Apple to launch iPhone at 6 p.m. on June 29
Closing out his keynote address at Apple's annual developers conference on Monday, chief executive Steve Jobs announced that iPhone will not go on sale until the early evening of June 29th.
Jobs told a crowd of developers in San Francisco that the inaugural Apple handset would be available beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29th, but did not specify whether that time was pacific time, eastern time, or local regional time.
Representatives for Apple did not respond to inquiries seeking clarification.
It was previously assumed that the device would be made available through Apple and AT&T retail stores in the early morning hours.
The later timeframe appears to have been selected as part of a broader bid by the Cupertino-based Apple to entice a media frenzy with large crowds, in which those with day jobs are not at a disadvantage when it comes to snagging an iPhone on day one.
Reports as to how many iPhones will actually be available on June 29th have ranged from less than 40 per AT&T store to 3 million in total. The device is due to go on sale at approximately 1800 AT&T locations in addition to over 170 Apple retail stores.
Jobs told a crowd of developers in San Francisco that the inaugural Apple handset would be available beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29th, but did not specify whether that time was pacific time, eastern time, or local regional time.
Representatives for Apple did not respond to inquiries seeking clarification.
It was previously assumed that the device would be made available through Apple and AT&T retail stores in the early morning hours.
The later timeframe appears to have been selected as part of a broader bid by the Cupertino-based Apple to entice a media frenzy with large crowds, in which those with day jobs are not at a disadvantage when it comes to snagging an iPhone on day one.
Reports as to how many iPhones will actually be available on June 29th have ranged from less than 40 per AT&T store to 3 million in total. The device is due to go on sale at approximately 1800 AT&T locations in addition to over 170 Apple retail stores.
Comments
Since the store is no more than two or three blocks, I may swing by every hour starting at 6 on the 28th. I just don't know if I can handle not being one of the first owners!
This also depends on how many phones each store is to hold. I'm slowly working out the details. Today I just learned that I don't need to touch my plan when I buy a phone, so it's as in and out as possible. I'm also hoping that case-mate.com ships the iPhone cases before release, that way I can walk in and walk out with everything I need.
What time are you guys going to start lining up? Do you think If I go at like 2PM for 6PM It will be alright at an att store?
I can see it now... Big crowds, cops, media blitz. ahh, yes... free publicity abound.
and yes, I think that's fine.
What time are you guys going to start lining up? Do you think If I go at like 2PM for 6PM It will be alright at an att store?
12:15 PM, June 2, 2008.
But, only if the phone and software are up to snuff by then.
ok iphone is nice and everything but, now they even set a specific time for it to go on sale, to tease people thats really dum, am planning to get one but, without seing the real thing am getting tired of it already, could really care less now if i get it or not to tell you the truth
This is exactly what Apple has always done with special events at the Apple Stores. Nothing new or unexpected at all.
The store opens as usual all day Friday, but then closes at 5. Then it reopens at 6 with iPhone availability, some special deals, and (if you're lucky enough to be at the Palo Alto Store) special appearances from some Apple execs. They did this exact thing for Tiger and Panther.
The hard part is going to be including AT&T stores in the deal. I can't imagine some AT&T stores holding off until 6 to start selling iPhones. Though, maybe Apple is going to put the hammer down on that. Hard to say.
Since the store is no more than two or three blocks, I may swing by every hour starting at 6 on the 28th. ........
What do you do for a living? I want your job...... (or, are you just taking the day off?).
And, does Apple do Saturday (overnight) delivery?
Jobs told a crowd of developers in San Francisco that the inaugural Apple handset would be available beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29th, but did not specify whether that time was pacific time, eastern time, or local regional time.
Did not Steve actually say, “I believe it’s 6 pm in the evening when they’ll go on sale.”?
Does it seem fair to assume it will be sold at the online Apple Store?
And, does Apple do Saturday (overnight) delivery?
They did Saturday overnight delivery for the OS X public beta, I remember. And they did it for free, too, as a surprise. Hard to say if they'll do that for iPhone. I do assume, though, that they'll take orders on the online store a week or so in advance, and attempt to deliver them by Friday or the following Monday, if not on Saturday.
I'm pretty sure at least some web orderers got their copies of Tiger and Panther by that Friday morning. But you have to be one of the first few to order to get it that quick. Otherwise, you could end up on backorder.
I always tell people that on average, ordering from the online store is the least risky for getting a new Apple product quickly. The stores are always touch and go with availability for new products.
For all we know, Apple will only have a few 8 GB phones at each store, and a whole bunch of 4 GB ones. They did that with the first gen nano. Way too many 2 GB, way too few 4 GB. It was like that for weeks after launch, too.
Of course, with the nano, you always had the eBay option. With a phone, once you've activated it on contract, selling it later to get the bigger version gets a lot trickier.
Everything depends on how well Apple anticipates demand and distributes product accordingly. Historically, this has been one of Apple's biggest problems, but they've had a lot of experience now in retail, so maybe they'll get it right this time.
They did Saturday overnight delivery for the OS X public beta, I remember. And they did it for free, too, as a surprise. Hard to say if they'll do that for iPhone. I do assume, though, that they'll take orders on the online store a week or so in advance, and attempt to deliver them by Friday or the following Monday, if not on Saturday.
I'm pretty sure at least some web orderers got their copies of Tiger and Panther by that Friday morning. But you have to be one of the first few to order to get it that quick. Otherwise, you could end up on backorder.
I always tell people that on average, ordering from the online store is the least risky for getting a new Apple product quickly. The stores are always touch and go with availability for new products.
For all we know, Apple will only have a few 8 GB phones at each store, and a whole bunch of 4 GB ones. They did that with the first gen nano. Way too many 2 GB, way too few 4 GB. It was like that for weeks after launch, too.
Of course, with the nano, you always had the eBay option. With a phone, once you've activated it on contract, selling it later to get the bigger version gets a lot trickier.
Everything depends on how well Apple anticipates demand and distributes product accordingly. Historically, this has been one of Apple's biggest problems, but they've had a lot of experience now in retail, so maybe they'll get it right this time.
Good insights. Thanks.
They are getting them 2-3 days before they go on sale. The SKU won't register when they try and scan it until the evening before (just to be safe so it works) Employees have gotten instructions that ringing them early will get you in serious trouble.
That said, everyone they know is still planning to come in early and get them when they ship. The ESNs aren't blocked in the computer, and since it's a sim they can ring whatever they want. He made it clear that I could come in, give him my credit card # and he would charge me when the machine let him. This is going to be tough for most people, because they can't ring up "generic phone at $499" then switch it to iPhone later (they will get in trouble if 20 iphones are rung up this way)
So basically if you know an employee you can get one early.
lets all be honest. Some of us will have the iPhone the day it arrives in the Cingular store. I talked to my friend who works at Cingular, and this is what he knows.
They are getting them 2-3 days before they go on sale. The SKU won't register when they try and scan it until the evening before (just to be safe so it works) Employees have gotten instructions that ringing them early will get you in serious trouble.
That said, everyone they know is still planning to come in early and get them when they ship. The ESNs aren't blocked in the computer, and since it's a sim they can ring whatever they want. He made it clear that I could come in, give him my credit card # and he would charge me when the machine let him. This is going to be tough for most people, because they can't ring up "generic phone at $499" then switch it to iPhone later (they will get in trouble if 20 iphones are rung up this way)
So basically if you know an employee you can get one early.
Really? If so, I'm totally going to schmooze a few employees in the next few weeks!