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Best Stategy for Buying Come July 11th

B

beatledud

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 4, 2006
269
0
I have waited patiently for a year for the iphone 3g, and when it comes out July 11th, I want one as soon as possible. However, what will be the best way to get it with out dealing with crowds but also while securing the fact it won't be sold out? Spending 6 years of my teenage-young adult life at CompUSA prevented me from ever being first on the scene when a product came out, so I don't know what Apple will be like.

I live in Cincinnati, so I have one Apple store (located in Kenwood Mall) about 20 minutes north of me. I also have 2-4 ATT stores within a radius that is closer than Apple. Do I go to an ATT store instead of Apple? Is this smarter since ATT may be able to switch my current phone number from Tmobile to ATT quicker than an Apple rep may? Or will ATT have too many people per employee compared to Apple, or only a dozen iPhones compared to Apple's hundreds? Should I go Saturday or Sunday instead of the Friday that it comes out? Do I need to go to either store right when they open? I really don't want to "camp out" outside a mall in any way, not gonna happen. Will Apple or ATT actually sell out? These are all the questions running through my head as I anxiously await my new iPhone. Thanks for everyone's advice.
 
Best strategy?

1. Phone the shop to see if they have it.
2. Go to the shop.
3. Buy it.
 
I mean whats the purpose of the snide comment? I think personally if you are going to get it THAT day i would recommend ATT over the Apple store, Apple is always swamped regardless of product launch and this will only make it worse, just my recommendation I hope its helpful
 
I'm in the same predicament...I have waited a year since I didnt want the first gen phone and so now Im anxious to finally have the 3G since I have an increasing need for it due to work.

I have an AT&T store in the front of the towncenter I work in, however I'm still worried about lines since I live in a major, busy area and black fridays are always mad around here. Also, I *might* have a chance if they start selling in the morning as I can get in line before work, but if they dont start selling til 6pm, Im going to be SOL as I work til 7. I truly do not believe that they will have phones leftover after the first rush. Like I said, I live in an extremely busy area and people here are known to camp out days in advance just for black fridays!
I really want this phone! :eek:
 
When the first iPhone came out, were customers able to order it from AT&T's website on the first day, or was going to the store the only option?

Another question: Since you are apparently not allowed to leave the store without activating the phone, does that mean that you can't order it direct from Apple or buy it in an Apple Store? So AT&T (Rogers, in my case, since I'm in Canada) is really the only outlet?
 
Snide comments are inevitable...

I had a friend who worked in the Manhattan store when the first one came out. Now he said the store only ran out of stock for like an hour a few days after the release, however that is the flagship store and the total number of iphones each store is given and sold is kept hidden from employees.

Some added questions:
Anyone purchase their 2g iPhone from ATT?
Anyone purchase their 2g iPhone from Apple Kenwood in Cincinnati?
Do people think the supply to demand ratio will have more iphones than the original launch?

Also, is anyone else bothered by the fact that the second generation (2G) iPhone will be forever referred to as the 3G iPhone? Its just all gonna be confusing when we get 2-4 models down the road.
 
Apple is effectively cutting off the balck mkt supply leaking to other
countries. Foreign visitors, airline employees were buying up their limit
on every visit to resell. So no internet iphone sales.

Now they MUST be activated on premise at an Apple or AT&T store
with a 3 phone limit per family. You could cancel within 30 days and pay
a $200 penalty and have a phone to resell, but 3 is still the limit and FEW
will ever bother due to credit checks and personal responsibility on their
ATT account etc.

Have to give Apple credit. Smart solution. But the waits will make last year look SHORT.

Bet the old phones value have risen a lot too.
 
beatledud said:
Some added questions:
Anyone purchase their 2g iPhone from ATT?
Do people think the supply to demand ratio will have more iphones than the original launch?
Click to expand...

I bought mine at a A&TT store in the Chicago area suburbs. We have alot of Apple and A&TT stores around here but the line was still longer than the amount of phones on hand. I got there about 4 hours early and was lucky enough for me and my wife to get a 8gb model. Sadly the man in line behind had to get the 4gb model. I am hoping this time around they know the demand and have produced more phones for launch day. I can tell you that the Apple store on Michigan Ave. which is a flagship store had plenty of phones and did not run out until after 24 hours of release.
 
