AT&T Temporarily Suspends New iPhone Pre-Orders

[DocNYz]

I just reserved mine for in-store pickup at Best Buy!!! If you live in or near a non-metropolis, I'd call ahead ASAP either BB or Radioshack because a lot of them are fulfilling pre-orders still, and Radioshack is also doing the trade-in if you don't feel like selling your current one on eBay. I knew this would happen with shipping which is why I only do in-store pickup for things I actually want to receive on time; also if it's completely sold out in your area apple said they will still have units if you want to camp out (on a friday night ...)

 

[NyArtboy]

AT&T servers crashed under the load of people trying to preorder. Come Thursday morning when everyone tries to activate their device it could crash again.

While I agree the system overload problem is worrisome, I don't think its a smoking gun. Yes the phone has to query the system again in order to activate but hopefully it wont be all at once like it was for pre-order. Don't the majority of the people have to wait in line to get theirs? But then again I wouldn't be surprised of they did implode again.

 

[NyArtboy]

Usually Apple allows you to pre-sign for your shipment. You wait until it ships, then check your order status on Apple's website and printout a form that you sign and hang on your door. Depending on shipping method, you can either instruct them to leave it someplace, or have them leave it with a neighbor who must sign for it.

Are you MAD?!? Leave your iPhone just 'some place' or in the hands of a Neighbor to sign for it?!?!? What are you thinking MAN!

 

[bitslap47]

While I agree the system overload problem is worrisome, I don't think its a smoking gun. Yes the phone has to query the system again in order to activate but hopefully it wont be all at once like it was for pre-order. Don't the majority of the people have to wait in line to get theirs? But then again I wouldn't be surprised of they did implode again.

Every launch day there have been activation server failures (on ATTs end.) I expect this to be the same.

Failures so far this year by ATT pertaining to server software and/or scalability:

1) Being directed to other peoples FaceBook pages when logging in via smartphones. Blamed on "misdirected" cookies.

2) iPad email security issue.

3) Crashes during pre-order.

4) Pre-orders going to wrong addresses.

5) People pre-ordering seeing others' info, partial CC #s, addresses and names.

1, 4 and 5 seem related... and ATT has said they can't reproduce 4 and 5 despite numerous instances of proof.

I am pretty confident they have NOT resolved their server issues that have caused problems the past few years on launch dates during activation.

 

[Tedsallis]

Does anyone know what the pre-order numbers were on the 3GS?

Although official numbers have never been published by AT&T, the general consensus is that 270,000 first generation iPhones were sold in the opening weekend so AT&T's latest comments suggest at least 500,000 iPhone 3G units have been sold in the US by AT&T.

And from Macusers

Apple managed to sell 1 million of the iPhone 3Gs during its launch weekend last year.

So 600,000 doesn't look so good. Pretty sure they could have presold more if the systems had worked.

 

[fronheiser]

I went to the AT&T store about noon yesterday. It took almost an hour in there. One order went through and the other they had to take by pen and paper.

One phone is going to come on the 25th, the other? Who knows. It's "backordered" as the AT&T employee who took my order responded to an email this morning letting me know that they were at the store until midnight last night hand entering orders so they would all be in the system on the 15th. He thinks that if we don't get both phones on the 25th, the other will come in a few days later.

No big deal, really, as long as *mine* (the one done via computer) comes in as I'm leaving on a business trip that Sunday.

Going to the AT&T store was probably the smartest move I could've made yesterday, although in retrospect I should have arrived when the doors opened.

 

[Rootus]

I've decided this time around to just stroll into the Apple Store a week later and pick up my new iPhone 4 without dealing with the insanity.

I tried that with the iPad. Just finally got one yesterday . And even then, I got it because I gave up and reserved it at the Apple Store, then waited for them to email me that it was available. I'd guess that iPhone 4 will be at least as bad, maybe worse -- it might not be possible to walk in off the street and get one for several months after launch, if the upgrade hysteria persists...

I bought my 1st gen phone way, way after the initial launch, and got it at the Apple Store. I got my 3GS on launch day by having it delivered FedEx -- this is by far the best way to get it IMO. And my iPhone 4 is arriving the same way. Standing in lines isn't my idea of fun...

 

[cvaldes]

In most cases, AT&T is handling the backbone networks for the above mentioned examples. Give em a break. We see this all the time, ala, xBOX, Wii, PS3, etc.....

I am going to say...........10,000,000 iphones sold on launch day

You were only off by a factor of sixteen.

https://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/1...t-ever-first-day-iphone-pre-orders-of-600000/

 

[AtlasBoy]

I did a pre-order at at&t.com earlier in the day but never got a confirmation email, so at 4:30 (PDT) I went to apple.com and it let me pre-oder from them and I received the confirmation email from apple for delivery on the 24th. Today I can see the at&t has the order in their system that I placed and says it is "in progress" and order date of 6-16, I can also see it in apple's order status, so how does this work? Will I get two phones at the subsidized price for the same line or is one of them going to cancel the order.

