No pre-orders on the 5S - what's your plan?

[TAI182]

I am starting a brand new, individual account with my iPhone 5s.

If i pre-order online at 12 AM PST but then am able to get one in an Apple Store at 8AM, can I cancel my pre-order and just keep the one I got in store?

Thanks.

 

[APPLEFUNRF]

I will stay in line and wait all night ! Easy !

 

[*~Kim~*]

Waiting until the hype dies down for me - I'm not 100% that I will get one and want to check that the gold looks as good in the flesh as it does to me in the photos. That and I want to check out iOS7 on display first, as it looks too flat and Android-ish to me.

 

[bkribbs]

So just spoke with a friend of mine who is some kind of upper management deal at Apple Store. Inventory Control Specialist or something like that...

According to him and take it however you choose, The orders for the 5S should be live at 12am just like the pre-order would be. The stores will open at 8am and according to him "Should have more than enough in supply". Here is the kicker...There will be no option to pick up in store. You order online you ship it to your house. If you want the phone on launch day you must go to the store.

Now I asked him was this all about creating hype for what some are calling a "lackluster" phone. He was told that Apple wanted their customers old and new to experience feeling of the anticipation and excitement that comes with waiting in line with other Apple fans again or for the first time. They consider it part of "the Apple experience"...I think that's just BS team building poppycock.

My opinion? They don't want to deal with all the hassles of keeping pre-orders and store shipments for however many countries organized for 2 phone launches and chose the 5C to make available for preorder instead of the 5S.

For all we know it could have been a coin toss in TC's office.

Anyway, I'm going to start trying to order my 5S at 12am on Thursday night...Just to be on the safe side

Well this'll be fun!

 

[bwsteg]

Certain retailers will be pre-ordering the 5S...Just sit back for a second and think about the stores selling apple phones and give them a call..You'd be surprised...

 

[Holte139]

My plan is to order one online, whatever happens. I have a HTC One to hold me over for a few weeks if all the stock is sold, and I'm getting £260 for my 5 via recycling. I wanted to try eBay but very few people are getting over £300 at the moment. Anyway, I think £260 is a good price for a year-old phone. Plus, once the 5S lands on my doorstep, I'll sell my HTC One too.

 

[theonekcrow]

I'm either going to wait in line at my local AT&T store(if line is short), or I will drive an hour to Indianapolis the night before.

 

[thogin]

I plan to order online, just not sure if I want it delivered to my house or if I'll pick it up at the Apple Store.

Here's the thing. When I ordered my 4S online, I waited a couple weeks for the hype to die down. "I'm not waiting in a line", I told myself. When I went to the Apple Store to pick up the 4S I already paid for, all they had to do was put it in a nice bag and hand it to me. Guess what they did instead? They made me wait in a @#$! line outside the store.

Everyone in that line was irritated at Apple, because we all knew it was an artificially created line. We just stood there like idiots waiting for phones we already paid for, watching other customers walk in and walk right out with the items they purchased. Yep, fun times.

So this time I'll probably have my 5s delivered even if it takes a few weeks.

 

[Z.childers]

I'm either going to wait in line at my local AT&T store(if line is short), or I will drive an hour to Indianapolis the night before.

I will also be going to Keystone. Hopefully it will be better handled this year, but on the 4 launch many were sent away by security around 4 a.m. and we weren't allowed to line up outside until 6 or so. I can't decide when to arrive.

 

[eastercat]

I am planning to get a 64 GB this time. In the past, have those sold out before or after the 16 GB?

When I bought my 3G, the smallest size (i.e., cheapest) had sold out first while I was in line; luckily, I wanted the biggest size. Unfortunately, I had to get white, which was not my preferred choice.
While 64GB is more likely to be there, just know it'll probably be in the color you don't want.

Because I work from 7-3:30, I'll order on the 20th and wait for apple to deliver to me. Besides, I'm hoping lifeproof will have the case available by then.

 

[theonekcrow]

I will also be going to Keystone. Hopefully it will be better handled this year, but on the 4 launch many were sent away by security around 4 a.m. and we weren't allowed to line up outside until 6 or so. I can't decide when to arrive.

Yea, I heard security is a little strict there.

 

[Italianblend]

I am starting a brand new, individual account with my iPhone 5s.

If i pre-order online at 12 AM PST but then am able to get one in an Apple Store at 8AM, can I cancel my pre-order and just keep the one I got in store?

Thanks.

Yes, I'm pretty sure that will work. I believe people do this all the time to make sure they get one. But, I'm not sure how your carrier is going to handle it. You might have to call them that morning.

 

[dumastudetto]

Pretty amazing that more than 82% of people are planning to upgrade to the 5s. Anyone who says the 5s was a disappointment is proven to be among a tiny minority based on these numbers.

 

[deeddawg]

I wonder since there is no preorder that apple is confident in its supply.

Or they want the free media attention they'll get by generating lines at their stores.

 

[billycuth]

Pretty amazing that more than 82% of people are planning to upgrade to the 5s. Anyone who says the 5s was a disappointment is proven to be among a tiny minority based on these numbers.

