Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

mrgreen4242

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 10, 2004
4,377
9
What has everyone's experience been with in-store availability of the 4S? Online there's a 1-3 week backorder, but are ATT stores getting new stock regularly?
 
What has everyone's experience been with in-store availability of the 4S? Online there's a 1-3 week backorder, but are ATT stores getting new stock regularly?

I would guess it is regional and carrier dependent, but my sense is that there isn't much in store stock to be had. There are some people who preordered from ATT on 10/07 and still have not received their phone. I think they are juggling fulfilliing the preorders now. You can also try some less mainstream vendors like best buy, target, or radio shack and see what they have. You may get lucky.

If you are looking for in store purchase, reserving thru apple is probably your best bet. Given my experience preordering from ATT, if you order online I would go thru apple as well.

Good luck.
 
What has everyone's experience been with in-store availability of the 4S? Online there's a 1-3 week backorder, but are ATT stores getting new stock regularly?

Apple stores probably still get new ones each day. that's how i got my 16gb att a week earlier then a friend that preordered. Show up early and good luck.
 
Apple stores probably still get new ones each day. that's how i got my 16gb att a week earlier then a friend that preordered. Show up early and good luck.

Don't bother showing up early. Apple has implemented a great process this year. Every night at 9PM local time they update the website with the inventory that your local store will have available the next day. you can then reserve the model you want and you have until 6pm the following day to come by and pick it up. I did it and it is much better then trying to get there early and hoping they have what you want. If you do not reserve, I would go to the store around 5pm to nab up the ones that people who reserved did not pick up at 6.
 
Don't bother showing up early. Apple has implemented a great process this year. Every night at 9PM local time they update the website with the inventory that your local store will have available the next day. you can then reserve the model you want and you have until 6pm the following day to come by and pick it up. I did it and it is much better then trying to get there early and hoping they have what you want. If you do not reserve, I would go to the store around 5pm to nab up the ones that people who reserved did not pick up at 6.

Mods, please delete this post; I don't want the competition! :D:D:D
 
I can tell you for a fact that all AT&T stores in my region (Southern California) are sold out of 4S's. Absolutely none available anywhere. They say that they get shipments of new phones/accessories, and there's a possibility that there might be 4S's inside, but that's all on luck. It seems that Apple is reserving AT&T 4S's for either online orders, or through Apple Stores.
 
Target. I called Best Buy, two corporate cellular stores, and Sams club, none of them had ANY iPhones. I walked in to Target, and Bam!!! They had over 16 AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4s'.

The whole process was fast too.
 
If the iPhone model is unavailable for reserve, does that mean the store doesn't have any and that they are all reserved? Or do they keep some extra stock for walk ins?

I pretty much got screwed while attempting to reserve. My cart got emptied and when I tried to put the iPhone back in, they were sold out/unavailable.
 
If the iPhone model is unavailable for reserve, does that mean the store doesn't have any and that they are all reserved? Or do they keep some extra stock for walk ins?

I pretty much got screwed while attempting to reserve. My cart got emptied and when I tried to put the iPhone back in, they were sold out/unavailable.



I believe the release any that weren't picked up at a certain time. You'd have to call them and find out what time that is on a Sunday.
 
I believe the release any that weren't picked up at a certain time. You'd have to call them and find out what time that is on a Sunday.

The iPhones became unavailable minutes after 9pm so I assume they're in demand but when I called this morning, the woman said there were iPhones available but that they were selling fast.

So iPhones are being reserved instantly at 9pm but there were iPhones available in the morning so all I can take from that is that there are iPhones that aren't allowed to be reserved or there shipments come in/are opening in the morning. I'm trying to buy one tomorrow morning but missed out on the reserve so we'll see how it goes.
 
The iPhones became unavailable minutes after 9pm so I assume they're in demand but when I called this morning, the woman said there were iPhones available but that they were selling fast.

So iPhones are being reserved instantly at 9pm but there were iPhones available in the morning so all I can take from that is that there are iPhones that aren't allowed to be reserved or there shipments come in/are opening in the morning. I'm trying to buy one tomorrow morning but missed out on the reserve so we'll see how it goes.


Good to know. Every apple store around me said they never have any for walk in, all done by reserve online. One told me they did, but couldn't tell me which carriers. Store is about 45min away, so driving there to find out all they had was sprint was a no go.
 
I stopped into AT&T to buy a brand x phone yesterday and they have iPhone 4S models in stock.
Wow, thats surprising. I live in a large city and all the AT&T stores around here are sold out. Well, you could have Verizon or Sprint. A few of those stores still have some 4S, especially the Sprint ones.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.