U.S. iPhone Launch, More Photos, and Impressions

[Cormier6083]

Only an idiot would think that

Only a thought, ass.

Well, if people thought that Apple's servers failed from the sheer volume of sale of the phone, it would hurt other phone sales. RIM's stock in down 7.34 points.

But, if it were true, which I'm sure it's not, it turned into on heck of a mess.

 

[JC4]

Easton is sold out

Or, should be by now. Just an FYI. Easton Town Center Apple in Columbus OH are.

I stopped in around 11am, to pick up my repaired iMac(2 weeks), and asked one of the phone guys. He said they didn't have enough to conver the people currently in line(a couple dozen). Online this morning, indicated they sold out of black 16gb's lastnight.

I did get to hold one. I like the feel of the new curved back. I'll get one when they're back in stock. Besides the newness of the App Store has been enough fun for me

 

[JGowan]

Whoever said to Jobs, "don't worry, the servers will be fine" is getting fired...at least I hope. Between this and MobileMe, whoever is in charge of servers clearly doesn't know what they are doing.

Each 1Gen iPhone needs 200+MB software update; Phone Apps going out by the thousands; music, games, podcasts, movies and videos still being bought and rented; websites all over the world still cruising and selling; company network between all of the Apple stores going full blast --> oh yeah and trying to get another few million NEW iPhones sold and get operational... I don't think many here quite grasp just how hard this would be to do and for it to go flawlessly.

I got up last night at 2am and downloaded the 200MB file for my 1Gen iPhone and starting syncing... I woke up today at 9am and it was not doing its job of installing 2.0 so I unplugged, restarted the computer and started again. Now everything is going well and all of my media is being copied back on the phone. It was no big deal. I went to MickeyD's, got some breakfast and just enjoyed my Saturday morning. I was without a phone, but there's the home phone and my wife's phone. We all have alternatives while we try to give Apple and AT&T a break.

It's like child birth -- painful, but afterwards it is all worth it. I know we'll all feel the same about our 3G phones and our original iPhones with 2.0 on them... all with those tasty apps!

 

[kingtj]

Yes, but ...

It's still not available yet. They claim they have it, but it must not be ready for the general public.....

I downloaded the 1.1 version of Pwnage and it doesn't even know what to do with a 2.0 firmware .ipsw file. Clicking to "check for updates" in it finds no newer version, and their web site makes no mention of any news items for the month of July at all.

Apple's iPhone 2.0 firmware has already been successfully unlocked and jailbroken to run with unsanctioned carriers and apps.Dev Team group has successfully developed a version of its Pwnage Tool that not only modifies iPhones and iPods using the 2.0 firmware to run bootleg code but is simple enough that nearly any user can run it.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

I'm surprised to hear all these stories about people waiting hours and hours in line due to the activation problems. The AT&T store I went to knew about them at open, and we were simply allowed to purchase our iPhones and leave (like last year.) I was in and out in 20 minutes. Actually, pretty nice experience. Until I got home and couldn't activate for 6 hours.

 

[Jookbox]

Walked into the Cambridge (UK) Apple Store at 13.00, left 80 minutes later with my new toy. Took as long to queue as the activation/sales procedure

good job, i think you're one of the lucky folks.

i called at&t. the guy picked up, "Thanks for calling at&t, we're all out of iphones."

i'll try for it next week.

 

[DiamondMac]

Each 1Gen iPhone needs 200+MB software update; Phone Apps going out by the thousands; music, games, podcasts, movies and videos still being bought and rented; websites all over the world still cruising and selling; company network between all of the Apple stores going full blast --> oh yeah and trying to get another few million NEW iPhones sold and get operational... I don't think many here quite grasp just how hard this would be to do and for it to go flawlessly.

I got up last night at 2am and downloaded the 200MB file for my 1Gen iPhone and starting syncing... I woke up today at 9am and it was not doing its job of installing 2.0 so I unplugged, restarted the computer and started again. Now everything is going well and all of my media is being copied back on the phone. It was no big deal. I went to MickeyD's, got some breakfast and just enjoyed my Saturday morning. I was without a phone, but there's the home phone and my wife's phone. We all have alternatives while we try to give Apple and AT&T a break.

It's like child birth -- painful, but afterwards it is all worth it. I know we'll all feel the same about our 3G phones and our original iPhones with 2.0 on them... all with those tasty apps!

If it was impossible to do, the 2.0 software should have been put out at another time before the sale

I agree that the server issue is rather impossible to deal with but Apple needs to figure something out for the next time

 

[techkidd4400]

waiting in Maryland

I live in DC, and purchased my phone in Bethesda, MD. I am not sure who was more foolish, Apple for agreeing to activate these phones or, me for standing in line for 6 hours to buy a $200.00 cell phone. Apple or ATT&T had better announce that someone was fired for this absurd decision. The activation process was the primary reason for the delays and once store clerks noticed that, they should have allowed customers to activate the phones at home. Now, they have a number of upset customers who will never do this again.

