Apple invites iPhone Upgrade Program members to 'prep' for Friday's iPhone 8 pre-orders

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in iPhone
Apple has begun sending emails to people in the iPhone Upgrade Program, urging them to do "prep work" to be sure they can pre-order an iPhone 8 this Friday morning.




"Pre-order for iPhone 8 starts on 9.15," an email seen by AppleInsider reads. "Get all the prep work done now with the Apple Store app on your iPhone to save time at pre-order -- when every minute counts."

Although November's iPhone X may divert some shoppers, many people are expected to crush Apple's website starting at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time on Friday, hoping to get an iPhone 8 delivered at the product's Sept. 22 launch. In the past, launch-day iPhone units have often run out hours or even minutes after the start of pre-orders.

The Apple Store iOS app may be the fastest way for iPhone Upgrade Program customers to check for eligibility, since it can automatically scan for a device's serial number and IMEI. The process is also available on the Web, but requires signing in with an Apple ID and/or entering numbers manually.

At the price of trade-ins and monthly fees, the Upgrade Program lets people switch to a new iPhone every year, covered by an AppleCare+ warranty. Because iPhones have become more expensive in general however, the minimum cost of the program has risen to at least $34.50 per month for a regular iPhone 8, and $39.50 per month for an 8 Plus.

While largely similar to the iPhone 7, the 8 is equipped with things like a faster A11 processor, Qi wireless charging, and camera improvements for augmented reality and better video shooting. Plus models not only have a dual-lens camera but access to a beta Portrait Lighting feature.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    Can you imagine the *rush* there will be on Carrier Websites as well? And they don't get nearly the same amount of new stock.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    I think demand for the iPhone 8 is going to be very soft. It's a very minor upgrade from the 7, so a lot of people with 6S or 7 will not feel compelled to upgrade, and the iPhone X will pull all of the demand from the early adopter and more affluent demographics (Apple's traditional core demographics). Apple made a pretty serious strategic error by not investing more heavily in OLED production lines and going pretty much all in with iPhone X for new models. They will not be able to come close to meeting the enormous demand for the iPhone X (even at $1000) and will have relatively overall low sell-through numbers this Christmas quarter. Revenue will be somewhat offset by the higher ASP due to iPhone X price, but will still drop to some extent. The iPhone X story will look like the AirPods story played on a larger scale: everyone loves them and it will take at least a year to catch up with demand.
    supadav03hodar
  • Reply 3 of 10
    larryjwlarryjw Posts: 1,031member
    There is no obvious user functions which will drive the newest iPhones. AR is still a year away, and the built in neuronetworking chip is only about facial recognition. This time next year, it might be a different story, but unless iOS 11 will drive people to upgrade from older phones, the sale of new iPhones will be lackluster.
  • Reply 4 of 10
    Can someone here who is already in the iPhone Upgrade Program comment on it?

    I'm considering joining and would love to hear from someone already in the program (not a commentator).
  • Reply 5 of 10
    I won't be one waiting to "crush" Apple's website. Oct 27th is the day for me. I will say though, I'm really digging that gold option on the iPhone 8 & im a little hesitant to give up Touch ID for Face ID
  • Reply 6 of 10
    Can someone here who is already in the iPhone Upgrade Program comment on it?

    I'm considering joining and would love to hear from someone already in the program (not a commentator).
    I'm on the upgrade plan through Apple and think it's the best option. You're not beholden to a specific carrier, AppleCare is included in your monthly payments, no need for expensive carrier insurance & high deductibles, plus you can upgrade every year (or sooner). With the newly added mail-in option they have made it even easier to send in your old phone and upgrade to the latest and greatest. I'll be happy not having to make the trek to my not-so-local Apple Store. Plus, it's always easier to deal with Apple's customer service than the carrier's, which is a huge bonus to me.

    With my monthly iPhone charge of about $46 (7 Plus 256GB) and my share of my unlimited family plan, I only pay like $86 a month. Will only go up by about $10 once I upgrade to the iPhone X 256GB. Not bad for unlimited data and access to the latest & greatest from Apple. 
    lolliver
  • Reply 7 of 10
    I'll be upgrading because taptic engine feels a bit quirky with my iPhone 7. Besides, the value proposition of iUP diminishes the longer you wait after the 12th payment, because you're trading in the device for the rest of payments; after some point the convenience no longer outweighs the price difference for paying off and selling it yourself. iPhone X launch cycle sadly doesn't quite align with my upgrade cycles, so I'll probably skip the first gen.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    I think demand for the iPhone 8 is going to be very soft. It's a very minor upgrade from the 7, so a lot of people with 6S or 7 will not feel compelled to upgrade, and the iPhone X will pull all of the demand from the early adopter and more affluent demographics (Apple's traditional core demographics). Apple made a pretty serious strategic error by not investing more heavily in OLED production lines and going pretty much all in with iPhone X for new models. They will not be able to come close to meeting the enormous demand for the iPhone X (even at $1000) and will have relatively overall low sell-through numbers this Christmas quarter. Revenue will be somewhat offset by the higher ASP due to iPhone X price, but will still drop to some extent. The iPhone X story will look like the AirPods story played on a larger scale: everyone loves them and it will take at least a year to catch up with demand.
    Wow. Can't wait to see how wrong you are. IPhone 8 is a significant upgrade for 6/6s users and a compelling upgrade for 7 users. Not all, of course, but many.

    How is at an Apple strategic error for not investing in OLED production lines? In case you haven't noticed, Apple doesn't invest in production lines. They contract with other companies for assembly and components. Helping where they need to and can. Actually, Samsung, LG and Sharp are the ones who didn't invest or the technology is just maturing now for extremely high volumes.
    lolliver
  • Reply 9 of 10
    I'm in the program. My 2 years is up in Dec 2017 on a 128GB 6s+. I'm looking at the 8s for 256GB and the camera. Everything else is just expected 'upgrade performance territory.'

    Should I wait for and go for the X?  Compelling piece of hardware but I've always stayed one version behind, even though I was eligible to upgrade to the 7 series when it launched. 

    In all honesty, there is absolutely nothing wrong with my 6s+. Battery is still very good (2 days easily for my usage), it's wrapped in its Apple leather case and ZAGG silicone screen protector...never do their glass versions..., and other than the size being a big adjustment from the 5 I last owned, I only have to decide if I want to continue renting-to-own the latest capabilities. I'm weighing it against a second gen X model in another year where I can keep my 6s+ at that time (I will have completed the two year payments to Apple) as the car iPod upgrade device riding silently on a USB connection in the center arm rest. (That will at least officially retire my first gen iPod Touch 32GB unit serving that role today.)
    edited September 2017
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