Just to make it clear-there will be no internet sales from Apple or At&t.

In store ONLY. At least for the foreseeable future.
 
skye12 said:
Apple is effectively cutting off the balck mkt supply leaking to other
countries. Foreign visitors, airline employees were buying up their limit
on every visit to resell. So no internet iphone sales.
Click to expand...

Arg. I was willing to order online and wait a few extra days to get it in my hands, but now it looks like I'll have to take a day off and line up along with the other schlubs. :eek: At least I can get the day without officially taking vacation (I can get it in lieu of making up the hours another time). My main concern is that if I wait until after launch day before going to the store, they won't be getting any restock for several weeks.

Off to look for the most obscure Rogers store in town that hardly anyone goes to...! ;)
 
skye12 said:
Just to make it clear-there will be no internet sales from Apple or At&t.

In store ONLY. At least for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...

While I don't know for sure I would guess AT&T will at least take phone orders. The purpose of in store is for activation purposes. AT&T can activate phones when they mail them to you.

Just depends on where Apple directs the first shipments and if there will be enough left over for other channels besides stores.
 
Id probably just go visit my flagship apple store in boston.

I wouldnt go to an att store even if i were paid.

I'd rather deny an att sales rep commision and wait in line and buy it at an apple store
 
yellow said:
Good lord. I remember interviews with such folks when the iPhone first came out. All I could think was, better to spend it on a professional-line-waiter-inner than on blow and hookers. :)
Click to expand...

If you live in MA those folks were probably me and my fellow businessmen! :apple:
 
i really dont think people are paying enough attention to the fact that it has to be activated in store.......... this means instead of it taking 30 sec to a minute to buy a phone its going to take around 5-10 minutes.... and even longer if their are problems transferring numbers and such (which their always are). last year it took about a hour or so to clear out lines at most stores, this year it looks like those lines could take ALL NIGHT if the demand equals last year
 
Weird thing is, O2 UK, at the moment have a different policy, which is...

Thanks for emailing us and showing your interest in our new 3G iPhone.

If you upgrade to the new 3G iPhone, you'll need to sign up to a new 18 month contract. However, you won't be charged any cancellation fee to upgrade to the new 3G iPhone. This upgrade offer is available from 11 July 2008 to 11 October 2008.

You can purchase a 3G iPhone online. We won't perform another credit check, as you will only be upgrading your current contract and not starting a new contract.

We're presently offering two iPhones depending upon their storage capacity:

The 8GB iPhone 3G is free with our £45 and £75 tariffs, and costs just £99.00 with our £35 and new £30 tariffs. The 16GB iPhone 3G is free on the £75 tariff, £59.00 to buy on the £45 tariff and £159.00 to buy on the £30 and £35 tariffs.

For more information on our new 3G iPhone, please click on the link given below:

http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/paymonthly

After you've purchased a new 3G iPhone, you can keep your existing mobile number and transfer it to your new iPhone contract.

You can activate your O2 iPhone using a PC/MAC via iTunes. You'll be prompted to transfer your existing mobile number to your new iPhone contract during the activation process.

For more information on this, please click on the link given below:

http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/activation

You can also register your interest on iPhone by visiting the link below:

http://www.o2update.com/

I hope you find all this information useful and many thanks for your keen interest in the new 3G iPhone.

Please visit our website using the link www.o2.co.uk/iphone for the most up to date information on iPhone.

I hope you'll find this information useful. If you want to know more about your account or our products and services, you can visit our website at:

http://www.o2.co.uk/

Important - When you email us please provide: your date of birth, postcode and mobile number as it helps us answer your query faster.

Kind regards,

Rajinder Singh
O2 Customer Service.
Click to expand...

Kinda different compared to AT&T
 
Diode said:
While I don't know for sure I would guess AT&T will at least take phone orders. The purpose of in store is for activation purposes. AT&T can activate phones when they mail them to you.

Just depends on where Apple directs the first shipments and if there will be enough left over for other channels besides stores.
Click to expand...

