iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Go On Sale in U.S. and Canada to Huge Lines

[johnnyturbouk]

Damn it vodaphone uk - was supposed to get my iPhone 6plus silver yesterday but they magically cancelled my order and did not bother telling me - waited all day before my night shift for the delivery (yes got an email from vodaphone saying my phone was out for deliver) to finally discover the order had been cancelled!

 

[Gutwrench]

Companies should be held accountable for not delivering on their promises, and need to be prepared to handle anticipated surges in volume.

They are..by the consumer.

 

[sransari]

They are..by the consumer.

Yea that's what I'm saying

 

[lockerc18]

Yes, same at NYC Apple Store in Midtown (the cube). I didn't know what to make of it. Now I think apparently they are buying it here because it is not available in China yet. And they are probably paying the unsubsidized price. They will resell in China. This says a lot about the amount of income the Chinese now have. It may also speak to whether the Chinese economy is a bubble- a frenzy of speculation.

This is true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef_BznBwktw

What can Apple do about it? Stop walk in sales? Not hardly.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

Not sure exactly where this is, looks like somewhere in Asia?

Image

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No idea. They didn't say.

That looks like ginza... Was there a number of years ago.

Edit: http://images.apple.com/jp/retail/ginza/images/ginza_hero.jpg

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This is true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef_BznBwktw

What can Apple do about it? Stop walk in sales? Not hardly.

Why stop it? And why would they want to stop it? If they have the dedication to queue for that long they deserve their phone as much as anyone else.

They could easily correct the issue by only selling phones on carrier contracts for the initial release....or by releasing in China at the same time.

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I can only speak for myself, but perhaps you forgot that Apple's servers were bombarded from 12am until almost 3am Pacific time. I tried staying up but I could only last so long (I lasted until about 1:45am) before giving up. Unfortunately I have a job (I'm an adjunct professor, if I don't show up, I don't get paid) and had to be up early in the morning.

I did try for a phone today, but the store nearest my campus had 3,500+ people in line before 8am! So, I will keep looking for inventory each day.

Wow, that's amazing, your store had nearly two times the amount of people as the record-breaking queue at the nyc flagship!

 

[lockerc18]

Why stop it? And why would they want to stop it? If they have the dedication to queue for that long they deserve their phone as much as anyone else.

They could easily correct the issue by only selling phones on carrier contracts for the initial release....or by releasing in China at the same time.

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You may be missing the point. That video isn't about people who wait in line because they want an iPhone. It's about the Chinese black market scarfing up as many 6s as they can so they can be sent back to China and resold, thereby depriving the other people in line from getting the phones. If it were just people who wanted to wait in line to get a phone for their own use, then that's one thing. But it isn't.

And it's more that just that. These same people are butting in line, selling spots in line ahead of them, and doing all kinds of things that are disruptive, unfair, and unsafe. Fights have broken out because of this. It is hardly the kind of environment Apple wants to see, even though they manufactured a lot of this hysteria to begin with.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

You may be missing the point. That video isn't about people who wait in line because they want an iPhone. It's about the Chinese black market scarfing up as many 6s as they can so they can be sent back to China and resold, thereby depriving the other people in line from getting the phones. If it were just people who wanted to wait in line to get a phone for their own use, then that's one thing. But it isn't.

And it's more that just that. These same people are butting in line, selling spots in line ahead of them, and doing all kinds of things that are disruptive, unfair, and unsafe. Fights have broken out because of this. It is hardly the kind of environment Apple wants to see, even though they manufactured a lot of this hysteria to begin with.

Apple are the ones who created this hype and demand and then failed to Supply.

Apple are the ones who didn't make sure they had the required regulatory approval To release in China on launch

Apple are the ones who did not devise a system or policy to prevent this.

In their dealing with Apple, these people broke no laws, they paid full price for these phones and it's absolutely none of your business what they do with them after purchase or why they bought them in the first place.

You, unlike them have options

You can preorder direct from Apple.

You can preorder from a carrier

You can line up at one of the much shorter non Apple retail shops

You can be more dedicated and get in line earlier at an Apple Store.

 

[Navdakilla]

Things could always be worse.

From USA Today:

View attachment 493996

Hahaha ya I saw this earlier, pretty funny how they were comparing the two

 

[jayducharme]

Most of the people waiting on line, roughly 98% of them, and I'm not kidding, are ethnic Chinese.

Funny you mentioned that. I noticed the same thing at the Holyoke Mall (MA) Apple Store. And I couldn't understand it, because that area doesn't have a huge Asian population.

I stopped by the AT&T store in the mall and spoke with one of the associates who said their store had its biggest weekend ever. Even he couldn't believe it.

And I finally got my hand around a 6 +. That thing really is huge and its thinness makes it feel odd, as if it's just a piece of glass and nothing more.

 

[spb3]

where is that cartoon depicting a new iPhone release and person being devastated that they are stuck with the old one?

 

[lockerc18]

Apple are the ones who created this hype and demand and then failed to Supply.

Apple are the ones who didn't make sure they had the required regulatory approval To release in China on launch

Apple are the ones who did not devise a system or policy to prevent this.

In their dealing with Apple, these people broke no laws, they paid full price for these phones and it's absolutely none of your business what they do with them after purchase or why they bought them in the first place.

You, unlike them have options

You can preorder direct from Apple.

You can preorder from a carrier

You can line up at one of the much shorter non Apple retail shops

You can be more dedicated and get in line earlier at an Apple Store.

