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Apple Confirms 8am Retail Launch of iPhone 3G
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I was hoping it was 06:00 PM because I'd have time to go to the Apple Store when I get out of work at 5:00. Now I run the risk of going to the store 10 hours after the phone has been on sale and find NO 16 Giggers in white 
Despite some mixed signals at their retail meeting last night, Apple has now updated their retail website at http://www.apple.com/retail, indicating that the iPhone 3G will be launched at 8 a.m. at Apple Retail stores on July 11th.
AT&T had previously announced an 8 a.m. launch time for the iPhone 3G launch, but we had not had official word from Apple. 8 a.m. is earlier than either of the retail shops typically open.
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I have a question. What makes you a business client? I get a discount on my monthly bill from AT&T because of where I work. I do have a FAN number associated with my account. I don't consider myself a business client, because where I work has thousands of employs. We have no apple stores in the state that I live in, so this question really would not matter. Except I will be in Las Vegas on friday and thought I would try to pick one up in the apple store. Thanks
i'm sorry if somone has already posted this but,
does the 8am opening apply to canadian stores too?
pce
does the 8am opening apply to canadian stores too?
pce
yeah. amen. any interest i had in upgrading to a 3g iphone evaporated with the new materials I don't like, and very finally with what seems like an egregious hassle to get the phone and get it on my plan. my wife and i have the same 8/4GB combo you and yours have, and that's working great. i mean, wasn't the whole idea of buying the phone at apple or att and then taking it home and activating it via itunes to cut the hassle of buying a new cell phone, choosing a plan and then activating it? now we get the usual hassle, EVEN IF you buy the 3g at an apple store.
I get they want to stop unlocking to use with unauthorized carriers. But THEY should get these measures will stop about no one from breaking the locks on the 3g, distributing the jailbreak/unlock over the internet, and away they go. Sure, now you have to eat a $150 first month cancellation fee, but the phone is only $200, making it cheaper at $350 with the cancel fee than an EDGE iPhone was AFTER the price drop. How is this a deterrent? A $50 PRICE CUT over buying a $400 EDGE iPhone, never activating it with att, or activating and then canceling within the now eliminated 30-day grace period. I think the jailbreaking and unlocking crowd will consider this a gift -- if they even bother to pay the final att bill with $150 cancellation fee on it.
I do think it's interesting that Jobs managed to do three of four impossible things: change the relationship music retailers have with the labels; change the relation home video retailers have with the studios and their distributors; get his animation studios name OVER TOP of Disney's logo on Pixar film promotions and in the opening titles (even before Disney bought Pixar); but not even Jobs -- who you got to admit is good at getting his way even when it actually benefits consumers as much as business -- could change the dynamic with the American cell carrier industry.
Waiting. . .
I had great luck last year, getting the 8GB the evening they went on sale at the local Apple Store (no wait at 10:45 PM, they were open until midnight) after playing with it for about 30 minutes. I was on the fence then, too, until I actually had it in my hands. American Express matched my $100 Apple price drop two months later, so I ended up paying $399. I was happy with the $20 AT&T unlimited monthly plan, including the 200 text messages (that's what sealed the deal). I thought my husband and the kids would each want them, on our family talk plan, but they didn't. Go figure.
But now, let's see, 3G (which could come in handy if some really neat apps show up) but I don't tend to use it that much outside of wireless areas now, GPS (the maps work pretty good right now all around the SFBay area) that I'm not sure how much more I'll use.
Mostly, those reasonable AT&T fees have gone up. I've got a $250 Apple Gift Card that I've been sitting on since Christmas, I think I'll be holding onto it a little longer.
Unless, of course, I get it in my hands and decide otherwise. . .
I had great luck last year, getting the 8GB the evening they went on sale at the local Apple Store (no wait at 10:45 PM, they were open until midnight) after playing with it for about 30 minutes. I was on the fence then, too, until I actually had it in my hands. American Express matched my $100 Apple price drop two months later, so I ended up paying $399. I was happy with the $20 AT&T unlimited monthly plan, including the 200 text messages (that's what sealed the deal). I thought my husband and the kids would each want them, on our family talk plan, but they didn't. Go figure.
But now, let's see, 3G (which could come in handy if some really neat apps show up) but I don't tend to use it that much outside of wireless areas now, GPS (the maps work pretty good right now all around the SFBay area) that I'm not sure how much more I'll use.
Mostly, those reasonable AT&T fees have gone up. I've got a $250 Apple Gift Card that I've been sitting on since Christmas, I think I'll be holding onto it a little longer.
