iPhone X Pre-Orders Sell Out as Shipping Estimates Slip to 5-6 Weeks [Updated]

[ericschmerick]

It seems impossible to order a iphone on Apple without setting up new service or having existing service. I don't get why that would be. I think I've bought off contract phones without having to go through carrier auth process. God I hate this system.

Totally agree. I wish they would just freaking sell sim-unlocked phones from day one. Clearly a result of the influence carriers still have over Apple, because the ridiculous system the have in place right now basically incentivizes people to stay with their existing carrier.

 

[frumpy16]

Careful with that Tmobile order. I got confirmation upon ordering for 11/3, but now my order status shows as “no estimate currently available”. I suspect that Tmobile has just done a poor job of updating their site with new dates.

Eh, no I doubt it. The time estimates were moving as the hours wore on. They still show only a 1 week wait. You're causing unnecessary concern. They need to work through the orders but it's a whole week before it's supposed to arrive. Chill.

 

[anticipate]

It seems impossible to order a iphone on Apple without setting up new service or having existing service. I don't get why that would be. I think I've bought off contract phones without having to go through carrier auth process. God I hate this system.

Yeah that was annoying. They kept all original stock for upgraders only, or people with an existing line. They are technically "off contract" if you bought them full price. I assume this is so scalpers didn't drain the pool.

 

[AEdouard]

Interesting, there were WAY more phones available for in store pickup (basically a reservation) than delivery. The delivery window (on Apple Store anyway) went within minutes for some carriers. But the in-store "reserve a spot" stock went through until 7am (EST) or later for Verizon and Sprint. I tried to get it to deliver and in fact couldn't, without starting over, so I just went for in-store 11/3 pickup - a 256 GB AT&T model (grey).

There were STILL phones available for 11/3 pickup in store in some cases (though not, it seems for AT&T) as of 8:00am. So did apple shift most of its inventory to carriers and stores?

It makes me wonder how many will be available for actual walk-ins with no reservations (almost none). It's like they shifted people to stores with reservations just to create buzz. It was hard to get delivery on 11/3, not so hard (if you woke early) to get in-store reserved.

AT&T also had phones available as late as 7AM for 11/3 delivery (64gb models).

All the phones for 11/3 seem gone now though, all sources, all carriers.

I always go through in store pickup. If you have Apple Stores near you (I have 4, so it's fine), it seems to always be the best way to have the phone on launch day.

 

[zarmanto]

Very good!!!
There are a lot of people that will debug this iPhone X.

I'll do you one better... I'll be debugging an iPhone X with a beta version of iOS installed on it!

(It's actually kind'a a given... you can't migrate a profile to an older version of iOS, so since I'm currently running the public beta, that means I'll have to update my X to the same when I get it.)

 

[AEdouard]

All the rumors saying nobody will be able to get one of these until 2018.... BZZT!

Well, where I am November 3rd stock was empty after a 2-3 minutes window. Not exactly the iPhone 8, that you could order 12-24 hours after that. Stock is pretty freaking low + demand is high.

 

[firegun9]

Ordered a silver 256G t-mobile version around 3:10 Eastern time, and it already slipped to 2-3 weeks shipping, while black versions are available even for store pickup...

Either silver on t-mobile are popular or they are low in stock.

T-mobile is the only option to get one on pre-order day for my third-party prepaid.

 

[rjjacobson]

I think all the short supply rumors were off. I'm guessing they had plenty due to the later release date.

On a side note, this was by far the easiest pre-order I have been a part of. Apple got it right this time around for the Upgrade Program folks.

I disagree that apple got it totally right for us IUP folks given that apple does not make it easy to get in when their servers are bombarded I was on upgrade program and yes did the preapproval stuff on Monday so once, emphasis on once I got in at 2:12 it was fast but the dates had already slipped to November 17-24th shipping for me. So other than saving a bit of time once I was in still rate this as a fail for me an apple upgrade participant. Until they make the program so that they can work out all in program availability I do not see much advantage other than the speed thru after you are lucky enough to get in.

What I know of servers I have worked with when I was doing IT volunteer work they just cannot handle the load well and I am not sure why it took so long other than demand. Last year I got in within 5 minutes and scored my 7plus 256 on delivery day. No it is not a disaster but dang getting on the 3rd was really what I wanted now I have to wait for thanksgiving week and I have some hassles then which may mean I have to tell the Fedex or UPS folks to hold my phone a day depending on which day it arrives. Friday, Wed and Mondays work for me so the November 3 would have been perfect.

