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iPhone 11 Pro What is the IUP process like in-store?

trnjackie23

trnjackie23

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 23, 2010
240
291
Annapolis, MD
Title.

Couldn't pre-order online so I'll be headed to the store early this Friday to try to grab a midnight green pro max. How is the IUP process in-store? I was already approved into the program with pre-approvals but of course, that'll be expiring tomorrow and the shipping dates keep getting pushed back so I want to try my luck in-stores.

Thanks!
 
I had to do it in store on launch day for the iPhone X. At that time with Tmobile you could not initiate the IUP online. By the time I got to the front of the line they had just run out of Tmobile phones. I got an ATT phone which I activated on Tmobile and then a few days later I was able to reserve a Tmobile phone at as different NY Apple Store. I was able to return the ATT phone, buy the Tmobile phone, return the Tmobile phone, and then rebuy the same Tmobile phone on the IUP. Complicated transaction but it all went pretty smoothly.
 
Alhagar said:
I had to do it in store on launch day for the iPhone X. At that time with Tmobile you could not initiate the IUP online. By the time I got to the front of the line they had just run out of Tmobile phones. I got an ATT phone which I activated on Tmobile and then a few days later I was able to reserve a Tmobile phone at as different NY Apple Store. I was able to return the ATT phone, buy the Tmobile phone, return the Tmobile phone, and then rebuy the same Tmobile phone on the IUP. Complicated transaction but it all went pretty smoothly.
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So you went through three phones to get what you wanted? Sound complicated to me.
 
Otflyer said:
So you went through three phones to get what you wanted? Sound complicated to me.
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It was. The smart move would have been NOT to buy the ATT phone (but I had waited in line for a few hours and couldn't face walking away empty handed). The second and third steps were fine because otherwise I would have had to keep showing up at Apple stores hoping that they had the phone I needed in stock. Better use of my time to be able to reserve a phone first. Buying that second phone, returning it, and buying it back on the IUP was actually not so complicated. YMMV.
 
Alhagar said:
It was. The smart move would have been NOT to buy the ATT phone (but I had waited in line for a few hours and couldn't face walking away empty handed). The second and third steps were fine because otherwise I would have had to keep showing up at Apple stores hoping that they had the phone I needed in stock. Better use of my time to be able to reserve a phone first. Buying that second phone, returning it, and buying it back on the IUP was actually not so complicated. YMMV.
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A few hours? Sheesh. Was your store in a high traffic place? (since you're in NY, I'm thinking yes) What time did you get to the store?

My store is in a mall and opens at 8am for launch so I was hoping to get there at 7am but thought that might be a bit early too.
 
I would say get an early morning appointment. I did it twice in-store for a "reservation" at night for my IUP phone on launch day and each time I was in line over two hours. I was so glad when they let us trade in and get our phone via UPS instead of the Apple Store.
 
MisterSavage said:
I would say get an early morning appointment. I did it twice in-store for a "reservation" at night for my IUP phone on launch day and each time I was in line over two hours. I was so glad when they let us trade in and get our phone via UPS instead of the Apple Store.
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I wasn't aware I could make an appointment. Would you point me to the directions of how I would go about doing that? Thanks!

Otherwise, the store opens at 8am and I plan on getting there at 7. Not sure if that's too late or too early lol
 
When you are checking out while buying an iPhone you have the choice either to have the phone delivered or to pick it up in store by appointment. As far as I can tell all of the in store pickups for launch day are gone and they aren't yet given out pick up appointments beyond launch day.

Once I initiated the IUP in store (remember, with T-Mobile this uses to be (still is?) a requirement), I now prefer to get my upgrades via delivery for a simple reason. Once you start trading phones in on the IUP program my understanding is that when you do it with in store pick up you have to trade in your old phone immediately. When you are upgrading via delivery, you have some time to decide whether the new phone is worth the upgrade or not before you send your old phone in.
 
Alhagar said:
When you are checking out while buying an iPhone you have the choice either to have the phone delivered or to pick it up in store by appointment. As far as I can tell all of the in store pickups for launch day are gone and they aren't yet given out pick up appointments beyond launch day.