Unless, of course, I get it in my hands and decide otherwise. . .
familytalk issues
"FamilyTalk plan buyers must purchase at least 2 iPhones, or have an existing iPhone to be used in the plan."
This line alarmed me, as well, so I called ATT customer care and inquired about it. I do not currently have any iPhone and will be replacing my Cingular 8525 with an iPhone 3G. What the business customer care representative explained to me is that when I purchase the new phone, it will inherit the voice plan from my 8525 and the data plan will be switched to the iPhone 3G plan (which will actually save me $4/month before the service discount!!) She said that there is no requirement that I purchase more than 1 iPhone to simply activate and use it on my existing FamilyTalk plan.
"FamilyTalk plan buyers must purchase at least 2 iPhones, or have an existing iPhone to be used in the plan."
This line alarmed me, as well, so I called ATT customer care and inquired about it. I do not currently have any iPhone and will be replacing my Cingular 8525 with an iPhone 3G. What the business customer care representative explained to me is that when I purchase the new phone, it will inherit the voice plan from my 8525 and the data plan will be switched to the iPhone 3G plan (which will actually save me $4/month before the service discount!!) She said that there is no requirement that I purchase more than 1 iPhone to simply activate and use it on my existing FamilyTalk plan.
I haven't read through the complete thread yet so maybe this has been answered. When I bought my original iPhone last year I was able to port my number over from Sprint. I am pretty sure the Apple employees will be able to do this time. The activation iTunes will have that built into it.
Thanks to everyone who clarified the statement regarding having 2 iPhones in NEW family talk plans only.
Now here is my next question. My family plan is in my dad's name. Am I allowed to upgrade my phone without him being present? Or can I just give them his last 4 digits of his social security # and do what I need to do?
Now here is my next question. My family plan is in my dad's name. Am I allowed to upgrade my phone without him being present? Or can I just give them his last 4 digits of his social security # and do what I need to do?
This is the most confusing product launch I have ever encountered. I have no idea if I go to the Apple store if I'll be able to buy a phone, and I'm reading the news as it's posted. What happens with all the people who just know it's being released on Friday and go to pick one up? I'm glad I'm not an Apple store employee who's going to have to deal with all the angry customers when told they have to visit AT&T. Nothing like being a second-class buyer, eh?
Now it looks like I'll probably have to go to an AT&T store (yuck), but since they only get a few iPhones each I'm not even going to bother. Maybe I'll try in a few weeks once they get this smoothed out.
I'm pretty disappointed in how poorly this has been handled by AT&T and Apple with all the different cases for pricing and stipulations on where you must buy that you're just magically supposed to know ahead of time.
Now it looks like I'll probably have to go to an AT&T store (yuck), but since they only get a few iPhones each I'm not even going to bother. Maybe I'll try in a few weeks once they get this smoothed out.
I'm pretty disappointed in how poorly this has been handled by AT&T and Apple with all the different cases for pricing and stipulations on where you must buy that you're just magically supposed to know ahead of time.
Im wondering the same exact thing, from what i hear, from the meeting on sunday at apple, it will be a sort of self serve process for current iphone owners, that will be herded to a section of imacs, asked to fill out a form in itunes and then sold a phone that is automatically activated by a dock placed next to every imac.
Worst case scenario, get an apple gift card for the amount plus the $18 plus tax so you never have to show ID for the purchase, and only need to enter the last 4 digits of your social when you select a plan for in store itunes activation, that way, no little zitted 18 year old can deny you the upgrade because you are not the account holder
Just What Ive Heard Thats Yet To Be Announced
Got the info from an apple store when i went to pick up my applecare ipod replacement for a genius
I hope there won't be too many campers. I like sleep so I'm planning on getting there around 7 to wait.
If you're an authorized user you can make changes without your dad. Our family plan is under my dad's name but i'm an authorized user. Just log in to your account online and go to profile info. scroll down and there's a box for authorized users where you can put your name in. You can only be authorized to make changes at At&T retail stores.
What happens when my iPhone's account is in my dads name? I am an authorized user to the account. Would my dad have to be present still to upgrade and activate the iPhone? From the article I gather as I am already an AT&T customer I only need my ID to buy and activate the iPhone?
In most things yes, but I am pretty sure that most AT&T workers are going to be more knowledgeable and more efficient and navigating the convoluted cell phone activation/contract process. AT&T doesn't make it easy and Apple Store employees will be doing activations for the first time on Friday, whereas AT&T employees activate phones and set up new contracts etc. every day.
That said I am still probably going to an Apple Store.
