Not anymore, seems like. I remember the SIM-free SE version was available for pre-order the same time as carrier versions.
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How the heck do I get an SE?
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Would Apple Store employees tell you on the phone whether a particular model & capacity is in stock? For some people, showing up at 10am might not be practical.
I'm surprised that supply & quality issues persist, and it seems like Apple has screwed up this launch.
Totally understand "showing up" is not feasible for many. And yes, store employees will tell you what is in stock. Sometimes its at Noon (versus 10am) when they know stock. You can always check online daily at 10am and if its in stock, buy it and then go pick up.
I bought my sim free one on launch day from the online Apple Store so the SE was different this time.
You are welcome to be the cheerleader for fleabay. I can site all day and night the many scams that have been a part of this horrible place since 2004. That is the year major negative changes started occuring. You mention "scalpers." Yet shouldn't private sellers be allowed to list items for more than they normally retail for? Happens all the time when demand is high and supply is tight. We may complain and grumble about under our breath but if you want it bad enough you will pay anything to get it. Anything.
Is this the same as checking on the iOS app? Currently it says ships to store with a 2-3 week timeframe. But you're saying they may replenish stock daily and that time frame becomes 'today' potentially. Or do they just bump up the people who already purchased the phone and are waiting for the store shipment to arrive?
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They have no problem swapping out the phone because you don't like the chip? Or do you make up a random reason?
Yup I've got no problem with scalpers. Have actually bought items from them in the past and have saved money on occasions, I respect the fact that they are taking a monetary risk by investing in a product and betting that the stock will sell before price falls. I mentioned it there because I don't think OP would have appreciated the option, it seems to me that he prefers an official outlet and they are rather overpriced through scalpers currently. And like I said, the amount of buyer protection provided is a extremely rock solid now and I really haven't had any worse experience with eBay than I've ever had with Amazon.
DM me and maybe you can convince me otherwise (getting off topic here), but I haven't seen anything in many many years that leads me to believe that eBay is completely a scam. I've always gotten my items on time, accurately as described and usually at a great deal.
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A day right after I write this, I check an Apple Store and as luck would have it, they had one left! The SO gets a phone before her birthday after all!
Also cool this thread made front page.
Also cool this thread made front page.
So I looked online (maybe its same as app?) and specifically put "pick-up" as the option. Most stores may show zero inventory but you may get lucky. I know its a gamble but I dont know of any other quick options.
I went looking for it and found they quoted my post. I'm famous!
Just picked a sim free SE 64 today in LA. It now shows all out of stock. Guess I got the one they had in all of LA. I'm enjoying it. Feels super small compared to the 6. And apps load noticeably faster. Screen real estate is cramped but serviceable.
I ordered a 64gb space grey 2 days ago online. delivery in 3 weeks cuz all stores were out.
I just check - I've been checking every 2 hours the last 2 days - and they are available in my city now ordered and going to pick up!
I didn't really believe they did get new stock all the time but hey! (Vancouver BC Canada)
I just check - I've been checking every 2 hours the last 2 days - and they are available in my city now
ordered and going to pick up!I didn't really believe they did get new stock all the time but hey! (Vancouver BC Canada)
16GB SIM-free showing availability in stores near me. 64GB in short supply. Nearest is something like 80 miles away.
Really long story, but I figured I'd share for anyone interested in how buying certain carrier models works on other carriers, or anyone interested in free cellphone service.
I've been checking Apple's website almost daily for stock on the 64GB silver iPhone SE. I looked for every model except Sprint, because the Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and SIM-free models are all the same.
Ironically, I plan on using it on Sprint the majority of the time since I get free service with them, but the non-Sprint model works fine on Sprint; it just doesn't have band 41 so it can't use Sprint's LTE Plus (Spark) network for the fastest speeds possible. Sprint doesn't have LTE Plus in my area anyway, and the Sprint model is missing essential Verizon and AT&T bands. I have Verizon as my main line, so I would like the option to put my Verizon SIM in occasionally.
