[UK] I want to buy an iPhone 5 on launch day - How should I go about it?

[LukeSpringUK]

Hey everyone! Yep it's one of these boring question topics, sorry.

I've owned a couple of iPhone's but I've always gone the second hand route and bought a 'sim only' contract down the line.

Believe it or not I'm still stuck with the 3G, yes, the 3G, not the 3GS!

So I want to go with the UK network '3' and want to buy an iPhone 5 on launch day.

1) Can I try to pre-order the iPhone through Apple.co.uk and select Three as my provider? I only want to have a contract, I don't want to buy the phone for (£400+)

2) Can I pre-order the iPhone through 3's website?

If no to both of these things I guess I'll be queuing up outside a 3 store Sept 21st!

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[charlieegan3]

Just wait and see what your options are on the day to be sure.

 

[tann]

In the UK we can't buy phone's through apples site on contracts.

I'm not sure how 3 handled the whole thing last year but you'll either be able to pre-order online or you'll have to go to a 3 store on the day .

 

[ct2k7]

Apple only sell the unlocked device.

If you want a subsidised device with contract, you'll need to buy it from 3.

 

[LukeSpringUK]

Thanks guys. Those are the answers I was after. I guess we'll properly know Wednesday!

 

[Macman45]

FWIW, I always buy my iphone's direct from Apple...I'm not tied to a contract so will be pre-ordering on Wednesday via my Apple rep.

 

[AT101ET]

They wont be sold in-store on Launch day and when they will be announced for when they would be released in store, you can expect really long queues. Your best shot is ordering online or through your phone provider as soon as they are released otherwise you'll probably be looking at a lengthy waiting period whilst they re-stock.

 

[Tom2893]

3's **** they charge you more and the signals always weak.

vodafone/o2 ftw

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

FWIW, I always buy my iphone's direct from Apple...I'm not tied to a contract so will be pre-ordering on Wednesday via my Apple rep.

You have your own personal rep? How do you attain such "baller" status?

 

[yegon]

3's **** they charge you more and the signals always weak.

vodafone/o2 ftw

Depends on where you live. I travel a lot around the Northwest and regularly get HSPA+ all over the place. £15/month for more minutes and texts than I could ever use and, crucially, truly unlimited unthrottled data = great deal.

Actually, I pay £25 a month cos I tether to loads of different devices and regularly use 10gb+ but either deal is great.

O2 on the other hand are slow, expensive and have pathetic data caps, at least when I had a contract with them.

 

[LukeSpringUK]

3's **** they charge you more and the signals always weak.

vodafone/o2 ftw

I live in the midlands and have my iPad with 3, best service I've ever had. O2 on the other hand has been awful for me, 3G is rare, GPRS and EDGE bounce around constantly. And don't get me started on GiffGaff's service... There's also the fact that 3 have 'unlimited' data contracts.

@AT101ET: Are you sure? I know plenty of people that que up at O2 etc to get the iPhone at launch day. I'd be surprised if I couldn't que up on the 21st and get an iPhone 5. If I got there before everyone else of course.

 

[AT101ET]

Not 100%, but as far as I can remember the 4s wasn't released the same day. They usually say at the event when they go on sale. Maybe the day after. When they do, thats when you can go and queue.

If I were you, I'd ask an apple employee how it works so you dont either queue pointlessly or miss it because of my wrong advice.

 

[Azzin]

Not 100%, but as far as I can remember the 4s wasn't released the same day. They usually say at the event when they go on sale. Maybe the day after. When they do, thats when you can go and queue.

If I were you, I'd ask an apple employee how it works so you dont either queue pointlessly or miss it because of my wrong advice.

Both the 4 & the 4S were available in store, on release day.

100% fact.

 

[TopToffee]

They wont be sold in-store on Launch day and when they will be announced for when they would be released in store, you can expect really long queues. Your best shot is ordering online or through your phone provider as soon as they are released otherwise you'll probably be looking at a lengthy waiting period whilst they re-stock.

Ummm... every other iPhone has been sold in store on launch day... I know this, because I stood outside in the middle of the night for the last two

----------

Apple only sell the unlocked device.

If you want a subsidised device with contract, you'll need to buy it from 3.

Not true mate, you can buy on contract from Apple Retail Stores.

 

[skoldpadda]

Ummm... every other iPhone has been sold in store on launch day... I know this, because I stood outside in the middle of the night for the last two



Not true mate, you can buy on contract from Apple Retail Stores.

Firstly

It really depends on your location and store I know people that have been able to walk in and pick up iPhones on launch days


Secondly

Incorrect. You can purchase a micro sim that operates on a rolling contract, but this is essentially just a souped up pay as you go. There is no actually signing of a contract, unless you are talking about the finance agreement, which is completely different.

