Which launches were like this one?

[Italianblend]

It seems like the 5S is more in supply and demand trouble than the 5 was last year, but I can't be certain, as I didn't participate in that launch.

I'm trying to see which launches went smoothly and which didn't.

From what I can remember:

• 
  4S was pretty smooth if you pre-ordered. I pre-ordered and got it delivered that first Friday.

• 
  ipad 3 was pretty smooth; I was surprised when I called a local best buy on launch day and they still had my model at 3 in the afternoon.

• 
  ipad2 I remember was a mess. It was pretty strapped, similar to the 5S, but I don't think as severe as the gold models. I remember stores getting in a few each day and lines forming each day

So, how was the 5's Launch? Similar to this one or a lot easier to get your hands on your phone?

What about ipad 4?

What about iphone 4?

3GS?

3G?

 

[alent1234]

5 was the same

i bought mine mid october and had to do the 10pm reserve for pickup

 

[Raibyn]

I had no problems getting the iPhone 5 I wanted on launch day. Walked right in to the Verizon store. Same for the 4S. The 3GS I did not get until a couple of months after it came out, so I don't know. Same thing for my original iPhone. I don't recall anything like the supply/demand unbalance we are seeing currently for the gold iPhones in any previous releases.

 

[rockyroad55]

When they announced the white iPhone 4. There were NONE!

 

[KPOM]

The 5 was the same. If anything it was even more constrained. Remember, they launched the 5 in China 2 months later. As was the case this year, the first 1-2 days it was possible to "get lucky" in the store and find one, and then the reservation system went up and supplies were tight. They normalized after about 5 weeks last year and I think it will be the same this year.

Last year they did manage to pre-sell 2 million, of which the first million or so shipped on launch day so that helped the perception that it was easier to get, but I think it just pushed those sales up a few days.

----------

] I don't recall anything like the supply/demand unbalance we are seeing currently for the gold iPhones in any previous releases.

Well, this is the first year there is a gold option. Apple seems to have miscalculated the demand for that specific color. But general iPhone 5s availability seems very similar to last year with the iPhone 5.

 

[Italianblend]

Oh so the 5 was even worse than this? That is a little surprising to me.

I wonder when the models are actually ready for production? Is it literally the week before the announcement? Seems so.

 

[macsoulo]

The 5C is possibly the best launch there ever was.

 

[dave420]

Oh so the 5 was even worse than this? That is a little surprising to me.

I wonder when the models are actually ready for production? Is it literally the week before the announcement? Seems so.

Yea I remember the 5 being worse. I was able to get a 5 from the Apple Store the day after launch, but I think that was partly luck in choosing the right store. I tried in store pickup several times after that and never saw any availability. This year I wasn't able to get one from the store, but in store availability shows several locations that have them.

 

[alent1234]

3GS - i bought one for myself the night of the pre order. stores were out for months

4 - people's online orders were backed up for weeks. stores had them and the scalpers were buying them up for the first month or two. i walked in and bought one in an apple store in line with scalpers

4s - i had to pre order at night again
5 - i ordered one for my wife at launch at 4am since apple's online store crashed for hours since midnight. apple did the reserve and store pickup as well which is how i got mine. for a while you had to be lighting fast to get one, but later you could still log on at 10:01pm and buy one

 

[GGJstudios]

All launches have been like this one:

• A lot of people complaining that the launch takes too long to happen.
• A lot of people complaining that there's not enough product available on launch day.
• A lot of people complaining about shipping times, etc.
• A lot of people complaining about the launched product, it's flaws, pricing, etc.
• A lot of people complaining that the next product launch is taking too long to happen.
• Etc.

 

[Italianblend]

All of that complaining should tell you something about the company. Perhaps the customers are too needy. But they do have a point.

 

[photodesign]

This year I wasn't able to get one from the store, but in store availability shows several locations that have them.

16GB Gold or Silver? I have been looking and have seen a total of ZERO in Florida and Georgia.

----------

All launches have been like this one:

• A lot of people complaining that the launch takes too long to happen.
• A lot of people complaining that there's not enough product available on launch day.
• A lot of people complaining about shipping times, etc.
• A lot of people complaining about the launched product, it's flaws, pricing, etc.
• A lot of people complaining that the next product launch is taking too long to happen.
• Etc.

Apple did a good job of announcing huge opening weekend numbers, and then pushing the rest of the sales to the holiday quarter. This is about the stock price, not customers.

 

[dave420]

16GB Gold or Silver? I have been looking and have seen a total of ZERO in Florida and Georgia.

Yea I guess I lucked out since I wanted the gray one. I'm surprised the silver one is so hard to find since it is basically the same color they had last year.

It's definitely not without precedent though. I was one of the people trying to get a white iPhone 4 at launch, and they ended up being delayed almost 10 months. In that case I settled on the black one about a month after launch.

 

[photodesign]

Yea I guess I lucked out since I wanted the gray one. I'm surprised the silver one is so hard to find since it is basically the same color they had last year.

It's definitely not without precedent though. I was one of the people trying to get a white iPhone 4 at launch, and they ended up being delayed almost 10 months. In that case I settled on the black one about a month after launch.

I preordered the white 4S from Verizon and received it at launch. I remember the whole white fiasco from the 4 launch though...

 

[GGJstudios]

Apple did a good job of announcing huge opening weekend numbers, and then pushing the rest of the sales to the holiday quarter. This is about the stock price, not customers.

Like any responsible company, Apple is going to do what is best for the company's well-being and for the protection of its investors. This should come as no surprise to anyone who understands how business works. It's not about catering to the whims of a minority of customers, but rather doing what is profitable. Whether you agree with their philosophy or not, there is no denying the fact that Apple is obviously successful using its current business methods.

 

[apwtwenty]

let's c if I can remember, lol :

original iPhone: craziness, I think I got one mayb 1-2 months after launch, after some convincing lol

3g , crazy too, didn't wait in line, got one awhile later

3gs, think I waited in line at Apple store, got one

4, don't 'member , might've ordered online, not during launch though

4s, waited in line at Apple store

5, ordered at about 430am eastern time, barely got an order in on time, after a lot of refreshes

5s, couldn't get one during launch ; but receiving one today in the mail

C-:

 

[MLAM]

I pre ordered a 5 last year as soon as it went live online, I pre ordered it via the Apple Store app on my iPhone 4S at the time.

The phone turned up about 1PM on launch day via UPS

I'm in the UK so 8AM is 22:00 over in Cupertino?

The 4S I missed the boat on the pre order so had to wait for a while, that year Apple had the Reserve in store system in place and I managed to get one via that eventually.

 

[CEmajr]

The 4 and 5 were both supply constrained and it took a couple of months before you could just walk into any retailer and they would have them on the shelves. Took around November before stock of the iPhone 5 was readily available and around late August for the 4 (4 launched in June). People were paying up to $1000 on eBay for these phones while the supply was constrained.

The 4S was the different one. It was readily available almost everywhere even within a week of the initial launch. Prices on eBay were below retail.

Can't remember how the 3G/3GS launches went. Didn't pay attention back then.

 

[richpuer]

the 5 was easy. i walked in on launch day at noon. waited for the all the campers to get theirs and then stood in line for 30 mins or so and got my 5

 

[celly]

Ironically, when I called Apple just before my phone shipped last week, they told me this was one of the smoothest releases he had seen and he'd been with the company for almost 4 years. Of course they'll say that.

 

[Jman13]

Oh so the 5 was even worse than this? That is a little surprising to me.

I wonder when the models are actually ready for production? Is it literally the week before the announcement? Seems so.

Plenty are made in advance, but it seems they are shipping them as they're made for many models. My 32 GB Gold AT&T was made between September 15 and 21st (week 38), shipped on the 22nd and was in my hands on the 25th.

 

[Blueline29]

I had no problem getting any of the last 4 (prior to the 5s) on launch day. I ordered for in-store pickup at AT&T for the 3GS, lined up at an Apple store for the 4 (though I was PISSED that I couldn't get white after they touted it so damn much during that year's WWDC), and preordered the 4S and 5. Got all of them exactly when I expected to. That's why this launch was so aggravating to those of us who've done this before, I think.

 

[pmau]

The iPhone 4 was a horrible launch. I seem to recall that I had to wait 4 weeks until delivery. (Carrier contract, new)

But here's my problem with the 5s launch:

With the 5, you were able to pre-order a day after the keynote.
AND: You could see if you would get one or not.

This time, I ordered 12:01 in germany via the App, the Website was still down.
The order came through and already said 7-10 days.

There was no one with an earlier estimate.

My problem is with Apple. They did not let you preorder to make it obvious wether you would get one at launch day.

Why is that important?

People who weren't quick enough to preorder could cancel and walk into a store one week later on launch day.

At least there was a chance to get one at launch and not just order and wit 2 weeks for it to even start shipping.

That's what still drives me crazy.

I'm sorry, it has been said a thousand times, but this time they really screwed us.

 

[dave420]

My problem is with Apple. They did not let you preorder to make it obvious wether you would get one at launch day.

Why is that important?

People who weren't quick enough to preorder could cancel and walk into a store one week later on launch day.

At least there was a chance to get one at launch and not just order and wit 2 weeks for it to even start shipping.

That's what still drives me crazy.

I'm sorry, it has been said a thousand times, but this time they really screwed us.

I am not clear exactly what you are describing here. If you wanted one on launch day you had to go to the store to get it. No Apple orders went into preparing to shipment until at least Saturday after launch, and most people who cancelled their Apple.com orders had their eligibility immediately restored if they found one in a store.