Not really. I have a 4s and I am disappointed in the 5s, but it's time for me to move to a new phone, so I will.

Just because I am still upgrading doesn't mean I am not disappointed. They are not mutually exclusive.

 

[drew0020]

Pretty amazing that more than 82% of people are planning to upgrade to the 5s. Anyone who says the 5s was a disappointment is proven to be among a tiny minority based on these numbers.

The poll question was "If you're getting a 5S, how will you purchase it?" I'd expect the numbers of people buying the 5S on this poll to be very high!

 

[deeddawg]

Anyone who says the 5s was a disappointment is proven to be among a tiny minority based on these numbers.

Seems to be the case for nearly every model release I've paid attention to here.

Apple iPhone release process:

1. Media posts leaks and speculation for weeks
2. Some people build up expectations of what they think Apple "should" do
3. Apple announces the new model
4. A number of people post a flurry of disappointment / hissy-fit threads based on their unfounded expectations of what they think Apple "should have" done.
5. Apple receives tons of preorders (when offered) and people line up at the stores in advance of release day. Pepper this with a few extreme folks camping out for days and the occasional Woz sighting.
6. Apple sells tons of phones
7. Some number of OCD individuals get torqued about some imperfection or issue that affects a small portion of devices and generate an epic "xyz-gate" thread on MacRumors
8. A portion of these people return / exchange their device repeatedly seeking the absolutely perfect device.
9. Apple (presumably) addresses any real production or software issues in the weeks following release.
10. Rest of the world looks on amusedly at the people so wrapped up in an inanimate electronic gadget and goes on about its business.
11. Repeat cycle in a few months

 

[NoCleverSNForMe]

Seems to be the case for nearly every model release I've paid attention to here.

Apple iPhone release process:

1. Media posts leaks and speculation for weeks
2. Some people build up expectations of what they think Apple "should" do
3. Apple announces the new model
4. A number of people post a flurry of disappointment / hissy-fit threads based on their unfounded expectations of what they think Apple "should have" done.
5. Apple receives tons of preorders (when offered) and people line up at the stores in advance of release day. Pepper this with a few extreme folks camping out for days and the occasional Woz sighting.
6. Apple sells tons of phones
7. Some number of OCD individuals get torqued about some imperfection or issue that affects a small portion of devices and generate an epic "xyz-gate" thread on MacRumors
8. A portion of these people return / exchange their device repeatedly seeking the absolutely perfect device.
9. Apple (presumably) addresses any real production or software issues in the weeks following release.
10. Rest of the world looks on amusedly at the people so wrapped up in an inanimate electronic gadget and goes on about its business.
11. Repeat cycle in a few months

Bravo, my man.

 

[slapshot]

I am going to be in Vegas that weekend (for a week). I am debating whether to head to the Apple Store at Ceasar's and get it or order it on line. While I don't want to waste a whole day standing in line at Ceasar's I also do not want to have to wait a week until I get home to get a new phone.

I hate tough decisions.

 

[drew0020]

I am going to be in Vegas that weekend (for a week). I am debating whether to head to the Apple Store at Ceasar's and get it or order it on line. While I don't want to waste a whole day standing in line at Ceasar's I also do not want to have to wait a week until I get home to get a new phone.

I hate tough decisions.

Let's see you are in Vegas... The only line i'd be waiting in that weekend is the payout line to get my gambling winnings ha!

 

[Paulg2uk]

I'm going to attempt to order online which I've never done before with the iPhone I've always waited till the queues have died down and then gone to my carriers store and bought one.

However this time I don't wanna wait and my contract doesn't run out till oct 2014 so I will have to buy sim free. But that's ok buy the time I sell my iPhone 5 and a couple of other bits on eBay I can get enough cash to pay for the new 5S.

That's the plan anyway.

 

[ewils19]

When I bought my 3G, the smallest size (i.e., cheapest) had sold out first while I was in line; luckily, I wanted the biggest size. Unfortunately, I had to get white, which was not my preferred choice.
While 64GB is more likely to be there, just know it'll probably be in the color you don't want.

Because I work from 7-3:30, I'll order on the 20th and wait for apple to deliver to me. Besides, I'm hoping lifeproof will have the case available by then.

I'd prefer gold or silver. I guess I'd be okay with the grey if I had to but I have a black 4S so I'm ready for a change.
I think I'll order online as well. As long as it gets there before my Gazelle offer for my 4S expires (Oct 15) I don't really care when I get it.

 

[TroyBoy30]

where is the not getting one option

 

[Italianblend]

where is the not getting one option

I didn't put one, because I worded the question "If you're getting a 5S." Therefore, the poll doesn't really apply to people who aren't getting one.

Every poll that is made is incomplete in some way. It's just a forum, not a scientific poll.

 

[christianrockbr]

I have already basically pre-ordered the 5S. I have a business account for my company and our AT&T sales guy called me yesterday and asked if we wanted to upgrade any phones and he took the information and put me on a list to be one of the first to get it ordered when it's available.

I don't know if that means the order will start on 9/20 or if we will get our new phones on that day, but at least there's nothing else I need to do.