Anyway, yesterday I checked Apple's website and it showed "ships to store" for SIM-free and "unavailable for pickup" for all other models except AT&T at the second nearest Apple Store. It was just over an hour away, but it would be worth the drive if I could get it. I called the Apple Store to confirm they had it and they did. I explained I'm on Verizon but wanted to buy the AT&T model, and I wanted to buy it on the payment plan where I trade in my iPhone 5s and get the SE for $14.16/month. The person I spoke to said that wouldn't be a problem. Then I asked if they could hold one for me since it would take an hour to get there but I was heading out right then. He said he couldn't make that call but transferred me to someone who could. They told me no. ¬_¬ But she said they had plenty in stock and there should definitely still be some there when I got there.
So I headed out. An hour later I get to the store and someone immediately comes over to help me. I explained again how I'm on Verizon and wanted to buy the AT&T iPhone SE on a payment plan but I'm on Verizon. SHE TOLD ME I COULDN'T DO THAT! She said when you buy it on the payment plan, they have to activate it in store, and being an AT&T model, it has to activate on AT&T. I told her I called ahead to confirm I could, so she told me she'd get someone else to explain it to me because she must not be doing a good job. So the guy that comes over to explain it to me says Verizon is CDMA and AT&T is GSM. The phone is just not compatible because the AT&T model doesn't have the required hardware. I told him I can use my dad's AT&T iPhone 6s on Verizon, and he said that's because it's a different iPhone. The 6s can do it but the SE can't.
I pulled out my phone to check Apple's website. I was 99.99% sure all carriers were the same model. Only a tiny fraction of doubt now that an Apple employee is telling me otherwise. The first girl asked me if I wanted a minute to decide what I wanted to do and I said yes. After pulling up apple's LTE page, I see the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile iPhone SE's are all the same model. So I walked near him to talk to him again. He was busy with another customer, so another employee asked if I needed anything. I said I just wanted to talk to him. She said there were plenty of other employees who could help, and one walked over so I just decided to explain the situation to her.
Not trying to be ageist here, but the first girl and guy who both told me it couldn't be done looked like they were around 20. The lady who was helping me at this point looked like she was in her 60's. After explaining what just happened, she said "I don't know why he would have told you that. It's my understanding that the AT&T model would work fine on Verizon." So I've got some 20 year olds, who should be good with technology, telling me it can't be done, and a 60 year old woman telling me it can. And she was right.
It took about 30 minutes to get everything taken care of, but I walked out of the store with my brand new 64GB silver AT&T iPhone SE. SHE DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE BOX! I wish I could give this woman all kinds of praises. I wish I got her name because I would definitely call Apple and let them know what a great employee she is.
So I got out to my car, opened the box, activated the new phone on the AT&T SIM that came with it, then switched my Verizon SIM over and everything worked great. I got home and restored to from an iCloud backup. Then, I checked RingPlus' website around 9pm and found they just started a promotion for the next two hours for 3000 minutes, 2750 texts, and 2750MB of data for free every month. They use Sprint, so not the best, but free service is free service. I had to cancel my old line which was tied to the iPhone 5s I traded in, so I lost the $10 I loaded on the account, but it was worth it for 2.69GB of free data every month.
So now I have a Galaxy S7 Edge with Verizon and unlimited data, and a backup iPhone SE with 2.69GB of free data every month. There's a $25 top-up fee, so I did have to pay that to get the free data, but as long as I don't go over 2.69GB in any given month, that $25 is never touched and I get 2.69GB free every month. (Plus 3000 minutes and 2750 texts, but I'll never use that.)
I've been checking Apple's website almost daily for stock on the 64GB silver iPhone SE. I looked for every model except Sprint, because the Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and SIM-free models are all the same.