 

[dstrauss]

I know a lot of folks are livid at AT&T, but I think Apple is the one who fumbled the ball this time. Both in upgrading/activating by 2.0 upgrade of my original iPhone, and the activation of my 3g, everything timed out at the iTunes server activating the phone...once it stopped doing that, some 4 hours later, it breezed on with restoring my iPhone from the on disk backup. The hiccup was with Apple, not AT&T.

AND NO, I DON'T WORK FOR AT&T OR OWN STOCK EITHER.

 

[nemaslov]

11am - Go to ATT Store - "Sorry no iPhones for sale, we only had about 40 of them", I go home.

7:45pm - Friend calls from Apple Store in Norfolk saying they still have 16GB White and Black iPhones, no line....get in car and go.

8:30pm - In the store buying two new white 16GB iPhones.

8:35pm - Apple reps says when they try to process my order, ATT has my account locked for no upgrade on iPhone eventhough I'm and iPhone 1 owner. Apple says to dial 611 on my iPhone and have them check their system.

8:45pm - ATT reps says there is an error in the system and she has fixed it. Should be fine for Apple rep to purchase my new iPhones at the Apple store. We wait.

9:05pm - They Still can't check me through the system at the Apple store, 16GB iPhone blacks are gone and they only have a few 16GB whites left, two of which are sitting in front of me and I can't buy them.

9:15pm - Apple manager comes over and says I have to come back. They take the two 16GB iPhones away from me and sell them to someone else. I leave.

Steve, You have a major problem with this ATTpple business model when I can't go into your stores anymore and buy an iPhone without ATT saying I can. ATT controls this whole buying channel for you and the experience sucks, plain and simple. The iPhone3G looks sweet, but your customer service model for selling and activating these phones is a complete failure. Seriously, I left with over 650$ of product sitting at the register because ATT had and error in their system and said I couldn't buy YOUR product. What a joke. I won't be back to upgrade to a 3G anytime soon. Very disappointing that ATTpple has made this whole exclusive iPhone agreement a total nightmare for your customers. Service like this will eventually catch up with you, it always does.

This is great! I mean not for you but I really suggest you copy and paste this in letter form and email to: Apple, ATT, NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Macworld and so on. It is a great example of the inept way this all came down. You write it without sounding like a whiner. DO IT!!!

 

[bobertoq]

Today I too was struck by the deafening silence of Apple not evening mentioning the iPocalypse on their website.

At the very least they owe their paying customers an explanation of what happened. More realistically a $100 cash rebate (No [*] Apple Store Gift Card).

When I say I want an explanation, I don't mean I want to hear some sanitized corporate PR Bullsh-t. I want to know, in technical terms, what exactly went wrong and who will be fired.

With all of the bricked iPhones (v1.0) out there that were working before the 2.0 upgrade, you have to wonder how many people lost a job or critical business deal costing who knows how much money or reputation.

Steve Jobs owes everyone an apology.

no he doesn't. and too bad. their servers exploded. taa-daa!

when... when will the iPhone news be over?! I can't take it anymore! MacRumors isn't even my home page anymore because of all this iPhone nonsense.

 

[charlituna]

This is great! I mean not for you but I really suggest you copy and paste this in letter form and email to: Apple, ATT, NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Macworld and so on. It is a great example of the inept way this all came down. You write it without sounding like a whiner. DO IT!!!

the only trouble with that letter is that it is putting the blame on the wrong peeps.

the manager at that store should have done like the managers at the other stores and held the phones for the original customer, even if just for one day. Not snatched them up and handed them over to someone else.

according to the reports I got and have seen, that was the Apple authorized way to handle anyone that had started the process, been waiting and there was an issue. hold the phones, give them a ticket to get back in right away. the holds folks were told were just for later the same day or the next day if it was closing time or near to.

so the complaint should go first to Apple. then if they don't attempt to resolve it, then sure go public. but don't blame the company for one guy being a jerk.

 

[charlituna]

Apple or ATT&T had better announce that someone was fired for this absurd decision.

even with the problem, from their POV it was not an absurd decision.

last year they let folks buy and walk and had faith they would honor the whole ATT issue. many didn't.

at least this year those that don't want to honor it have to pay ATT for the privilege of getting out of the contract.

so for ATT it is a win. and for Apple they won't hear any more complaining from ATT about how easy it was last year for folks to get the phones, skip signing up etc.

