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All iPads iPad Air Launch Day Line?

dtrj787

dtrj787

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 23, 2013
323
184
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Alright, this will be my first iPad purchase EVER! I have taken time off of work to go the store in the morning on Launch Day. I understand getting there early, but how bad are the lines really for an iPad launch?

Also, do the stores generally open early for launches? The location I am going to is located in a mall. The exact location is the Kenwood Towne Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am going to call tomorrow to verify if they are or aren't just to make sure.
 
Look at some launch videos of iPad releases on YouTube to get an idea. It seems like they can get pretty rough. iPad 4 at an Apple Store in Seattle had a 200 person wrap around the building that extended a block and a half, for instance.. You'll experience more traffic at Apple Stores - most likely less at other retailers.. but any Apple store, you can expect, will receive the most merchandise (including variety as well).
 
I remember standing in line for my brother's iPad 3. There was about 50-75 people. There was plenty of stock and choices then, hopefully it will be the same this time around. If I can order online and pickup in store at Apple though, I'll be doing that instead.
 
The iPads lines aren't as crazy as the iPhones, but I just want to make sure I get one. I know there won't be any available for store pickup until like a week later like the iPhones.

Does anyone know about the quantities they get at the store for launch?

I'm wanting a 32gb Silver/White iPad Air. I hoping that since Space Gray is new more people will want that instead.
 
iPads are not as popular as iPhone; look at the lack of meet up threads for the iPad, when the 5S was launched there were loads more and much more activity in that section.
 
I hope its not too crazy, I'm on flight to Seattle that morning and wont land until 9:30am. Our plan is to go directly to the Apple Store from the airport. I'm guessing I'll be at the store no later than 11am.

I want a 32gb LTE Space Grey so I'm hopeful for plenty of stock.
 
An employee said that one cannot wait inside a mall on a line for an Apple store. You would have to wait outside until the mall employees open the doors for that day's business. Then a line inside the mall is made for iPad sales at their store.
 
The past couple of years I haven't heard about any crazy iPad lines honestly. I'm on the fence now about grabbing the new iPad.
 
I bought my iPad 2 in the store. Sales were set to start at 5pm? I showed up to Best Buy at 3:30 and was 10th in the line. When I got my iPad, the line was out the door and people seemed to start flooding in around 5pm. I'm not worried too much about getting a launch day ipad so I plan to order online. If not, I will probably have the same game plan, go to my local Best Buy a couple hours before they go on sale.

Also with China being a first round country, a lot of the scalping should be cut down.
 
TroyBoy30 said:
why would you not simply order online for in store pick up?
Click to expand...

Because you won't be able to do this initially as they won't want people turning up at the store on launch day to find all their stock has been already bought and reserved.

It looks like the only way to get one on day one will be to queue up at a store, which I'm planning on doing for the first time ever. Am in the UK and my local store is inside a "mall" as you Americans call it :)p) which doesn't usually open until 9.30am. Think I need to call the store to see what the arrangements are going to be.
 
jps1012 said:
How does that work? If you did it at 3am est on launch day when can you realistically pick it up in store?
Click to expand...

That has never worked in the past. For early iPhones you could set up an in-store "appointment" and one was reserved but that hasn't happened in years. I HIGHLY doubt you will be able to order with in-store pickup same day. It didn't start on the 5s until a week or two after launch.
 
robertpetry said:
That has never worked in the past. For early iPhones you could set up an in-store "appointment" and one was reserved but that hasn't happened in years. I HIGHLY doubt you will be able to order with in-store pickup same day. It didn't start on the 5s until a week or two after launch.
Click to expand...

I asked apple through the chat on apple.com. No help. I asked if at 3am est nov 1st if there will be an option to pick up in store. They wrote :

As far as the ordering specific question you will need to ask us on the day it is available, other than the date that it is out we would not have the pickup option information or things like that until then..
 
Vertigo1 said:
Because you won't be able to do this initially as they won't want people turning up at the store on launch day to find all their stock has been already bought and reserved.

It looks like the only way to get one on day one will be to queue up at a store, which I'm planning on doing for the first time ever. Am in the UK and my local store is inside a "mall" as you Americans call it :)p) which doesn't usually open until 9.30am. Think I need to call the store to see what the arrangements are going to be.
Click to expand...

ill just have mine shipped then. im not standing in line hoping to get one
 
TroyBoy30 said:
ill just have mine shipped then. im not standing in line hoping to get one
Click to expand...

Totally up to you of course, just saying that, if you want one on Nov 1st, the store is the only option.

Of course you may well not have to wait in line, supplies may well be plentiful that you can saunter in later in the day, when the queues have died down, and pick one up, especially if you're after one of the less popular derivatives.
 
Depending on the type of iPad you want (16,32,etc) you may be able to get it later on in the day. If you know you're getting a popular sized model then the earlier the better. I've personally never lined up at a release however I remember last year when the iPhone 5 came out the line was HUGE. However I was able to pickup the model I wanted later that day with no line.
 
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