Yes in perspective (and after a few hours sleep as well LOL) truly just a minor a true minor first world problem for sure and I am glad I at least am getting a X before end of November, just that I had hoped I would get in like last year and my pre approval stuff would have scored a November 3 delivery oh well. And having the ability to have the old phone shipped 14 days after I get the X is nice the nearest apple stores are Chicago (2 hours plus) and Indianapolis nearly two hours for me so that is not an appealing option. Having complained I just do not think that as long as this is how preorder days go there is much that can be done, it seems to be luck of the draw in getting in, plus having 55 countries all at once probably was the source of many of us failing the first 10 minute to get in that led to the slipping dates so fast more than just limited supply of X's

 

[toptekjon]

1800?

And no, you don’t need to make 200k/yr to afford 50 a month as long as you have even the most basic sense at managing money.

Agreed. If you work full time and manage your money well, $50 a month should be manageable for most people that want to prioritize $50 for a phone. But, if someone can’t afford it, they shouldn’t buy it. Simple as that.

 

[biscuitsxluv]

I purchased two.
One for me and hubby.
They wanted to authenticate so you can't really buy more than the current lines you already have; I guess you can add lines too. The process was not easy. I kept getting the circle waiting for it to authenticate me. Truly annoying but I understand why they did that so people don't just buy all the phones. I got 2-3 weeks better than 5-6 week!

 

[xgman]

Anyone had to get a "reservation" for awaiting carrier contact confirmation?

 

[BvizioN]

5-6 Weeks? No way this can be called "Drastically" considered the Hype about allegedly small availability and allegedly high demand.
Yes, I call both allegedly, because that's what I think it is.

I think people have been fooled all way along with rumours. There is no way a product in which Apple rely almost all its business had only 2 to 3 million on a launch day. And it gets even better, open for preorders on so many countries on a day one? Yea, right. Makes perfect sense.....
I personally believe Apple had lots of these things ready.

 

[toptekjon]

That's a blanket statement, $50 a month is not a lot if money in isolation, but you don't know what other bills people have to pay, rent, car, groceries, power, healthcare... $50 a month is a lot of money for a typical American family of 5 that live on a $50k annual income

iPhone X is a great phone apparently, but affordable it is not!

50k for a family of 5 is definitely not apples target demographic. There are very good smartphones available for people of just about any budget though.
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Most people aren’t actually buying their phones. They’re leasing them under 1-2 year contracts.

The upgrade programs are not leases, but financing. A 0% loan is a loan you should always take if it’s a product you would buy either way.

 

[rjjacobson]

lol@people losing their minds because their newly ordered phone, thats basically no different from their current phone, ships a week or two later than other people's. The insanity Apple has cultivated is really impressive.

Yes indeed almost as bad as the horrid Black Friday sales fiascos in our stores in a few weeks. So we do not get on launch day so what I will get mine in a few weeks after, it was just more aggravating that even with preaproval it was luck of draw in getting into the slammed servers with 55 countries onboard all at once compared to a lot less last year.

I am slowly coming to the conclusion as the phones get to point that the improvements that grab me get fewer and farther between I might gain some sanity by just waiting to get a new model later in the year after when my current phone is paid off and go back to a 2 year cycle on my phones. Perhaps just getting a model at local apple reseller that 6-8 months later usually has all the models that would interest me ;-).

I long ago gave up in standing on lines -- never liked Black Friday style marketing and I am seeing this as no different. I also got tired of standing in lines to score opening day movie events I want. When the Star Wars moves came out a couple decades back I stood in long line around block for them. Now I wait a week or more before I bother and no lines or trouble to get in in ;-).

We will see next fall what Apple can add for me that will even draw me in -- with my phone being almost month after X launch day and the X launch a month after. usual release of new phones it will be two months out on my IUP loan with citizens before I could upgrade to the "11" or rumored "11plus" This year it was the quality of front and back cameras but especially offering image stabilization on both rear lenses and thus much better low light pictures. To be honest most of the other features of smart phones are so much alike as you say that I have to have a key feature and it is my camera that has gotten me to near quality pictures not requiring me to lug around my heavy old DLSR ;-). The OLED was also of interest on a screen about the size of my plus as a second feature.

Oh well by Christmas most of us here will have the X if we preordered and we can all then tell tails as bleeding edge device testers ;-)

 

[toptekjon]

I seriously wish Apple would completely disconnect the whole buying process from the carriers and just sell stinking sim-free phones to everyone. I wanted to order a couple of verizon phones to keep my CDMA options open but I guess I'm too stupid to figure out how to make that happen because the only option I could find was to "order one for my existing account" (and my wife/daughter don't have Verizon). Wound up buying the t-mobile version because they have t-mobile. Now I guess I've got two phones that cost the same, but have less functionality, for no good reason. Ugh!

Completely agree. I hate that Apple forces me to buy for my current carrier only. I want to change if the mood strikes. I love TMobile, but I’d like the option to switch to Verizon if I needed to for some reason.

