Apple sells out of first-day delivery iPhone 5 pre-orders, now quoting 2 weeks - Page 2

This just in:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/14/iphone-5-pre-order-sells-out-20x-faster-than-4-and-4s-further-highlighting-apples-dominance/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29

It's an impressive feat, but still useless without some quantifying numbers. No one knows how many they had. Apple always shares, so just have to wait it out.

 

EDIT: It could also be a shift where Apple supplied the carriers with more this go around as they all still have stock. Without numbers it's anyones guess. Too early to call.

Apple is launching in a lot more markets, both the ones simultaneous to the US launch and the second set of countries one week later. It would be hard to fathom that Apple hasn't significantly upgraded manufacturing capacity and/or built up a very large inventory prior to release.

 

I have to wait, though, as I won't buy a locked iPhone. I wish Apple would release them at the same time in the US as the carrier versions, but what can you do?

Yep: 5 minutes tops and done.

 

If I recall correctly, AT&T ALWAYS had issues with Apple pre-orders and everyone thought it was all b/c of the demand. It looks like it's their crappy infrastructure than anything else.

Absolutely. The first couple of iPhone launches on AT&T were total disasters - it often took HOURS to get an order placed. It was 2-3 days before their systems were operating normally - and that was with fewer phones than Apple is selling today.

Loser!

Perhaps the quantity of pre-order iPhones exceeds FedEx and UPS's ability to deliver them all on one day. Assuming that the only possible cause for delay is the supply of iPhones is irrational. It could be simply a local logistics problem such as lack of trucks and drivers. They will have thousands of iPhones available at each Apple Store but they will sell out daily for  the next couple weeks.

Actually, considering that FedEx has typically shipped directly out of Shanghai, you have to factor in the government's ability to clear customs to get the phones into the country as well as filling up the cargo planes with product. It actually makes sense to do a global launch, since some of these factors get spread out among multiple territories.

To the folks obsessing over their pre-order status... am I missing something?

 

When I bought my 4s at a US AT&T store on release day last year, I arrived about 45 minutes before their scheduled opening time. (Disclaimer: longtime AT&T customer.)  I was ninth in line.

 

I was helped by a sales rep within three minutes of their opening the store.  The actual purchase, and having the rep transfer my data directly from my ancient Treo, took all of 12 minutes.  Altogether, a little over an hour's worth of personal effort (not counting travel time to the store), for as close to a perfect purchase experience as I've ever had.

 

So back to my naive question: what makes pre-orders preferable to an experience like mine?

"e." - the delay at Sharp's panel because of production-issues?

I'm a 9/28er, but I can wait, again.

 

There will be plenty of Galaxy S III's for the folks that despise waiting.  Just saying.

 

The part about waiting in line.  I did it with the iPhone 3G and swore to never do it again.  In Atlanta, that meant arriving well before opening, like 6:30 AM, and I was like 30th in line.

Apple shows my delivery date now as October 5.  :-(

 

I didn't trust AT&T not to screw up so went to apple.com.  Then read that the carriers still had stock this morning, but AT&T knew I had ordered an upgrade so now I wasn't eligible.

 

I could have maybe cancelled the apple.com order and then tried to get it from AT&T, but I didn't trust them to not screw that up as well.

 

This is the first iPhone I've tried to get on launch day.  Should have just scheduled a trip to the store like others have mentioned.

Quite simply, your experience was unusual. For most people, it means arriving at the store long before opening time and waiting in line for hours. Then getting into the store and finding that their stock has all been sold, so you get a raincheck and get to repeat the process.

In addition, having to deal with the staff members at most carrier stores is a royal pain. I probably had to spell my last name 10 times the last time I went through it and they kept messing things up (giving me the wrong service, etc). Even if I don't get my phone on the first day, I will not stand in line at an AT&T store again.

Of course, for me, it's a non-issue since I switched to Straighttalk. I just have to wait for Apple to start selling unlocked phones of this model.

I just tired to heed your advice. They say 28th now. I guess it's the store line for me.

 

Off the top of my head:

 

1) You don't live close to an Apple/AT&T/Verizon store

2) You have other demands on your time (my reason).  In rush hour traffic/transit, it would be well over an hour of travel time just to get to the store and back for me.  Add lineup time, activation, and it's around 2 hours or more.

Not having to wait in line at all? I can just sit at home next Friday and wait for the truck to arrive, or go to work and expect it when I get home. Your experience still took an hour, whereas mine will arrive on my schedule.

 

Plus, I agree that Apple has done a great job of getting more units into retailers stores for the launch, but on the westside of LA where demand will be high, that likely would mean having to find the most remote, inconvenient store to go to and hope that they were allotted more than they geographically deserved.

Its easier to stay up at midnight and place your order then go back to bed. Apple stores open at what 8 am? they always have huge lines, and I have to get my daughter to school that day. So its just personal preference. I prefer to stay up in the comfort of my own home and wait patientely at work while I get some work done, for it to arrive. I don't like going to carrier stores, and there isn't one close to work.

Sure … and it would be a splendid example of platinum level business practices to now crank down the supply after a decade of increasing levels in initial demand? One can thus understand my Microsoft stock has been soaring lately. Try to keep in mind that "counter-factuals" are not necessarily so.

 

Cheers

I just hope the first batch of phones will be bug free...