 

[0dev]

If you want one on contract from Three, you should be able to preorder it directly from them after the announcement. That's been the deal after every other iPhone announcement anyway.

 

[TopToffee]

Secondly

Incorrect. You can purchase a micro sim that operates on a rolling contract, but this is essentially just a souped up pay as you go. There is no actually signing of a contract, unless you are talking about the finance agreement, which is completely different.

So you can do upgrades on a contract in the Apple Store, and sign with your network for a further 12, 24, whatever months in there, but can't sign a NEW contract?? That's pretty weird.

 

[Burrel]

I live in the midlands and have my iPad with 3, best service I've ever had. O2 on the other hand has been awful for me, 3G is rare, GPRS and EDGE bounce around constantly. And don't get me started on GiffGaff's service... There's also the fact that 3 have 'unlimited' data contracts.

@AT101ET: Are you sure? I know plenty of people that que up at O2 etc to get the iPhone at launch day. I'd be surprised if I couldn't que up on the 21st and get an iPhone 5. If I got there before everyone else of course.

I live in Birmingham City Centre and went with 3 for my iPhone 4 just over 2 years ago. Never again will I make that mistake. No more 3 for me.

 

[Silver Box]

So you can do upgrades on a contract in the Apple Store, and sign with your network for a further 12, 24, whatever months in there, but can't sign a NEW contract?? That's pretty weird.

I can guarantee you can get the phone + NEW contract in any Apple Retail Store. They've been doing it for ages and have access to O2 Gateway etc, same way all the other phone shops do. They have the tariffs on those plastic things for you to choose from. Personally id buy from Apple given the choice, because if you're unlucky and get a faulty phone elsewhere, they're generally not as nice (ime) if it comes to replacing it and wont have as much stock early on.

 

[TopToffee]

I can guarantee you can get the phone + NEW contract in any Apple Retail Store. They've been doing it for ages and have access to O2 Gateway etc, same way all the other phone shops do. They have the tariffs on those plastic things for you to choose from. Personally id buy from Apple given the choice, because if you're unlucky and get a faulty phone elsewhere, they're generally not as nice (ime) if it comes to replacing it and wont have as much stock early on.

That's exactly what I thought, but Holmes seemed so utterly convinced that he had me doubting myself

 

[ct2k7]

Ummm... every other iPhone has been sold in store on launch day... I know this, because I stood outside in the middle of the night for the last two

----------


Not true mate, you can buy on contract from Apple Retail Stores.

Sorry, I was talking about online, rather than the retail stores.

----------

3's **** they charge you more and the signals always weak.

vodafone/o2 ftw

I really don't think £15 pm for all you can eat data is that bad, compared to the 500MB data you get with other providers for the same price. Ok, 3000 texts and 300 minutes, but I don't really text many people often who don't use iMessage and for calls, well I don't make 300mins in a month.

Signal's pretty good here, got 8 down and 5 up. (MB/s)

 

[Big Ells]

Rather than starting a new thread I will try and ask this here. I have always waited in line for hours on the day for my new phone at an Apple store, and every year I say 'Never again' but I'm stupidly inpatient!

If I order online as soon as they go on pre order am I almost guaranteed to get it delivered on the launch day? Or is it usually a day or two after?


Adding my 2 pence, I always buy offline, and have a simplicity tariff with O2 that I pay £15 a month, works out about the same as a contract after they have subsidised the phone but I'm not tied in for 18-24 months.

 

[tann]

Rather than starting a new thread I will try and ask this here. I have always waited in line for hours on the day for my new phone at an Apple store, and every year I say 'Never again' but I'm stupidly inpatient!

If I order online as soon as they go on pre order am I almost guaranteed to get it delivered on the launch day? Or is it usually a day or two after?


Adding my 2 pence, I always buy offline, and have a simplicity tariff with O2 that I pay £15 a month, works out about the same as a contract after they have subsidised the phone but I'm not tied in for 18-24 months.

Usually yes you will get them release day. Last year I think the website claimed "Delivered on the 14th (or whatever the release day was)" for a good few hours after pre-orders went live... But always try to get in ASAP just in case.

 

[Big Ells]

Usually yes you will get them release day. Last year I think the website claimed "Delivered on the 14th (or whatever the release day was)" for a good few hours after pre-orders went live... But always try to get in ASAP just in case.

Thanks tann. Yea I'm at work from 8am so will be sitting on the site, usually they go live about 9am is that correct! I mean it this year, I'm not queuing.... but if you see a lanky guy with spiky hair outside an apple shop looking miserable, that's most prob me!

 

[Dino F]

I offered a complete stranger (after speaking with them on the O2 forums!!), a lift up to the Apple Store in Kingston, when the iPhone 4 was released and there we both queued up and got our phones on release day. The Apple Store sorted our contracts there and then with our new phones.

Anyone fancy joining me again this year.....?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL