Apple Online Store Introduces Text Message Shipping Notifications

[MacRumors]

Apple has added a new feature to its online store, now offering a text message alert notification service to keep shoppers up-to-date on their orders. Apple will send users a text message once their order ships or is ready for pickup at a retail store. Texts are only send between 8AM and 9PM in the recipients' time zone.

Apple Notifications is a text-message-based alerts service designed to keep you up-to-date on your shipment and/or pickup notification status. In addition to standard email notifications, you can also request text message updates when you're in Checkout. The number of messages you'll receive will vary depending on the orders you placed.

As noted by The Next Web, Apple Notifications are only available in the US and Canada. Customers can choose to receive text messages notifications during the order process.

Article Link: Apple Online Store Introduces Text Message Shipping Notifications

 

[anzio]

Where was this last month when I couldn't stop hitting refresh on my Retina MacBook Pro order?

 

[Trhodezy]

About time! I loathed hitting that refresh button every 3 seconds. Nice one Fl

 

[autrefois]

This is great news, especially considering this tidbit in the original article:

It appears that if a customer already owns an iDevice, the text update will be displayed as an iMessage (given that the notification bubble in the above screenshot is blue).

Assuming this is true, the option for people using iMessage to get a free heads-up (and for others to get an SMS) is definitely a nice addition.

 

[l.w41sh]

Now I can be waiting for the text while I refresh FedEx's website! WooHoo!

Or they could add your Apple ID to your computer and you could use Find My Mac.

 

[Seamaster]

Not US and Canada only — I ordered a new Mac today from the UK Apple Store and was offered this option.

 

[doobybiggs]

a little slow on this one ... although I bet they say they came up with it first

 

[GenesisST]

Where was this last month when I couldn't stop hitting refresh on my Retina MacBook Pro order?

You would still have hit refresh, just in case the text message system is not completely in sync...

I know I would've!

 

[ChandraNM]

is this New?

I am in the U.K. & Received Text Message Notifications of Shipment for both my iPad2 & iPhone 4S, last Year…

 

[SBlue1]

Wow, thats cool!

 

[jlgolson]

This is great news, especially considering this tidbit in the original article:

Assuming this is true, the option for people using iMessage to get a free heads-up (and for others to get an SMS) is definitely a nice addition.

I'm 95% sure it's not true.

 

[rhett7660]

I actually like what Apple is doing with their retail stores and sales. I don't order a lot from them but this is a nice little option.

 

[autrefois]

I'm 95% sure it's not true.

Thank you for the follow-up on this. If it turns out that this may not the case, maybe you or someone else at MR can edit the OP to emphasize that this part of the source article is either unconfirmed or false. It would be too bad if that's the case that Apple won't utilize iMessage, I would think it'd be a very small cost and effort on their part to do this.

It would seem to me that Apple would usually be detail-oriented enough not to make the text bubble blue if it wasn't meant to indicate iMessage (reminds me of the story of Google's app icon in iOS), but no one can be perfect all the time of course.

 

[Porco]

I am in the U.K. & Received Text Message Notifications of Shipment for both my iPad2 & iPhone 4S, last Year…

Yeah, I'm in the UK and received two last year (June 2011) and one in March of this year on different orders, this isn't totally new. Altjough maybe the option to receive/not receive a text message is.

Other companies do this too of course. It's a great idea.