New Iphone user : experience, observations, and questions

[phatcow]

Just got my first iphone, ever, and im sort of confused at the whole purchasing experience.

My wife cashed in on an IOU i had with her for a while, for the Tmobile Iphone 7+ 128gb in Black. I stayed up late that night and ordered from the Apple Store with a confirmation time of xx:13 with shipping date of October 4 - 10. Disappointing but no big deal.
A few days later i decided to convert from Android (Nexus 6p) due to phone being broken and needing 14 days for repair and return with Huawei which is horrid support for a flagship Nexus phone. I decided support > android whatever so having an apple store within a few miles of me would be key to not being down.
After reading a few threads on Qualcomm vs Intel, I ended up reserving a Verizon 7+ 128gb Black this morning and picked it up from the store an hour ago and i have it working on Tmobile after taking up the verizon SIM card that was shipped with the unit. There were obviously people in line asking about availability etc while i was in the other line, in and out in 10 minutes and around 990 bucks poorer

As i am new to the whole apple scene thing, i had a few curiosities
1) Why does apple split their models up when there are models (VZ) that will work with (TMO) out of the box. Wont this simplify people getting the unit/sizes that they want?
2) As a followup for #1, did i screw up and are there other features that will be restricted since i did not get a tmobile unit
3) Why do people show up without a reservation and expect to get a phone? I overheard a few animated characters upset that xxx wasnt avail. Was the reservation process supposed to be a hidden thing that not many know about or do people just like queues and being seen?
4) Will i have to go through this every year during this time or is there a better way?
5) As an Android transplant, is there an app that will import my old call logs and sms messages, along with other transitional tips?


thanks in advance and ill probably have more questions later

 

[eyoungren]

1) Why does apple split their models up when there are models (VZ) that will work with (TMO) out of the box. Wont this simplify people getting the unit/sizes that they want?

Sure would. It would also make it easier for people to hop carriers after getting their phones unlocked.

How much do you think the carriers would like that?

2)As a followup for #1, did i screw up and are there other features that will be restricted since i did not get a tmobile unit

No, not really. It's just that each carrier model has only a limited amount of the other bands that the other carriers have. You may or may not necessarily be able to use all of T-Mobile's LTE frequencies.

3) Why do people show up without a reservation and expect to get a phone? I overheard a few animated characters upset that xxx wasnt avail. Was the reservation process supposed to be a hidden thing that not many know about or do people just like queues and being seen?

Up until a year or so ago an appointment was not strictly necessary. People are used to the old way. People also thiknk "Well, it's a store selling iPhones. They should have an iPhone to sell me." Kind of like expecting a restaurant to have food when you go to eat there.

4) Will i have to go through this every year during this time or is there a better way?

It depends. You went around launch day. You were fortunate in getting what you sought. Wait a couple weeks after the next launch day next year (should you get a phone next year) and it won't be so crazy.

5) As an Android transplant, is there an app that will import my old call logs and sms messages, along with other transitional tips?

Apple has an app or something for switchers. But anything like Google contactds and calendars can simply be added on the phone. It will sync.

 

[bufffilm]

4) Will i have to go through this every year during this time or is there a better way?

Probably.

Of course, you could pre-order and depending on a number of variables, you could get your phone, sooner or later, than walk-ins.

 

[EezyE]

4) Will i have to go through this every year during this time or is there a better way?

If you thought it was bad this year, just wait until next year or whenever Apple completely redesigns the phone.