Why are you defending these people? Do you really think they were camping out on a sidewalk for a couple of nights just because they wanted an iPhone?

Go back and re-read this thread, and watch the video, and maybe you'll understand what is really happening here.

 

[flat five]

Why are you defending these people? Do you really think they were camping out on a sidewalk for a couple of nights just because they wanted an iPhone?

Go back and re-read this thread, and watch the video, and maybe you'll understand what is really happening here.

ha. what? maybe you don't understand what is really happening here?

'these people' are making what, 5-6 bucks an hour to stay in one place on a nyc sidewalk for a couple days without sleeping?... yeah, these old lady black market con artists are really sticking it to those that just want an iPhone.
:/

 

[SlCKB0Y]

Why are you defending these people? Do you really think they were camping out on a sidewalk for a couple of nights just because they wanted an iPhone?

Go back and re-read this thread, and watch the video, and maybe you'll understand what is really happening here.

I know exactly what is going on here - I saw it with my own eyes at my local Apple Store.

The people paying these little old Chinese ladies to sit in line are opportunistic scumbags, yes, but the situation itself was created by Apple.

Every other year they massively benefit from these queues - they get exposure and advertising that money could not buy across every tech website and major news network in the world. This time it came back and bit them in the arse and they need to take responsibility for the good outcomes (creating product hype) and the bad (what we saw in lines with this release).

 

[lockerc18]

I know exactly what is going on here - I saw it with my own eyes at my local Apple Store.

The people paying these little old Chinese ladies to sit in line are opportunistic scumbags, yes, but the situation itself was created by Apple.

Every other year they massively benefit from these queues - they get exposure and advertising that money could not buy across every tech website and major news network in the world. This time it came back and bit them in the arse and they need to take responsibility for the good outcomes (creating product hype) and the bad (what we saw in lines with this release).

I agree with you about Apple's culpability in all this. As I said before, there were problems in the supply chain that led to constraints for these phones, especially the Plus, and that was something that Apple isn't guilty of. But underestimating demand by this much and thereby causing shortages is sloppy planning. And while I'm no conspiracy theorist, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it turns out that Apple has a warehouse someplace stuffed with these phones, and have held them back from sale to generate this type of hysteria.

But the kind of nonsense you saw, and that the video shows, can't be something Apple wants to continue. This kind of publicity is damaging. People will percieve that Apple is guilty of having that old woman beat up and arrested. I know of many people who spent a lot of time in lines only to be shut out of getting the phone they wanted, and they are disillusioned with and angry at Apple. And for Apple to not even send Pluses to so many stores (which I saw firsthand in my local area) is more evidence of sloppy planning, and perhaps even intent.

I would think that things would change for the next release. Apple has a lot of equity in their consumer's loyalty, but even Apple can't afford to erode that too much.

 

[Tech198]

I know exactly what is going on here - I saw it with my own eyes at my local Apple Store.

The people paying these little old Chinese ladies to sit in line are opportunistic scumbags, yes, but the situation itself was created by Apple.

Yes..The truth is, people will do anything for money.

 

[lockerc18]

ha. what? maybe you don't understand what is really happening here?

'these people' are making what, 5-6 bucks an hour to stay in one place on a nyc sidewalk for a couple days without sleeping?... yeah, these old lady black market con artists are really sticking it to those that just want an iPhone.
:/

They, in fact, are.

How would you react if you were in line, and the 5 people ahead of you all bought two of the exact model of phone you wanted, exhausing that store's supply of them so you couldn't get yours, and then turned them over to someone else who would take them out of the country to resell them? What would you do? Just chalk it up to free enterprise in action?

 

[nebo1ss]

I guess the size of the queues all depended on where you are. I happen to be visiting Canada at the moment from London, have never bought a launch day phone before and never intended to buy one this time. I always wait a few weeks when the craziness ends.

However, I went to the Apple store in Square one just to have a look at the phone in late afternoon. I asked if they had stock and they said yes and the line was very short.

I joined the line after being given a reservation token and had my phone 90 minutes later. The one thing they could have improved was to create separate lines for those purchasing full price unlock versions. The only reason it took 90 minutes in that line were the customers who were purchasing on contract took SOOOOO long to complete transaction.

 

[pacfolly]

There were no lines at the Verizon store I went to around 5:00 on launch day but I guess buying your iPhone from the Apple Store and facing massive crowds is just part of the launch day experience some seek after.

 

[thedommer]

Wasn't going to get the iPhone 6 but got a decent Rogers retention deal so I went for it. Probably should have come to this conclusion a while ago. Im 3800 in line according to rogers online. I'm betting a good month before I see it.

 

[recoil80]

I joined the line after being given a reservation token and had my phone 90 minutes later. The one thing they could have improved was to create separate lines for those purchasing full price unlock versions. The only reason it took 90 minutes in that line were the customers who were purchasing on contract took SOOOOO long to complete transaction.

I suggested the same idea to an Apple Store manager but they continue to keep one line.
Most customers in my country buy the iPhone full price at the AS, so is pointless to wait in line while you could get and pay your iPhone in about a minute.

 

[RenoG]

Funny thing, I happen to be in my local Target store on launch day buying some toiletries and what not and decided to go over to the electronic dept and see if they had some iphone 6's on hand (it was about 12:30pm). I was just curious since I still have six months on my contract. They actually still had a hand full of Ip6 16gb (they did not get any 6+). The guy said it was as though people forgot that target has them to, yet when I went to get my coffee that morning I saw that our local Verizon store (two miles away) had a line out front before opening.
Interesting.