I will be very surprised if AT&T doesn't start selling online on or shortly after 7/11. As you say they are not going to let you order without a contract and data plan so their interests are totally protected. My last few phone upgrades have been online through AT&T and I thought it was much less painful than going into the store. Plus, free shipping. Unless they start taking pre-orders though, this won't help the folks who want them on the 11th.
 
I'm encountering several issues with this new policy to be in-store. First Maine only has 8 ATT stores, 7 or which are over 100 miles away from where I am. The closest one is about 60 miles away. We don't have an Apple store open in the entire State yet so driving is an issue.

I'll drive the 60 miles but last time around I was also responsible for buying and setting up not only my phone, but 5 others as I handle my employers mobile communications. Due to lack of corporate accounts with the 1st gen. I set up each user account as an individual one specific to that user and set up direct billing to an agency credit card. There is no way I'll be getting all 5 of those people to travel 60 plus miles for the upgrade.

The iTunes activation was SO easy and ground breaking, what a bummer it's gone.
 
For Mr. Maine, that certainly sucks. One must think that Apple or at least ATT will offer online orders at some point.

Anyway,I haven't received (with a couple of comments) any true suggestion on how to proceed to purchase an iphone 3G when it comes out.
 
BongoBanger said:
Best strategy?

1. Phone the shop to see if they have it.
2. Go to the shop.
3. Buy it.
Click to expand...


wtf?
wow that was useless.
thats any typical product, but the iphone wont be a typical product come july 11. it will be a hyped up product that people will wait hours upon hours for.


i suggest going to the AT&T store cuz they will probably have the phone AND its the service your going to use. i dont know if apple can activate them. i would go like 6 hours before, check to see if theres people, if not leave the come back in two hours, then if theres people, stay and wait. i doubt it will be easy.
 
1) Keep using first-gen phone at cheaper rate until iPhone has the storage your 5th-gen iPod you bought 3 years ago had
2) Hope for some sort of competition (from God knows where) to force AT&T to drop their prices somehow
3) Watch YouTube videos of people fighting over a phone. Laugh.
 
EMILinator said:
wtf?
wow that was useless.
Click to expand...

Really? What else are you going to do then?

thats any typical product, but the iphone wont be a typical product come july 11. it will be a hyped up product that people will wait hours upon hours for.
Click to expand...

So 'phone and ask them if they have any left. Since iPhone 1.0 didn't sell out in most places you should be safe.

i suggest going to the AT&T store cuz they will probably have the phone AND its the service your going to use. i dont know if apple can activate them. i would go like 6 hours before, check to see if theres people, if not leave the come back in two hours, then if theres people, stay and wait. i doubt it will be easy.
Click to expand...

Or you could phone ahead, see whose got the most units.

Jesus, it's not difficult and it'll stop you looking like an idiot when you queue for hours only for someone to walk in, wait five minutes and walk out with one.
 
buccsmf1 said:
i really dont think people are paying enough attention to the fact that it has to be activated in store.......... this means instead of it taking 30 sec to a minute to buy a phone its going to take around 5-10 minutes.... and even longer if their are problems transferring numbers and such (which their always are). last year it took about a hour or so to clear out lines at most stores, this year it looks like those lines could take ALL NIGHT if the demand equals last year
Click to expand...

With this instore activation requirement in mind; It makes me feel like there will be an AM start of sales. (8, 9, 10, 11 AM, you pick)

This way the length of time it takes for the instore activation process (contracts, credit, selection and payment) will force the supply to last longer throughout the day.
SJ aparantly wanted everyone to have a fair shot last year which is why he began sales at 6PM. (People would not have to take off from work)

A late morning or early afternoon release would accommodate this if the sales process jumps from an average of 1 minute to 10 minutes.
 
Ok here's my strategy for aquiring this new piece of godly technology:

First, I'm going to set of a small trash can fire about 50 yards away at the closest intersection.
If there's a line people will be distracted and of course be curious and go into look and take pics and blog about it.
Next while people outside are distracted ill set of a series of relayed phone calls to all the phones inside the apple store.
While they're distracted i'll shoot over a zip line from across the street on the 3rd floor zipline into the store silently and deadly like a ninja.
Take care to get rid of any evidence of my stealthy entry and then proceed to procure my new iPhone 3G.

BWHahahahahahaha...no one will suspect a thing...:cool::apple:
 
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