 

[rjjacobson]

it's more different than it's been in 3 years though so maybe that's enough?

Can still get sprint on launch day pickup. T-mobile unlocked wasn't offered for launch day, began at Nov 17th delivery, which is sooner than they usually offer unlocked though because the carriers like to get people into money sucking contracts first.

For me website came up 10 mins before app, but since others got in the app first it does seem like they were slowly rolling out access.

From my experience with servers I could see them rolling out access to help but from what I read a lot of people even when on but not using the preapproval got booted, crashes and such, as always apple servers seemed to be overwhelmed and maybe there is no easy way to deal with the basically denial of service behavior of so many orders slamming the servers all at once. Took 3 hours to get my confirmation email of what my apple iOS phone app told me was completed, yet a few got right away.

 

[zarmanto]

Okay... I was tackling the website from right at 3AM (Eastern), finally got into the site several minutes later and attempted to order a Sprint Silver 256GB, and was met with a dead-ended "couldn't connect to carrier" issue multiple times before I finally received a "Reservation" for my iPhone X with a promised 11/3 delivery date. I still have not received the promised follow-up e-mail, to allow me to finish the transaction. And now, after reading through a crapload of posts in this thread, I'm starting to fear that perhaps there is very little reason to be optimistic that I'm going to actually receive that reserved iPX on launch day, after all.

Has anyone else who received a "Reservation" received their follow-up e-mail and been able to complete the process?

 

[woogy12]

For me the Apple App and Apple pay made it very easy. Nov 3 cant come quick enough!

 

[xgman]

Apple isn't taking any calls this morning to customer service. ugg.
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Okay... I was tackling the website from right at 3AM (Eastern), finally got into the site several minutes later and attempted to order a Sprint Silver 256GB, and was met with a dead-ended "couldn't connect to carrier" issue multiple times before I finally received a "Reservation" for my iPhone X with a promised 11/3 delivery date. I still have not received the promised follow-up e-mail, to allow me to finish the transaction. And now, after reading through a crapload of posts in this thread, I'm starting to fear that perhaps there is very little reason to be optimistic that I'm going to actually receive that reserved iPX on launch day, after all.

Has anyone else who received a "Reservation" received their follow-up e-mail and been able to complete the process?

Same boat and I typed in the wrong last 4 of social to boot so I'll eventually get bounced back dead I guess. Tried to call customer service and the are not taking calls right now. I doubt this can be fixed within the 24 hours window till they cancel the reservation. What a stupid system..

 

[ksnell]

I’ll let you all beta test it for me

With pleasure

 

[kingstinkypants]

Anyone had to get a "reservation" for awaiting carrier contact confirmation?

That's the boat I'm in. Mine went through fine, then when I did my wife's it was showing Nov. 3rd, then I got a couple server errors and it slipped to 2-3 weeks and ended up with the reservation. I had to join to the upgrade program so it took me a little longer than most. Her phone is in pretty good shape so she doesn't really care, my 6 is barely limping along.

 

[rtr1985]

With 5-6 month delivery estimates, it should be possible to snag in-store pickups week to week if you watch stock closely.

 

[5to1]

I went to 2 CPW and I was told that sim free means unlocked and that the phones are identical to Apple. (apparently that policy changed in june)
Also, if its sim free you are allowed to bring it back to the store but I will double check that again in my local store just to be on the safe side
Thanks though

In store policy:

http://selfhelp.carphonewarehouse.com/SelfHelp/request.do?view()=c{5128dc80-d2cb-11de-e56d-000000000000}

Liar, liars, pants on fire

Buy online as DIstamce selling regs apply.

Also if You google CPW iPhone, you’ll find other people have been given misleading advice about wether they lock to first network. Get it in writing, or have a backup plan (I.e check what your network charges).

 

[Matthew.H]

With 5-6 month delivery estimates, it should be possible to snag in-store pickups week to week if you watch stock closely.

I presume that's a typo? The delivery estimate is 5-6 weeks currently.

 

[rjjacobson]

Lies! The store was not live at 12:00 - it was live at 12:05/6/7/8

Worse for some, even user experience may vary I could not get in til almost 12:12 PDT (2:12 CDT my zone) and by that time the preapproval was fast in finishing a couple clicks and done since I am shipping to my house but already it had slipped to this:


Items to be Shipped
Shipment 1
Ships: 2–3 weeks
Delivers: Nov 17 - Nov 24 by Standard Shipping

I hope it moves up won't deliver 23rd that is thanksgiving ;-)

From what I read with people who got on and had to do order process online there were crashes and restarts and such so as always and maybe worse because of 55 countries all at once and the demand for the X that would probably overwhelm most servers.