Ironically, I plan on using it on Sprint the majority of the time since I get free service with them, but the non-Sprint model works fine on Sprint; it just doesn't have band 41 so it can't use Sprint's LTE Plus (Spark) network for the fastest speeds possible. Sprint doesn't have LTE Plus in my area anyway, and the Sprint model is missing essential Verizon and AT&T bands. I have Verizon as my main line, so I would like the option to put my Verizon SIM in occasionally.
Anyway, yesterday I checked Apple's website and it showed "ships to store" for SIM-free and "unavailable for pickup" for all other models except AT&T at the second nearest Apple Store. It was just over an hour away, but it would be worth the drive if I could get it. I called the Apple Store to confirm they had it and they did. I explained I'm on Verizon but wanted to buy the AT&T model, and I wanted to buy it on the payment plan where I trade in my iPhone 5s and get the SE for $14.16/month. The person I spoke to said that wouldn't be a problem. Then I asked if they could hold one for me since it would take an hour to get there but I was heading out right then. He said he couldn't make that call but transferred me to someone who could. They told me no. ¬_¬ But she said they had plenty in stock and there should definitely still be some there when I got there.
So I headed out. An hour later I get to the store and someone immediately comes over to help me. I explained again how I'm on Verizon and wanted to buy the AT&T iPhone SE on a payment plan but I'm on Verizon. SHE TOLD ME I COULDN'T DO THAT!
She said when you buy it on the payment plan, they have to activate it in store, and being an AT&T model, it has to activate on AT&T. I told her I called ahead to confirm I could, so she told me she'd get someone else to explain it to me because she must not be doing a good job. So the guy that comes over to explain it to me says Verizon is CDMA and AT&T is GSM. The phone is just not compatible because the AT&T model doesn't have the required hardware. I told him I can use my dad's AT&T iPhone 6s on Verizon, and he said that's because it's a different iPhone. The 6s can do it but the SE can't.I pulled out my phone to check Apple's website. I was 99.99% sure all carriers were the same model. Only a tiny fraction of doubt now that an Apple employee is telling me otherwise. The first girl asked me if I wanted a minute to decide what I wanted to do and I said yes. After pulling up apple's LTE page, I see the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile iPhone SE's are all the same model. So I walked near him to talk to him again. He was busy with another customer, so another employee asked if I needed anything. I said I just wanted to talk to him. She said there were plenty of other employees who could help, and one walked over so I just decided to explain the situation to her.
Not trying to be ageist here, but the first girl and guy who both told me it couldn't be done looked like they were around 20. The lady who was helping me at this point looked like she was in her 60's. After explaining what just happened, she said "I don't know why he would have told you that. It's my understanding that the AT&T model would work fine on Verizon." So I've got some 20 year olds, who should be good with technology, telling me it can't be done, and a 60 year old woman telling me it can. And she was right.
It took about 30 minutes to get everything taken care of, but I walked out of the store with my brand new 64GB silver AT&T iPhone SE. SHE DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE BOX! I wish I could give this woman all kinds of praises. I wish I got her name because I would definitely call Apple and let them know what a great employee she is.
So I got out to my car, opened the box, activated the new phone on the AT&T SIM that came with it, then switched my Verizon SIM over and everything worked great. I got home and restored to from an iCloud backup. Then, I checked RingPlus' website around 9pm and found they just started a promotion for the next two hours for 3000 minutes, 2750 texts, and 2750MB of data for free every month. They use Sprint, so not the best, but free service is free service. I had to cancel my old line which was tied to the iPhone 5s I traded in, so I lost the $10 I loaded on the account, but it was worth it for 2.69GB of free data every month.
So now I have a Galaxy S7 Edge with Verizon and unlimited data, and a backup iPhone SE with 2.69GB of free data every month. There's a $25 top-up fee, so I did have to pay that to get the free data, but as long as I don't go over 2.69GB in any given month, that $25 is never touched and I get 2.69GB free every month. (Plus 3000 minutes and 2750 texts, but I'll never use that.)
Really long story, but I figured I'd share for anyone interested in how buying certain carrier models works on other carriers, or anyone interested in free cellphone service.
