getting better at Launch Day supplies, so its up to you.
 

uiop.

macrumors 68020
Jul 22, 2008
2,045
88
Grand Rapids, MI
Preordered the iPhone 5...much to my disappointment it had to be shipped to the AT&T account holders billing address. Which is my dad's house in Indiana. Seeing the status of it being "delivered" 300 miles away from where I lived killed me.
 

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,532
10,820
Colorado
Just order online the second Apple make them available. Alternatively you could camp outside your nearest Apple Store for days just to get one of that store's limited stock. Buy online from the comfort of your house and wait for it to arrive, guaranteed. That's what I'll be doing. Camping outside an Apple Store is more of a ritual for some people, rather than just getting the latest iPhone.

Agreed. I camped out overnight when the iPhone 4 was released. I got in line around midnight and didn't leave the store until around 3 pm. While it was fun, I won't ever do that again.
 

bjb.butler

macrumors 6502a
Aug 18, 2008
938
81
Southern California
Can someone please explain the logic behind camping out at the store, or getting there at 5am and waiting for 5+ hours to get a phone? I don't understand.

Do you guys have nothing better to do with your time? I honestly don't understand the need to wait in line for so long (some guy on the first page said 10 hours :eek:) for a phone. Why do you HAVE to have it on launch day? You can't wait a few days, or a few weeks?

Lastly.. waiting for an iPhone was the most anxious you've been in your life :confused: That's so bizarre to me.
 

3rd Rock

macrumors 6502
Aug 10, 2012
459
1
Over here
Can someone please explain the logic behind camping out at the store, or getting there at 5am and waiting for 5+ hours to get a phone? I don't understand.

Do you guys have nothing better to do with your time? I honestly don't understand the need to wait in line for so long (some guy on the first page said 10 hours :eek:) for a phone. Why do you HAVE to have it on launch day? You can't wait a few days, or a few weeks?

Lastly.. waiting for an iPhone was the most anxious you've been in your life :confused: That's so bizarre to me.

Agree with you. Went to a computer store sometime ago, saw a line outside that was now going inside for the first XBox console to be released, and over heard one young lad say " I just can't wait to hold it in my arms ". Could not believe what I heard, but I bet its normally the younger generation that think having a new toy sometimes over powers the common sense that we should have. Its just a phone that one can wait a few more days for, but can't.

I order online. Smartest way to do it. I can wait. Some kids can't...:confused:
 

waa1futs

macrumors 6502
Oct 2, 2012
379
0
I would order online but I don't trust delivery drivers at all :/

Still... theres not a chance in hell I would camp out for one.
 

iBreatheApple

macrumors 68030
Sep 3, 2011
2,948
1,021
Florida
Be of the first to pre-order online. Wait for the store to open at a given time, then get mad that it's not live until two hours later, then refresh about 300 times until the servers aren't overloaded, then enter all your information and credit card and submit your order, then see that the site is timing out again. Rinse and repeat.

Then when it's the day before launch stalk the tracking info and freak out because it's in Hong Kong a mere 12 hours before it's supposed to be "guaranteed" on launch day but there's no way it'll make it.

Open your new iPhone on launch day.

That's what I do.
 
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