Well, I got through on apple.com at about 8 am central. I have a reservation for a black 32GB iPhone, with Apple Store pickup on the 24th, and I've gotten email confirmation from Apple.
I have to do a reservation/pickup because I'm flying to London that night. Didn't want to take a chance on delivery getting screwed up before I left.
Unfortunately it's listed at the $699 price - without contract. I'm upgrading from an original iPhone, so I'm way eligible for the upgrade, but the AT&T eligibility portion of the signup process seemed to crash, and I made the reservation anyway. I presume that the Apple Store will be able to adjust the price accordingly when I pick the phone up, although it's anyone's guess whether AT&T's servers will be able to handle all the verification checks for launch day purchases after today's debacle.
I'm pretty sure the problem is with ATT. I have gotten through all the screens on apple.com to "check eligibility" and it hangs here every time. Also checking on ATT site and it "cannot process request" to verify my eligibility.
I just got through the preorder process using the new Apple Retail Store App.
I never had a chance using at the Apple website. I literally entered my information to verify my eligibility, went to take a shower, and returned to find the browser still hung up. Then, when I used the iPhone app, I was able to get through very quickly.
Tried this morning via both the app and the online store. Neither worked. Tried the store just a few minutes ago with no luck, but the app worked straight away. Things seem to be unclogging...
Because I think the app got smart and just didn't keep trying when it couldn't connect to AT&T and instead just sent us to get a reservation.
I went to my local AT&T store when it opened at 9 this morning. I was the fourth or fifth in line and was able to work with a customer service rep immediately. After entering all of my information, their computer system froze up when it tried to verify address. Some reps were able to get past this but got hung up during the payment application or some other aspect of the order. Of course, the store manager wasn't in. She didn't drag in till about an hour after they opened. The reps were complaining that she decided to be late on this day of all days. They finally had to write the order the "old timey" way, with a pen on a preprinted paper order. I left at 10:30, an hour and one half after getting there. All of the other customers who had started working with their rep before me at 9:00 were still there filling out the same paperwork.
The service rep is supposed to call me after they successfully enter the order. I have a feeling that the order will not get entered correctly and I have blown my chance of to get he phone by June 25. This is my 4th iPhone; I purchased one of each generation at the time they were announced. Each one has presented its own problems and frustrations with activation. I guess I should be surprised that a company whose business is "communications" was so ill-prepared for the onslaught of orders. However, Apple is partially to blame for giving AT&T a monopoly on the iPhone in the States.
A couple of times, I got as far as the actual monthly plan prices being displayed, before getting frozen out.
However, I have slight concern: The pricing shows $299 for the handset, $99.99/mo for 'voice', $30/mo for data (unlimited, but with option to change), and $5/mo for text (200 msgs, with option to change). First, I find it a bit odd that I am not given the option to choose the basic 450min voice plan ($39.99 or something to that effect); second, the basic voice is my current plan, yet I am being bumped up to some other level that is $60 higher.
Anyone else face this issue? Or have a possible explanation? (I do have a family plan with two other phones, but this pricing was just on my one mobile number that I am switching to the new iPhone, not the whole family plan).
nope.... It's both of them. I got all the way through confirming the order and it "timed out". Clearly apple's problem as well.
I don't believe that clinches it as an Apple problem--the final confirmation may rely on confirming the sale with AT&T.
If rumors that AT&T has shut down its on-line ordering are true, then this suggests AT&T is politely taking the hit/loss on its direct on-line sales and allowing third parties to sell instead.
Using the NEW App. got the pre order in for pick up on the 24th![/QUOTE]
AT&T Website has been down since least 7:45 this morning on the east cost. Went into AT&T's brick and mortar store only to be told at 11:08 did I attempt thier Website. I had to inform them you're joking right cause it down. The store employees soon found out when they had to process the order manually and so that took me 40 minutes before getting the phone. Got back to the Puzzle palace and was informed from a colleague that the Apple store said to use the Apple app that was released today.
Folks at the Puzzle palace been making their orders today without any incident and they are still ordering them. \
1 Gremlin (pun intended naturally for this day and it my login name)
The guy at the AT&T store said that the iPhone 4 I ordered was guaranteed to arrive on launch day (6/24). But then I get a confirmation email from them saying the following:
Your iPhone has been reserved and is expected to ship on or after June 24, 2010.
Servers can stream ..and are streaming!!, Live World Cup VIDEO to hundreds of millions of viewers.
BUT
AT&T can't do a simple Mother!@#$%ing database look-up.
WTF!@#$%
I'm not going to apologize for AT&T, but streaming video to millions of viewers is an art that has been practiced and honed continuously for years now. It's a very different problem from database transaction processing and the handling of loads that spike like this about once a year.
Comments
I have to do a reservation/pickup because I'm flying to London that night. Didn't want to take a chance on delivery getting screwed up before I left.
Unfortunately it's listed at the $699 price - without contract. I'm upgrading from an original iPhone, so I'm way eligible for the upgrade, but the AT&T eligibility portion of the signup process seemed to crash, and I made the reservation anyway. I presume that the Apple Store will be able to adjust the price accordingly when I pick the phone up, although it's anyone's guess whether AT&T's servers will be able to handle all the verification checks for launch day purchases after today's debacle.