I've been checking Apple's website almost daily for stock on the 64GB silver iPhone SE. I looked for every model except Sprint, because the Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and SIM-free models are all the same.
Ironically, I plan on using it on Sprint the majority of the time since I get free service with them, but the non-Sprint model works fine on Sprint; it just doesn't have band 41 so it can't use Sprint's LTE Plus (Spark) network for the fastest speeds possible. Sprint doesn't have LTE Plus in my area anyway, and the Sprint model is missing essential Verizon and AT&T bands. I have Verizon as my main line, so I would like the option to put my Verizon SIM in occasionally.
Anyway, yesterday I checked Apple's website and it showed "ships to store" for SIM-free and "unavailable for pickup" for all other models except AT&T at the second nearest Apple Store. It was just over an hour away, but it would be worth the drive if I could get it. I called the Apple Store to confirm they had it and they did. I explained I'm on Verizon but wanted to buy the AT&T model, and I wanted to buy it on the payment plan where I trade in my iPhone 5s and get the SE for $14.16/month. The person I spoke to said that wouldn't be a problem. Then I asked if they could hold one for me since it would take an hour to get there but I was heading out right then. He said he couldn't make that call but transferred me to someone who could. They told me no. ¬_¬ But she said they had plenty in stock and there should definitely still be some there when I got there.
So I headed out. An hour later I get to the store and someone immediately comes over to help me. I explained again how I'm on Verizon and wanted to buy the AT&T iPhone SE on a payment plan but I'm on Verizon. SHE TOLD ME I COULDN'T DO THAT!
I pulled out my phone to check Apple's website. I was 99.99% sure all carriers were the same model. Only a tiny fraction of doubt now that an Apple employee is telling me otherwise. The first girl asked me if I wanted a minute to decide what I wanted to do and I said yes. After pulling up apple's LTE page, I see the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile iPhone SE's are all the same model. So I walked near him to talk to him again. He was busy with another customer, so another employee asked if I needed anything. I said I just wanted to talk to him. She said there were plenty of other employees who could help, and one walked over so I just decided to explain the situation to her.
Not trying to be ageist here, but the first girl and guy who both told me it couldn't be done looked like they were around 20. The lady who was helping me at this point looked like she was in her 60's. After explaining what just happened, she said "I don't know why he would have told you that. It's my understanding that the AT&T model would work fine on Verizon." So I've got some 20 year olds, who should be good with technology, telling me it can't be done, and a 60 year old woman telling me it can. And she was right.
It took about 30 minutes to get everything taken care of, but I walked out of the store with my brand new 64GB silver AT&T iPhone SE. SHE DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE BOX! I wish I could give this woman all kinds of praises. I wish I got her name because I would definitely call Apple and let them know what a great employee she is.
So I got out to my car, opened the box, activated the new phone on the AT&T SIM that came with it, then switched my Verizon SIM over and everything worked great. I got home and restored to from an iCloud backup. Then, I checked RingPlus' website around 9pm and found they just started a promotion for the next two hours for 3000 minutes, 2750 texts, and 2750MB of data for free every month. They use Sprint, so not the best, but free service is free service. I had to cancel my old line which was tied to the iPhone 5s I traded in, so I lost the $10 I loaded on the account, but it was worth it for 2.69GB of free data every month.
So now I have a Galaxy S7 Edge with Verizon and unlimited data, and a backup iPhone SE with 2.69GB of free data every month. There's a $25 top-up fee, so I did have to pay that to get the free data, but as long as I don't go over 2.69GB in any given month, that $25 is never touched and I get 2.69GB free every month. (Plus 3000 minutes and 2750 texts, but I'll never use that.)
Awesome for you and glad you got help from a "knowledgeable" employee who understood the crappy contract system we have with carriers.
Wow that was exhausting, huh? Lucky for you it worked out for many others not so easy.Really long story, but I figured I'd share for anyone interested in how buying certain carrier models works on other carriers, or anyone interested in free cellphone service.
