I'm an Industrial Engineer for UPS, and hopefully I can provide a little color for some of you waiting on iPhone shipments due tomorrow. The Apple Shenzhen distribution is a very tightly controlled movement that has different flow depending on the final delivery point, and UPS is obligated to throttle each shipment to ensure they are not injected into the network prematurely. I can assure you that wherever your shipment is located right now, it is either at the hub it will be sorted through tonight, or is about to fly to that hub within the next 3 hours. For most of you in the midwest and east coast, you will most likely see your shipment move through the Louisville WorldPort hub between the hours of 11 PM and 3 AM tonight, many flying in from Anchorage which is the jump-off point to/from China for many cargo airlines. They will be automatically sorted to your city's flight along with all other Next Day Air shipments. All U.S. domestic flights leave in a tightly choreographed schedule to arrive in your destination city by 6:30 AM. If the service level is NDA, you can expect your usual UPS driver to deliver by 10:30 or 12:00 depending on where you live, or by end of day(usually before 6:30) if the service is NDA Saver. Hope this helps clarify a little of what you all are seeing...
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[Merged] The Official iPhone 3GS "I Have a Tracking Number" Thread!
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Well hopefully they don't do ya'll like they've done me a few times. It'll be in a different state on the delivery day, then i'll get a knock at the door from the UPS guy. Right after I go back to the status and it says delivered filling in the additional out for departure/arrival/out for delivery scans
just picked up 3g s from fedex facility
i ordered my 3g S monday but didn't have any shipping details until this morning. since i got the shipping info it has been stuck in the status "Shipment information sent to FedEx" ...so i got curious.
i live near the fedex sorting facility in denver so i just drove down there and gave them my tracking number and name. the guy found my package and said that he wasn't supposed to release it to me yet (by shipper's request) but did anyway. i am headed home now to activate this thing and throw away my sprint palm pos.
i ordered my 3g S monday but didn't have any shipping details until this morning. since i got the shipping info it has been stuck in the status "Shipment information sent to FedEx" ...so i got curious.
i live near the fedex sorting facility in denver so i just drove down there and gave them my tracking number and name. the guy found my package and said that he wasn't supposed to release it to me yet (by shipper's request) but did anyway. i am headed home now to activate this thing and throw away my sprint palm pos.
Ok guys; stop freaking about your iPhone 3G S. Apple is a huge company, and they know what they are doing (for the most part 
). We are a small business and ship hundreds of packages a month via. UPS and Fedex. Here are the facts.
1) UPS is generally slower for the service, and comes a lot cheaper. Fedex overnight rate is more like 1st class; they deliver fast and they are more expensive. They also usually come earlier during the day (AM hours). UPS is a very nice budget solution, like 'business class' on an airfare. UPS is cheaper in bulk (about $10 cheaper for the overnight solution per package). So, Apple chose UPS to ship out a majority of the iPhones.
2) Why did the iPhones that shipped via. UPS go from China -> Hongkong -> Alaska -> Louisville? They were sent via. the source: iPhone/Apple, as you all know, makes their products in China. Shipping a bulk amount from China is cheaper than shipping from China -> Apple warehouses around the US -> Paying again for another shipping to your homes/apartments. That's like paying for 500,000+ iPhones from China to multiple Apple stores then paying UPS/Fedex again for shipping. Instead, why not go from the source (China to house/apartment, direct, not using Apple).
3) I can't say much about ATT's slow delivery, but they need to order via. Apple. Always order from the source if you want something like the iPhone or a new 'hot' product.
4) Why did iPhone's get shipped from Fedex and UPS on Apple? The reason is Apple managed to get 90% of iPhones shipped via. UPS from China, but the people who ordered more recently (like 10th of June+) need to get their iPhone's shipped directly from Louisville, KY stock to their homes/apartments. This is why Fedex was chosen, for overnight or 2 day delivery. The planes that carried iPhone's from China to USA are iPhones for users like us but also contain extra stock for people who ordered recently. They use those extra iPhones and ship them via. Fedex, since Fedex is what Apple usually uses for domestic and 'normal' shipments.
5) Will my iPhone come tomorrow, the 19th? > Yes. It will. Anyone who has a tracking number; yes. UPS is flooded with millions of orders from Apple and can't update their site as often. So some people show as their iPhone is in Alaska. It doesn't matter. Your iPhones are somewhere, sitting. They are packaged up and labeled, ready to be sent. They are just waiting for permission from Apple to deliver them, tomorrow, the 19th. This was confirmed on UPS's twitter site (http://twitter.com/UPS_News).
