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If Apple knew there were going to be supply constraints, why didn't they just launch to less countries to begin with instead of shipping 3 phones to each country?!
 
Just got this mail from O2 in the UK which says..

"Everyone loves a new iPhone, so demand always outweighs supply. Because of this, you can order your iPhone 5s in store on launch day and collect it at a later date – you won’t be able to take one home straight away."

Looks like little or no stock for most shops here too.

Apple is probably waiting to see how many of us [are stupid and broke enough to] buy the 5C, so that they know how many 5S's to make and or give priority to. ;)

The staggered release dates are no coincidence....
 
And exactly WHY do you all you people have to have the 5s tomorrow?

I'm going to be the one laughing my _ _ _ tomorrow when there are build defects and or quality control issues with the first batch. Haha
 
So ... based on shortages, would it be better to order online at the carrier website or the Apple website? Does it make a difference in shipping times?

Nope. Once the wait times slip, the slip or everyone, but your delivery time is easier to track with Apple on-line deliveries.
 
I think the priority is always on the U.S. for Apple's launch day. We will have millions more than other countries. For me, I'll try to walk to an AT&T store on Saturday...

I got lucky last year and walked into the Grand Central store on Saturday of launch weekend about 5 minutes before they got a shipment. They had a separate area for a line with no one in it since it had been a few hours since they last had phones.

I'm just going to attempt to order one at 12:01am PDT. If it takes 2-3 weeks, fine with me.
 
My contract runs out on 10/7 and I'm switching carriers, so my plan is to order tomorrow and maybe it'll show up just in time to port my number to my new provider. :)

If it comes before then, I have to admire it sitting in the box... Sprint will charge $100 if you leave your contract 10 minutes before it expires.
 
Wait, so let me get this straight -

There will be phones at the Apple stores in the US tomorrow morning correct?
Obviously limited amounts - but the people in line will get one until they run out.
 
Wait, so let me get this straight -

There will be phones at the Apple stores in the US tomorrow morning correct?
Obviously limited amounts - but the people in line will get one until they run out.

I could see them being like "Well we only had a few of the 5S, but we know you stood in line for 12 hours, so would you like this pink 5C today instead of leaving with nothing?"
 
No that is ridiculous. Apple wants to sell as many as possible and would do pre-orders if they could. It does not help them financially or reputation wise to not sell as many as they possibly can.

I'm guessing they wanted to give the 5C a week's headstart on the 5s.
 
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And exactly WHY do you all you people have to have the 5s tomorrow?

I'm going to be the one laughing my _ _ _ tomorrow when there are build defects and or quality control issues with the first batch. Haha

Do you mean laughing when the vocal minority complain about defects or quality control issues? The MAJORITY will have no issue with their new iPhone. I have a launch-day iPhone 5, my wife has a launch-day iPhone 5, most of my family have a launch-day iPhone 5. No issues at all. While I can understand not needing an iPhone 5s tomorrow, getting one tomorrow will be a huge amount of fun!
 
SJ is undoubtedly clawing the satin off the top of his box!

15 months to launch a new iPhone and they can't build sufficient inventories to even remotely satisfy demand?? This from the CEO that's an "operations" guy? Are you kidding me???

What a cluster f*&k of a launch!
 
Wait, so let me get this straight -

There will be phones at the Apple stores in the US tomorrow morning correct?
Obviously limited amounts - but the people in line will get one until they run out.

I am guessing that will be tha case.

US market, especially Apple retail stores, is the #1 priority for Apple.
 
I already made a deal with my corporate TelCo rep. He is going to set aside a 32 GB 5s in space grey for me. Expensive fall for me. iPhone, 13" retina MacBook Pro, and PS4. I am going to be divorced if I don't take my wife on a shopping spree. :eek:
 
And exactly WHY do you all you people have to have the 5s tomorrow?

I'm going to be the one laughing my _ _ _ tomorrow when there are build defects and or quality control issues with the first batch. Haha

Why do I want it tomorrow ? Because I can.

If there are build issues, I will get it replaced. No problem.

----------

SJ is undoubtedly clawing the satin off the top of his box!

15 months to launch a new iPhone and they can't build sufficient inventories to even remotely satisfy demand?? This from the CEO that's an "operations" guy? Are you kidding me???

What a cluster f*&k of a launch!

The fingerprint scanners have a low yield. The *exact* same issue happened with the first Retina displays.
 
Hey, at least you don't have to wait until 3:01 am like those in the east coast! :eek:

My plan is: first try to order online, if that fails, stay awake and line up outside at&t store at like 6 or 7 am.

I'm in the same boat. I guess I'll be setting the alarm for 2:55am LOL

For real, I don't want to hear about complaints from people being up at midnight haha. 3am is it.
 
Seriously, they choose the launch day, no one forced them to choose September 20, why do they always fail to have enough products? It just makes people frustrated. And as several have said, Tim Cook is supposed to be a supply chain master, and they only have one launch a year...
 
As I commented in a previous thread Apples no preorders for the iPhone 5S followed by controlled leaks of tight supplies and now this are all to get people lining up. It has been years (iPad 2 launch) since there were crazy lines for an apple product so I am not surprised that Apple wants to get back some of the thunder and the free publicity that having stupid long lines provides

Even if there haven't been lines, as you say there haven't, the iPhone 4S and 5 both beat the previous phones records in sales. Lines don't matter much with stats like that.
 
Seriously, they choose the launch day, no one forced them to choose September 20, why do they always fail to have enough products? It just makes people frustrated. And as several have said, Tim Cook is supposed to be a supply chain master, and they only have one launch a year...

Promotes hype and an urgency to purchase.

Resources for the fingerprint scanner are rumored to be the source of the slow down. There is only so much you can do when you get a low yield. No matter how optimized you are, you can only build so many.
 
Seriously, they choose the launch day, no one forced them to choose September 20, why do they always fail to have enough products? It just makes people frustrated. And as several have said, Tim Cook is supposed to be a supply chain master, and they only have one launch a year...

There's a lot more that goes into shipping a product at this scale than just "having enough stock" you don't want to sit on millions and millions of assembled units and not get the return on the investment so you build up as much inventory as you can and then you release it and fill orders as necessary.

They could release to less countries and therefore have less demand for the new phones, but by purposefully releasing the phone to a larger audience and driving up the demand they can help fuel the "we must buy now or we're going to have to wait till November" crowd and on Monday or Tuesday of next week have a press release announcing yet again that Apple has sold a record number of units in their launch weekend.

Apple is the master at convincing people that the time to buy is now. :)
 
It's very strange to me that they're opening up the online orders before store purchases. It means that the stores will get a flood of people that tried to order online but couldn't. I want mine Day One, but I think the lines are going to be insane.
 
I'm in the same boat. I guess I'll be setting the alarm for 2:55am LOL

some of the independent (not O&O) AT&T stores are allowing for preorders for the 5s, but not a guarantee of availability tomorrow. But you will be on the list as they arrive.

I preordered on Monday and co-workers did at another store on yesterday...
 
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