Much Ado About Nothing
Awwww this is sooo cute. Just look at all the responses from all the first-time iphone wannabe owners -- they can hardly contain themselves!!
I am so relieved to know that there aren't ANY current iPhone owners jumping on the bandwagon because as we all know this is much ado about nothing -- oh yeah except for the addition of GPS which is linked to a ridiculously outdated ( and non-updated) Google Maps application...and oh yeah except for the addition of a scientific calculator which is, well, just plain laughable.
What else is there? I mean really, what else is there that COULD HAVE BEEN but what has instead, yet again, been left out?!!!
I can almost guarantee current owners will be disappointed in the "feel" of this so-called new version. But what's even more potentially troubling is that we'll know almost instantly if the screen quality has been compromised even in the slightest way to comply with Apple's new round of cost-cutting measures.
They'll be able to fool the masses...all of the time...but they won't be able fool us hardcore boys...NONE OF THE TIME!!
Awwww this is sooo cute. Just look at all the responses from all the first-time iphone wannabe owners -- they can hardly contain themselves!!
I am so relieved to know that there aren't ANY current iPhone owners jumping on the bandwagon because as we all know this is much ado about nothing -- oh yeah except for the addition of GPS which is linked to a ridiculously outdated ( and non-updated) Google Maps application...and oh yeah except for the addition of a scientific calculator which is, well, just plain laughable.
What else is there? I mean really, what else is there that COULD HAVE BEEN but what has instead, yet again, been left out?!!!
I can almost guarantee current owners will be disappointed in the "feel" of this so-called new version. But what's even more potentially troubling is that we'll know almost instantly if the screen quality has been compromised even in the slightest way to comply with Apple's new round of cost-cutting measures.
They'll be able to fool the masses...all of the time...but they won't be able fool us hardcore boys...NONE OF THE TIME!!
I don't think he needs to be there. I've never had to bring in my dad just so I can make changes to the plan and/or get a new phone. All they (AT&T) ask me is the last 4 digits of his SS#. It shouldn't be any different for the iphone.
I looked through the comments and couldn't find one that answered my own question. So here it is: My wife currently has an individual plan with ATT. I want to get an iphone and sign it up onto her plan as a new family talk plan. I plan on using an Apple gift card for the iphone, so going to an ATT store is out of the question. Should I be able to do this with regards to the "must buy 2 iphones for new family talk" revelation?
My view is, the 2 things missing hardware wise, were 3g and gps, Apple added both, along with better battery life, improved audio.
Now to me, the iPhone has everything it needs and I want, with hardware.
combine those with the appstore and firmware updates really anything is possible with this new iPhone.
I'm very excited and will be waiting in line, with current gen iPhone in hand
Is this really lame or is it just me?
Could be that I am a miserable git (wife just said "yes" reading over my shoulder) but haven't we reached a tipping point.
When does a communities interest in a company's product(s) stop being an interesting point of information and help and become another cog in a marketing plan?
Please understand, I love this forum and its community but I am just real tired of seeing yet another iPhone snippet on pricing plans, store opening times or even now, the Point of Sale being used for merchandising OMG!
Have we gone a "little" over the top?
I will give MacRumors a break until July 12th I think as I can almost hear people close to bursting and I dont want to get caught in the gooey explosion
Just a thought
Could be that I am a miserable git (wife just said "yes" reading over my shoulder) but haven't we reached a tipping point.
When does a communities interest in a company's product(s) stop being an interesting point of information and help and become another cog in a marketing plan?
Please understand, I love this forum and its community but I am just real tired of seeing yet another iPhone snippet on pricing plans, store opening times or even now, the Point of Sale being used for merchandising OMG!
Have we gone a "little" over the top?
I will give MacRumors a break until July 12th I think as I can almost hear people close to bursting and I dont want to get caught in the gooey explosion
Just a thought
I have a question. What makes you a business client? I get a discount on my monthly bill from AT&T because of where I work. I do have a FAN number associated with my account. I don't consider myself a business client, because where I work has thousands of employs. We have no apple stores in the state that I live in, so this question really would not matter. Except I will be in Las Vegas on friday and thought I would try to pick one up in the apple store. Thanks
I have a similar discount due to my employer, so to avoid confusion I'm heading to an AT&T store for launch. They seem to be better equipped for corporate discounts, as they had the list of companies right there behind the counter when I went in for my advance credit check. What the register jockey didn't know, the store manager spouted what to do down to the keystrokes like it was an old hat. I don't think the manager at an Apple store will be that knowledgeable, regardless of how well trained the other employees are, so that's why I'm hitting up the AT&T store instead.