Fedex orders are already en route and will also be overnight shipped to you.
Hopefully this answers all questions.
). We are a small business and ship hundreds of packages a month via. UPS and Fedex. Here are the facts.1) UPS is generally slower for the service, and comes a lot cheaper. Fedex overnight rate is more like 1st class; they deliver fast and they are more expensive. They also usually come earlier during the day (AM hours). UPS is a very nice budget solution, like 'business class' on an airfare. UPS is cheaper in bulk (about $10 cheaper for the overnight solution per package). So, Apple chose UPS to ship out a majority of the iPhones.
2) Why did the iPhones that shipped via. UPS go from China -> Hongkong -> Alaska -> Louisville? They were sent via. the source: iPhone/Apple, as you all know, makes their products in China. Shipping a bulk amount from China is cheaper than shipping from China -> Apple warehouses around the US -> Paying again for another shipping to your homes/apartments. That's like paying for 500,000+ iPhones from China to multiple Apple stores then paying UPS/Fedex again for shipping. Instead, why not go from the source (China to house/apartment, direct, not using Apple).
3) I can't say much about ATT's slow delivery, but they need to order via. Apple. Always order from the source if you want something like the iPhone or a new 'hot' product.
4) Why did iPhone's get shipped from Fedex and UPS on Apple? The reason is Apple managed to get 90% of iPhones shipped via. UPS from China, but the people who ordered more recently (like 10th of June+) need to get their iPhone's shipped directly from Louisville, KY stock to their homes/apartments. This is why Fedex was chosen, for overnight or 2 day delivery. The planes that carried iPhone's from China to USA are iPhones for users like us but also contain extra stock for people who ordered recently. They use those extra iPhones and ship them via. Fedex, since Fedex is what Apple usually uses for domestic and 'normal' shipments.
5) Will my iPhone come tomorrow, the 19th? > Yes. It will. Anyone who has a tracking number; yes. UPS is flooded with millions of orders from Apple and can't update their site as often. So some people show as their iPhone is in Alaska. It doesn't matter. Your iPhones are somewhere, sitting. They are packaged up and labeled, ready to be sent. They are just waiting for permission from Apple to deliver them, tomorrow, the 19th. This was confirmed on UPS's twitter site (http://twitter.com/UPS_News).
Fedex orders are already en route and will also be overnight shipped to you.
Hopefully this answers all questions.
I can't believe I'm still reading this thread...
It's a sad addiction.
But its nice to think that when I wake up my phone will be here
What time are you waking up?
No but I reckon it's a similar situation. Apple has coordinated this event to almost perfection. Tomorrow will tell how they actually performed. But it seems like if you're shipped via UPS, you'll undoubtedley get your phone..
Here's my schedule for tomorrow.
Wake up at 10:00
Grab some breakfast
Grab my MBP
Sit by the front door until FedEx comes
Hopefully this answers all questions.
That didn't answer any of my questions.
So I finally shipped! No tracking number yet but I am going through Fedex. Talk about waiting until the last minute!
You shouldn't mail yourself...seriously...you could get into a lot of trouble...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3095592.stm
It's sad that this is our last night together guys...I feel like I've grown to know, and love all of you. I can't help but think of "As we go on, we remember, all the times we've spent together," beautiful lyrics by the one and only "Vitamin C."
(this is a joke.)
But really, this is quite an epic thread...
(this is a joke.)
But really, this is quite an epic thread...
I got my shipping number at 9 AM, and then it moved to "Picked Up" just before 6 PM. So about nine hours for me if that helps.
My phone is enroute from "Ted's iPhone Empourium"!!!!
Damn Ted. I can't wait for tomorrow!!! My only concern is the activation process. We all remember the 1st Iday. Then yesterday the 3.0 waitathon. The servers are gonna be slammed.
Damn Ted. I can't wait for tomorrow!!! My only concern is the activation process. We all remember the 1st Iday. Then yesterday the 3.0 waitathon. The servers are gonna be slammed.
I can't wait until tomorrow morning, i'm gonna wake up around 8:30 am since FedEx tends to deliver pretty early in my area and since the package is overnight they might be here even earlier than usual. I wanna play it safe and just wake up early then sleep in until my usual 11 and end up missing the delivery.
probably around 9:45-10:00am, eat some breakfast, then wait for the "ding-dong" sound!
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