I would guess that with all the problems, once AT$T & Apple have reconciled their respective orders, they will run a script across all orders (both companies) to see what phone numbers have more than one order against them. They stand to loose too much $$$ just to let these extra orders go at the reduced price. Once they do this, they will cancel "extra" orders as appropriate. There have been reports today that some people are getting emails form AT$T stating they have more then one phone ordered per line and therefore one was canceled. They have several days to figure this out before things start to ship. The good news is that once this happens, maybe some of the pre-orders that are scheduled to ship after the 24th, will be moved up.

PS - this is just my opinion based on my business / IT experience. I have no inside knowledge of this.

 

[AtlasBoy]

Although official numbers have never been published by AT&T, the general consensus is that 270,000 first generation iPhones were sold in the opening weekend so AT&T's latest comments suggest at least 500,000 iPhone 3G units have been sold in the US by AT&T.

And from Macusers

Apple managed to sell 1 million of the iPhone 3Gs during its launch weekend last year.

So 600,000 doesn't look so good. Pretty sure they could have presold more if the systems had worked.

I think 600K is all they had for pre-order and they sold them all. The rest are allocated to the carriers / stores (worldwide) for purchase on launch day. The 600K pre-order number is what was actually purchased with a card on-line, not what will be sold on the 24th. I'm willing to bet that 1.5M will be sold over launch weekend worldwide. If the system had worked, they would have sold out earlier in the day but sold out none the less.

 

[tkmcguire1]

I did a pre-order at at&t.com earlier in the day but never got a confirmation email, so at 4:30 (PDT) I went to apple.com and it let me pre-oder from them and I received the confirmation email from apple for delivery on the 24th. Today I can see the at&t has the order in their system that I placed and says it is "in progress" and order date of 6-16, I can also see it in apple's order status, so how does this work? Will I get two phones at the subsidized price for the same line or is one of them going to cancel the order.

I had the same problem,on 12am on the 15th when the pre-orders started i started trying to order,i kept trying over and over on Apple....nothing,finally at 4:58am central time ATT's site came back up after being down for maintenance so i ordered and it went through,i got an order # but never received an email confirmation or a cc charge so i was concerned it didn't go through so i spent most of the day on and off the ph with ATT,they could find no record of my order one rep said it probably went through while 3 others said it probabbly didn't so me be concerned it didn't go through decided to try Apple 1 more time at around 9:30pm c time,7:30 p time i got an order to go through and got a confirmation email about 5 hrs later for a delivery date of the 24th.Then what do you know? the next morning i get an email from ATT saying my order couldn't be verified because cc charge wouldn't go through could i please call with updated payment info so they could process my order,my cc company blocked it as they saw 2 different charges coming in for the same amount and thought it might be fraudulent,so i called ATT and told them to cancel the order that i had already ordered another through Apple as they told me my order probably hadn't gone through.Believe me the last few days have been exhausting,first being up from 12am to 6am on the 15th then on and off the ph all day most the time on hold trying to find out about my order,then trying to get through yesterday,4 or 5 times i waited on hold for 20 to 30min only to have someone come on and tell me to call back later because of high call volume finally i got through around 9pm so i was ably to cancel the ATT order,talk about a long 2 days but at least i got my Apple order and i'll have it on the 24th! If i were you i'd cancel the ATT order,if they both try to run through they might both cancel the orders and then you' be without an order at all,better to be safe then sorry

 

[tigres]

I had the same problem,on 12am on the 15th when the pre-orders started i started trying to order,i kept trying over and over on Apple....nothing,finally at 4:58am central time ATT's site came back up after being down for maintenance so i ordered and it went through,i got an order # but never received an email confirmation or a cc charge so i was concerned it didn't go through so i spent most of the day on and off the ph with ATT,they could find no record of my order one rep said it probably went through while 3 others said it probabbly didn't so me be concerned it didn't go through decided to try Apple 1 more time at around 9:30pm c time,7:30 p time i got an order to go through and got a confirmation email about 5 hrs later for a delivery date of the 24th.Then what do you know? the next morning i get an email from ATT saying my order couldn't be verified because cc charge wouldn't go through could i please call with updated payment info so they could process my order,my cc company blocked it as they saw 2 different charges coming in for the same amount and thought it might be fraudulent,so i called ATT and told them to cancel the order that i had already ordered another through Apple as they told me my order probably hadn't gone through.Believe me the last few days have been exhausting,first being up from 12am to 6am on the 15th then on and off the ph all day most the time on hold trying to find out about my order,then trying to get through yesterday,4 or 5 times i waited on hold for 20 to 30min only to have someone come on and tell me to call back later because of high call volume finally i got through around 9pm so i was ably to cancel the ATT order,talk about a long 2 days but at least i got my Apple order and i'll have it on the 24th! If i were you i'd cancel the ATT order,if they both try to run through they might both cancel the orders and then you' be without an order at all,better to be safe then sorry

I hereby deem this the longest sentence ever posted on MR.

Do I have a second?

 

[twoodcc]

well i pre-ordered mine on day 1 from at&t. i better get mine in the mail on 24 June