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Not pre-ordering or queuing... What's my chances of getting a 4?

londoner888

londoner888

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 9, 2010
154
1
Tottenham, London
Ok because I'm looking to buy an iPhone 4 on O2 PAYG so that it can be unlocked and used on my current T-Mob Sim I probably won't be pre-ordering on the 15th.

Not sure about camping outside a store for the night either.

So what are my chances of getting my hands on one if I turn up later in the day on release, or even the day after?

ie. On release of 3G and 3GS... did stores tend to go out of stock?
I'm planning to hit the big stores... Oxford Street, Westfield, Bluewater or Lakeside.
 
probably 0% but anything can happen.


also it would depend on where you live. you chances are greater the farther away from population you live.
 
Really!! So looks like I might have to queue up if I want one.

So once out of stock, when do they tend to get the next batch of iphones in?

A week? two weeks? Sorry if this sounds a dumbass question...
 
the reason people camp out for up to a day is because they do go out of stock
why would somebody wait outside a store for hours when they could just sleep in and stroll in the store in the afternoon and pick one up?

you have maybe a 5% chance if you live in amish country
 
cowsrus said:
the reason people camp out for up to a day is because they do go out of stock
why would somebody wait outside a store for hours when they could just sleep in and stroll in the store in the afternoon and pick one up?

you have maybe a 5% chance if you live in amish country
Click to expand...

True, I guess I just naively thought they wanted to experience the atmosphere and the release of the phone upon the store opening lol

So... once out of stock... when would the next batch likely to reach stores as I guess I'll have to wait then :(
 
This is back when I bought the 3G in 2008.

I'm in the Chicago area, and when the supply sold out on the 2nd day in 2008, it took about a week for the stores in the area to be resupplied.

What I do remember is the Carrier Stores and the Apple Stores taking names and numbers ("rain checks") and notifying you when new stock had arrived.

The good news now is that the iPhone will be released in more stores than before, so if you don't wait in line or pre-order, you may yet see yourself with a new iPhone by the end of that launch weekend.
 
I highly doubt Apple will run out of them, I went to apple store on launch day at around 3pm for the 3GS without reserving/preordering and there was a short line. They didn't seem to be running out and they had every model available. This was in Pasadena, California and it was a very popular apple store. No AT&Ts or Best Buys around me had any in stock though.
 
Bakakage said:
I highly doubt Apple will run out of them, I went to apple store on launch day at around 3pm for the 3GS with reserving/preordering and there was a short line. They didn't seem to be running out and they have every model available. This was in Pasadena, California and it was a very popular apple store. No AT&Ts or Best Buys around me had any in stock though.
Click to expand...

Yeah my friend did the same. He turned up after work at 5pm on release day of the 3GS and said there was only a short queue, and there were still quite a few left.

But I'm thinking that the 3GS wasn't as such a new handset but an update of the 3G which alot probably didn't upgrade to, hence less demand.

But I reckon the 4 will be different.
 
It depends on where you go.

I went to the Apple store at 5 PM on release day of the 3G and I got one. (I had to wait 3 hours, but that's another story.) As I recall, they didn't fully run out for another 2 or 3 days.

But it depends on where you are, some Apple stores are bigger than others. The one I go to was the first store that Apple ever opened. It's a bit bigger than many and they're quite proud of it. I'm guessing they got more phones than other locations.

But it's not impossible, is all I'm saying.
 
QuarterSwede said:
What's the point of pre-ordering/reserving it then?
Click to expand...

Preordering basically guarantees you one on launch day, barring anything unforeseen happening. You don't have to show up before store opening if you don't want to; it'll be there under your name later in the day. Or, for that matter, you can have it delivered to your house and not have to go anywhere at all.
 
londoner888 said:
Really!! So looks like I might have to queue up if I want one.

So once out of stock, when do they tend to get the next batch of iphones in?

A week? two weeks? Sorry if this sounds a dumbass question...
Click to expand...

It's not but either way u will Be on a line. I got my 3gs two weeks after release last year at a apple store and I have to wait about a hour on line!! Still. And mind you this was after every AT&T store was out and I had cancelled a order off AT&Ts website..
 
Blueline29 said:
Preordering basically guarantees you one on launch day, barring anything unforeseen happening. You don't have to show up before store opening if you don't want to; it'll be there under your name later in the day. Or, for that matter, you can have it delivered to your house and not have to go anywhere at all.
Click to expand...
That was my point.
 
via my Apple store manager friend.......

There is about a 1% chance that any Apple store runs out of the new iPhone.

Stores like ATT, Walmart, Radio Shack or Best Buy will most likely run out of the iPhone. His store has never ran out of a new product since the original iPhone release.

Now if they have the color and/or model you want is another thing.
 
I don't think pre-ordering or waiting in line at the ass crack of dawn are going to be necessary.

Apple Store, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and AT&T will be selling this phone. I highly doubt they will all sell out on day one, maybe by day two but even the 3G was readily available at my local Apple Store the evening of release, as was the 3GS.
 
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