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iPhone 4S Sales Now Reservation-Only at Apple Retail Stores in U.S. and Canada

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,481
30,715


iphone_4s_reserve.png

Apple has updated its "how to buy" page for the iPhone 4S to note that Apple retail stores in the United States and Canada are now selling the device on a reservation-only basis. Customers will need to visit Apple's site after 9:00 PM each evening to reserve a phone for the following day.
iPhone 4S is available in store by reservation only. Reserve yours after 9:00 p.m. tonight for pickup tomorrow. When you come in, you’ll choose a carrier and plan, and we’ll get your iPhone up and running before you leave the store.
Click to expand...
MacRumors spoke to a representative at one Apple retail store who noted that that location continues to sell the iPhone 4S to walk-in customers but that supplies are "evaporating". But as supplies tighten Apple seems to be pushing customers toward the reservation channel in order to minimize lines and disappointed customers.

It seems unlikely that Apple retail stores would refuse to sell unreserved iPhone 4S stocks to walk-in customers, so the company may simply be taking reservations and then distributing any remaining stock each day on a walk-in basis.

Apple is placing some restrictions on iPhone 4S walk-in sales in other countries as well, noting that it will take reservations for both on-contract and SIM-free iPhone 4S models after 9:00 PM, but only on-contract phones will be offered on a walk-in basis in those countries. Limiting walk-in sales of SIM-free handsets is likely designed to discourage mass sales into the grey market, such as in China where the devices are selling for as much as $2000.

Article Link: iPhone 4S Sales Now Reservation-Only at Apple Retail Stores in U.S. and Canada
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/10/17/iphone-4s-sales-now-reservation-only-at-apple-retail-stores-in-u-s-and-canada/
Last edited:
trekkie604

trekkie604

macrumors 68000
Feb 25, 2008
1,675
1,204
Vancouver, Canada
Good idea. My local Apple store seems to get the same people back every day buying more phones. Obviously they're exporting them for the purpose of reselling.
 
K

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,024
7,867
Hopefully it will still be possible to reserve an AT&T model but pay the off-contract price. Perhaps Apple is closing the "back door" method of getting an unlocked version until it is officially released.
 
Rivix

Rivix

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2005
527
0
Can you sign up with a carrier in Canadian Apple Stores or do they only sell unlocked phones? ie, can I get on contract with Rogers in an Apple Store?
 
kazmac

kazmac

macrumors G4
Mar 24, 2010
10,086
8,627
Any place but here or there....
I may try this...

I'm glad Apple are doing the reserve system thing. 5th Avenue store could give no additional info other than check the site at 9:00. Didn't know if it is ET or PT.

If I can get the phone on my schedule and not during work hours then I might tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll wait until my 3Gs really drops dead. I've been such a poor judge of Apple stuff going bye-bye in the past year. And I'd prefer to wait until the next one comes out.
 
Last edited:
guzhogi

guzhogi

macrumors 68040
Aug 31, 2003
3,735
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Wherever my feet take me…
trekkie604 said:
Good idea. My local Apple store seems to get the same people back every day buying more phones. Obviously they're exporting them for the purpose of reselling.
Click to expand...

benhollberg said:
Is there something wrong with that?
Click to expand...

The thing I have with that is don't these people often markup the prices even more (as in several hundred dollars more)? Personally, I'd rather wait a week or two until the initial rush goes down, and save a few hundred dollars by going to the Apple Store.

I've rarely had a computer/phone suddenly die on me so I didn't need to be like "OMG! I need to buy a new phone right now!" The few times I did (I can only remember once) have a computer suddenly die on me, I knocked over my laptop & broke the screen. Fortunately, I had an external monitor and keyboard, plus I didn't really need to take it around with me every where I went. Besides, Apple computers never really had the long lines the iPhones do.
 
Sneakz

Sneakz

macrumors 65816
Jul 17, 2008
1,217
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

This is good news. Hopefully it will stop the resellers or at least slow them down.
 
H

hakuna-matata

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2011
260
2
It's amazing how nobody here seems to notice how's paying 2000$ for a phone (i know its iPhone, but still..come on) is just normal..this just shows what an iPhone can do:) if you don't have an iPhone, you don':cool:t have an iPhone..as simple as that!
 
J

jontech

macrumors 6502
Feb 26, 2010
447
204
Hawaii
Originally bought the 32 white version, then was at Apple Store yesterday and wife wanted one so I got the 64 and she got my 32

Had to grab a ticket and wait in line for someone to come in. Took 5 minutes

Now we are both loving Siri
 
J

JeffThePianist

macrumors newbie
Oct 17, 2011
1
0
Anyone in the US pre-ordered from AT&T? I am considering canceling my order, if possible, and reserve mine on Apple's site. I pre-ordered with AT&T on the 7th and the estimated ship time was 2-3 weeks, which is total BS!
 
K

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,024
7,867
kazmac said:
I'm glad Apple are doing the reserve system thing. 5th Avenue store could give no additional info other than check the site at 9:00. Didn't know if it is ET or PT.

If I can get the phone on my schedule and not during work hours then I might tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll wait until my 3Gs really drops dead. I've been such a poor judge of Apple stuff going bye-bye in the past year. And I'd prefer to wait until the next one comes out.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing it's at 9:00pm at the store where you want to pick it up. At the UWS location, the rep said that if you are successful in reserving one, you have until 6:00pm the next day to pick it up.

I'm guessing Apple's site will be overloaded right around 8:59:59 tonight, but I'll give it a shot. I would prefer a 32GB version. $849 is a bit much for a phone I'll likely replace when the redesigned model comes out.
 
lewys

lewys

macrumors 6502
Jun 18, 2010
307
0
London
according to my nearest apple store in cardiff they have only had one delivery and that was the thursday before release and nothing since and they don't think they will have any more deliveries until next week.

worth a try though
 
greatm31

greatm31

macrumors member
Oct 19, 2001
69
29
I'm gonna get one in the next week or so in SF. Question: does apple still give a 10% discount if you turn in an old iphone? Their website says you get the 10% for turning in an old ipod, but does it work for phones?
 
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