I never had a chance using at the Apple website. I literally entered my information to verify my eligibility, went to take a shower, and returned to find the browser still hung up. Then, when I used the iPhone app, I was able to get through very quickly.
Tried this morning via both the app and the online store. Neither worked. Tried the store just a few minutes ago with no luck, but the app worked straight away. Things seem to be unclogging...
Because I think the app got smart and just didn't keep trying when it couldn't connect to AT&T and instead just sent us to get a reservation.
I just made mine, too.
All AT&T.
The service rep is supposed to call me after they successfully enter the order. I have a feeling that the order will not get entered correctly and I have blown my chance of to get he phone by June 25. This is my 4th iPhone; I purchased one of each generation at the time they were announced. Each one has presented its own problems and frustrations with activation. I guess I should be surprised that a company whose business is "communications" was so ill-prepared for the onslaught of orders. However, Apple is partially to blame for giving AT&T a monopoly on the iPhone in the States.
This is worse than the original iPhone launch...
Vastly more demand now than 3 years ago. Unlike back then, the iPhone is a proven quantity and availability is "world-wide".
Has there ever been as big of a sales event as this before?
However, I have slight concern: The pricing shows $299 for the handset, $99.99/mo for 'voice', $30/mo for data (unlimited, but with option to change), and $5/mo for text (200 msgs, with option to change). First, I find it a bit odd that I am not given the option to choose the basic 450min voice plan ($39.99 or something to that effect); second, the basic voice is my current plan, yet I am being bumped up to some other level that is $60 higher.
Anyone else face this issue? Or have a possible explanation? (I do have a family plan with two other phones, but this pricing was just on my one mobile number that I am switching to the new iPhone, not the whole family plan).
I hope my question makes sense....
nope.... It's both of them. I got all the way through confirming the order and it "timed out". Clearly apple's problem as well.
I don't believe that clinches it as an Apple problem--the final confirmation may rely on confirming the sale with AT&T.
If rumors that AT&T has shut down its on-line ordering are true, then this suggests AT&T is politely taking the hit/loss on its direct on-line sales and allowing third parties to sell instead.
Doesn't matter. The HTC Aria launch is going to dwarf the iPhone 4.
"Hey dear? I remember hiring a juggler, but not a comedian."
No, they do not 'struggle', as 'struggle' implies some sort of resistance to utter failure - which the Apple Store has not mustered.
It has not struggled - it has shat itself and now bathes in the funk of it's own poo.
Apple is becoming the new Microsoft - sad to say, as only they could rise to a fuck-up-i-tood of this stature.
Servers can stream ..and are streaming!!, Live World Cup VIDEO to hundreds of millions of viewers.
BUT
AT&T can't do a simple Mother!@#$%ing database look-up.
WTF!@#$%
AT&T Website has been down since least 7:45 this morning on the east cost. Went into AT&T's brick and mortar store only to be told at 11:08 did I attempt thier Website. I had to inform them you're joking right cause it down. The store employees soon found out when they had to process the order manually and so that took me 40 minutes before getting the phone. Got back to the Puzzle palace and was informed from a colleague that the Apple store said to use the Apple app that was released today.
Folks at the Puzzle palace been making their orders today without any incident and they are still ordering them.
1 Gremlin (pun intended naturally for this day and it my login name)
Doesn't matter. The HTC Aria launch is going to dwarf the iPhone 4.
The HTC what?
'Struggle'???
No, they do not 'struggle', as 'struggle' implies some sort of resistance to utter failure - which the Apple Store has not mustered.
It has not struggled - it has shat itself and now bathes in the funk of it's own poo.
Apple is becoming the new Microsoft - sad to say, as only they could rise to a fuck-up-i-tood of this stature.
AT&T is the most incompetent company in the US. I'm stuck with them because of my love for apple products.
The reason you cant place orders via apples website is because apple has to check to see if your eligible for a discount via AT&T servers.
As usual att servers are crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wake up Steve and go to Verizon a real phone company.
AT&T is the most incompetent company in the US. I'm stuck with them because of my love for apple products.
The reason you cant place orders via apples website is because apple has to check to see if your eligible for a discount via AT&T servers.
As usual att servers are crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wake up Steve and go to Verizon a real phone company.
Don't care. This still falls on Steve and Apple. They've had 4 years to get this shit right.
I'm THIS close to just saying 'fuck it' and going with an Android phone. Really. And I have been a Mac diehard since 2001.
This is unforgivably gawd-awfully bad service.
Your iPhone has been reserved and is expected to ship on or after June 24, 2010.
What gives?
AT&T is a COMPLETE ClusterF!@#$%.
Servers can stream ..and are streaming!!, Live World Cup VIDEO to hundreds of millions of viewers.
BUT
AT&T can't do a simple Mother!@#$%ing database look-up.
WTF!@#$%
I'm not going to apologize for AT&T, but streaming video to millions of viewers is an art that has been practiced and honed continuously for years now. It's a very different problem from database transaction processing and the handling of loads that spike like this about once a year.