I've been checking Apple's website almost daily for stock on the 64GB silver iPhone SE. I looked for every model except Sprint, because the Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and SIM-free models are all the same.
Ironically, I plan on using it on Sprint the majority of the time since I get free service with them, but the non-Sprint model works fine on Sprint; it just doesn't have band 41 so it can't use Sprint's LTE Plus (Spark) network for the fastest speeds possible. Sprint doesn't have LTE Plus in my area anyway, and the Sprint model is missing essential Verizon and AT&T bands. I have Verizon as my main line, so I would like the option to put my Verizon SIM in occasionally.
Anyway, yesterday I checked Apple's website and it showed "ships to store" for SIM-free and "unavailable for pickup" for all other models except AT&T at the second nearest Apple Store. It was just over an hour away, but it would be worth the drive if I could get it. I called the Apple Store to confirm they had it and they did. I explained I'm on Verizon but wanted to buy the AT&T model, and I wanted to buy it on the payment plan where I trade in my iPhone 5s and get the SE for $14.16/month. The person I spoke to said that wouldn't be a problem. Then I asked if they could hold one for me since it would take an hour to get there but I was heading out right then. He said he couldn't make that call but transferred me to someone who could. They told me no. ¬_¬ But she said they had plenty in stock and there should definitely still be some there when I got there.
So I headed out. An hour later I get to the store and someone immediately comes over to help me. I explained again how I'm on Verizon and wanted to buy the AT&T iPhone SE on a payment plan but I'm on Verizon. SHE TOLD ME I COULDN'T DO THAT!
I pulled out my phone to check Apple's website. I was 99.99% sure all carriers were the same model. Only a tiny fraction of doubt now that an Apple employee is telling me otherwise. The first girl asked me if I wanted a minute to decide what I wanted to do and I said yes. After pulling up apple's LTE page, I see the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile iPhone SE's are all the same model. So I walked near him to talk to him again. He was busy with another customer, so another employee asked if I needed anything. I said I just wanted to talk to him. She said there were plenty of other employees who could help, and one walked over so I just decided to explain the situation to her.
Not trying to be ageist here, but the first girl and guy who both told me it couldn't be done looked like they were around 20. The lady who was helping me at this point looked like she was in her 60's. After explaining what just happened, she said "I don't know why he would have told you that. It's my understanding that the AT&T model would work fine on Verizon." So I've got some 20 year olds, who should be good with technology, telling me it can't be done, and a 60 year old woman telling me it can. And she was right.
It took about 30 minutes to get everything taken care of, but I walked out of the store with my brand new 64GB silver AT&T iPhone SE. SHE DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE BOX! I wish I could give this woman all kinds of praises. I wish I got her name because I would definitely call Apple and let them know what a great employee she is.
So I got out to my car, opened the box, activated the new phone on the AT&T SIM that came with it, then switched my Verizon SIM over and everything worked great. I got home and restored to from an iCloud backup. Then, I checked RingPlus' website around 9pm and found they just started a promotion for the next two hours for 3000 minutes, 2750 texts, and 2750MB of data for free every month. They use Sprint, so not the best, but free service is free service. I had to cancel my old line which was tied to the iPhone 5s I traded in, so I lost the $10 I loaded on the account, but it was worth it for 2.69GB of free data every month.
So now I have a Galaxy S7 Edge with Verizon and unlimited data, and a backup iPhone SE with 2.69GB of free data every month. There's a $25 top-up fee, so I did have to pay that to get the free data, but as long as I don't go over 2.69GB in any given month, that $25 is never touched and I get 2.69GB free every month. (Plus 3000 minutes and 2750 texts, but I'll never use that.)
^ lol for $950 CDN, I'll express overnight you for my 3 day old 64gb gold SE. charger + earphones still in box.
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Why would they have a problem swapping it? Their 14-day return is unconditional; the reason is immaterial.