The activation process was the primary reason for the delays and once store clerks noticed that, they should have allowed customers to activate the phones at home. Now, they have a number of upset customers who will never do this again.

from the reports, they couldn't. at least not at Apple. because the activation occurs prior to paying for the equipment. if you don't activate, you can't pay and there is no way past that.

as for the customers, a lot of that depends on the exact store. the one in my local mall arranged with the local Coffee Bean for coupons to give all the early line folks a free cup of coffee, the store was passing out water and snacks all day etc. Plus they walked the line several times to explain the process, apology for delays, warn folks of potential problems, etc. Even with the waits, I suspect a lot of folks weren't totally pissed off at that store. Other stores might have had different.

 

[Mac Attack 360]

Kind of a nightmare iPhone 3g story/ AT&T vs. AT&T

My experience was OK. There was a small line and I waited 4 a short amount of time and got out of there quickly. But something was off.. I was really happy that I got one but I felt like not everything was complete. When I got home and plugged it in.. It had that picture that I had seen that was supposed that showed the usb cord and the iTunes logo. Well I figured that Apple decided to speed up the process and changed the rule that it had to be unbricked in store and said it to scare away potential T-Mobile people that would hack it. So I did what the man said at the store and did the whole process.(I knew I had to sync it to itunes of course) After all the time waiting for iTunes too start working. It worked. The phone worked great. Everything was awesome. But then randomly it said "No service" then "SIM card not working (or something similar) then " Invalid SIM" or No SIM. This happened because employees at the AT&T store were just handing the iPhones to customers and letting them walk off.(probably to save time) But that makes no sense because they'll all just come back in. I was soo pissed. The guy I had seemed 2 know NOTHING about the phone. I asked him some basic questions and he had NO IDEA He said he hadn't had "much time" to play with it. I agree with him. Because I think he was picked off the street to come help with the launch. He should have known it well by then. Because I heard the people had a couple of days to play with it. I knew a lot about the iPhone even before it came out.(same with the original) There isn't as much to learn as the original. And so I came back and asked about this "registration" thing it kept asking me about. And this jerk that worked there said I had to enter a credit card and basically wanted me out so he could just mess around because everyone else that worked there were just talking or messing with the new iPhone. I was so angry that I went to another store and they were SO DISGUSTED with the other store. They were amazingly nice and helped me with my problem and got it done quickly. They were talking about the other store like they were the NY Giants (or the Patriots) talking about the other store which is like the Oakland Raiders. Everything is working fine now and I'm very happy even after all of this.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Nice thighs. Rawr.

 

[timimbo85]

i was really excited to get this phone, i called att and they said i wasn't eligible for the up grade and it would be 400 for the 8gig. Absolutely not, I am going to switch my phone service, i would rather pay 175 to get out of this then give them another cent of my cash. Apple is really starting to sell out.

 

[vansouza]

i was really excited to get this phone, i called att and they said i wasn't eligible for the up grade and it would be 400 for the 8gig. Absolutely not, I am going to switch my phone service, i would rather pay 175 to get out of this then give them another cent of my cash. Apple is really starting to sell out.

I think you mean AT&T. Apple just makes the units.

 

[timimbo85]

I think you mean AT&T. Apple just makes the units.

They make the units but you think they had no clue on what at&t had up their sleeves. There not stupid. Apple is great yes, but they ****ing scam

 

[DiamondMac]

They make the units but you think they had no clue on what at&t had up their sleeves. There not stupid. Apple is great yes, but they ****ing scam

Scam? Don't see it

They do frustrate me at times and make some bonehead decisions here and there but scam? I wouldn't go that far.

 

[jwpedersen]

They make the units but you think they had no clue on what at&t had up their sleeves. There not stupid. Apple is great yes, but they ****ing scam

I don't understand why everyone is so down on this upgrade thing. Other carriers would be no less shrewd. AT&T is in the business of making money. They don't have to offer you an upgrade at all. If you didn't fulfill your original agreement, then you are stuck, just like the hundreds of thousands of others out there with all different wireless carriers, and hundreds of different phones. What you should be complaining about is the fact that the phone was not subsidized last year, and that was because Apple wanted to see they could make it in the cell phone business. It was a test and they passed.
I personally love my iPhone, I believe that is the next direction of personal computing and I'm just tired of people complaining about the lobster in their bellies when millions of others are suffering with all day slop.
Hurray for Apple!
Hopfully there will be a flawless iphone release in the near future!

 

[charlituna]

They make the units but you think they had no clue on what at&t had up their sleeves. There not stupid. Apple is great yes, but they ****ing scam

ATT is just treating the iphone like it is any other smartphone instead of bowing down to the notion that anything Apple is special.

if you had any other phone with them and weren't at the end of your contract, you'd pay to upgrade because that would cancel your original contract. so same here.
that doesn't make it a scam.