Once I initiated the IUP in store (remember, with T-Mobile this uses to be (still is?) a requirement), I now prefer to get my upgrades via delivery for a simple reason. Once you start trading phones in on the IUP program my understanding is that when you do it with in store pick up you have to trade in your old phone immediately. When you are upgrading via delivery, you have some time to decide whether the new phone is worth the upgrade or not before you send your old phone in.
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Ah, right. The reason I'm doing this in-store is because my pre-order got canceled for whatever reason and they would not be able to put me back in-line to receive my phone on launch. Figured I'd try my luck in stores early morning instead.

I'm currently using a Note9, switching back to Apple this year so I'm not trading in anything
 
I’ve reserved an iPhone 11 Pro for pickup at my local Apple store. I’m going on the iPhone Payments plan here in the UK - will it really take two hours just to pick up the phone? I have to set the plan up with Apple, do I need a separate appointment for that?
 
this was my first time doing the iPhone Upgrade Program since i've been using a 7Plus since launch. i wasn't going to do the program, but the promise of yearly upgrades made easy was great. its also what my husbear ended up doing with me. so we both applied and were approved for the iphone upgrade program, chose our phones, color, size, etc, finished it and was told to come back at 8am to complete the order. boom, at 8am friday we completed the preorder and thats that. it was the easiest preorder i've ever done for an iphone.

we also opted to do instore pickup. since we both work and wouldn't be home until 530, we didn't want to miss our delivery window, so we opted to hit up the grand central apple store since it like down the block from my job and my husbear isn't that far, over by herald square. we chose after work hours for pick up. my only concern is how long the lines may be since i dont know how they organize those in the program and those just looking to try to buy it in store. so i guess i'll find out this friday how that process really works.
 
You might have trouble showing up that late and getting what looks to be a constrained model on launch day, but you never know. Lines seem to be going away but there will still be small lines I would think. Just depends on how many Green Pro Max's your store gets on if they have any available for you.
 
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If you were looking for any color other than green, I'd say no problem. If they open at 8, 7 is late. At least 6am and if the color is a top seller, good luck. Higher capacity (256/512) may be easier to get.
 
If you have a reservation and pre-ordered then why wouldn't you get that phone?

NM: I missed the part where he said he couldn't pre-order
 
Hm, good point. I may try to get there at 6am instead, 5:30 even.
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bova80 said:
If you have a reservation and pre-ordered then why wouldn't you get that phone?
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My order was canceled for whatever reason, if I order again my phone won't be shipped until October so I'd like to try my luck in store.
 
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You can check store inventory online before you even go in and reserve the exact one you want. You'll choose a time slot and go in then. Makes it super easy and painless.
 
For me last year they made me turn in my old X, then brought out a new XS Max. The new phone wouldn't activate using the sim card in it, so they went and got my old phone out of the back and I swapped the sim cards (I kept both.)

Other than that it was smooth. I'm hoping this year I can just keep my Max out while the upgrade is happening, so I can just do the "tap" to sign in.
 
blueracer said:
this was my first time doing the iPhone Upgrade Program since i've been using a 7Plus since launch. i wasn't going to do the program, but the promise of yearly upgrades made easy was great. its also what my husbear ended up doing with me. so we both applied and were approved for the iphone upgrade program, chose our phones, color, size, etc, finished it and was told to come back at 8am to complete the order. boom, at 8am friday we completed the preorder and thats that. it was the easiest preorder i've ever done for an iphone.

we also opted to do instore pickup. since we both work and wouldn't be home until 530, we didn't want to miss our delivery window, so we opted to hit up the grand central apple store since it like down the block from my job and my husbear isn't that far, over by herald square. we chose after work hours for pick up. my only concern is how long the lines may be since i dont know how they organize those in the program and those just looking to try to buy it in store. so i guess i'll find out this friday how that process really works.
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At at the store I use (Freehold Raceway Mall in NJ) they have always had a separate - and MUCH shorter - line for pre-order pickups. My last pickup on Staten Island the lime was outside the mall, but before the store opened they went down the line and anyone who had a pre-order they pulled out of the line and brought them to a much shorter one inside by the store.
 
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swandy said:
At at the store I use (Freehold Raceway Mall in NJ) they have always had a separate - and MUCH shorter - line for pre-order pickups. My last pickup on Staten Island the lime was outside the mall, but before the store opened they went down the line and anyone who had a pre-order they pulled out of the line and brought them to a much shorter one inside by the store.
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oh really? well that sounds awesome! still, i'm worried lol. i hope everything goes smoothly this friday. god i can't believe i've had this current phone for like 3 years. feels weird to be getting a new one now lol.
 
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