Store hours to change for iPhone 3G S launch
Apple and AT&T are preparing for the launch of the iPhone 3G S on June 19th by opening their doors early. Specifically, many Apple Stores will be open at 8:00 AM. Of course, the phones will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, so standing in line with your credit card might not guarantee you a handset on launch day. Go through the pre-order process if you're concerned.
Additionally, AT&T stores have setup pre-ordering online, and customers who take advantage will be able to show up at 7:00 AM. For more detail about AT&T's plans, check out Seth's video above.
Good luck, shoppers. Is it crazy that I want the white one?
[Via MacNN]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Preston said 11:04AM on 6-11-2009
I don't think the lines for this one will be as long as with the 2 previous generations of iphone.
Reply
DA360 said 11:12AM on 6-11-2009
Yea, sadly because of AT&T themselves making it difficult for people to upgrade without their 2 year contract expiring or paying full retail. You would think they would just renew the contract to let you upgrade.
shaunisadirty said 11:51AM on 6-11-2009
DA360, it's not AT&T's fault. It's called a contract. They are completely right in this case. It's your fault for thinking you need to have the latest phone instantly and can't wait to fulfill the contract you signed. This would be the same case with any phone.
mando said 1:40PM on 6-11-2009
When the first gen came out, they said we paid full retail for it and therefore it was not subsidized. So why did I have to sign a 2 year contract? In contrast, I got a 3G for $299 (16 Gig) and I still had to sign a 2 year contract. So which is it? They were both subsidized (a 2 year contract was required for BOTH). If I paid full retail for the 3G no contract was required. I do not see the logic to those who said that the first gen was not subsidized.
"Bob" said 1:51PM on 6-11-2009
The first gen phone wasn't subsidized. However, you wanted the phone so badly that you CHOSE to sign a contract WITHOUT subsidy. Just because you're signing a contract for something doesn't necessarily mean there's a subsidy involved.
You did read the contract, right?
PSM said 5:33PM on 6-11-2009
I just wrote to AT&T about this, because I last got a subsidized phone in Oct 2007 (or so I thought), and thought my 3G iPhone was "full price" at $499. They claim that by signing the iPhone contract, I got my phone at a discount, (as if $499 was a discount off something else, although I don't remember the option to buy it contract-free for more). It seems like they are now considering it to be two levels of subsidy -- one for $299 for those 18 mos. into their contract, one for $499 for those signing a new contract, and $699 full price. It seems from this thread that the idea of $499 not being "full price" for the 3G is news to a lot of people!
However, they also told me that I can re-sign my contract to get the 3GS for $499, which the Apple website did not show as a pricing option.
aph3x said 11:12AM on 6-11-2009
Frankly - I think the $99 iPhone 3G will be more of a pull right now than the more expensive 3GS. As Preston said above - I'd hardly expect the same kind of lines we saw with the 3G. The lines weren't that bad for the original if memory serves as I walked into an Apple store that day and purchased one without waiting in line.
Reply
Fantastik said 11:34AM on 6-11-2009
I am just going wait till Hong Kong release their iPhone already unlocked and go with a t mobile plan since At&t failed pretty hard.
Reply
Frank Stedtler said 11:38AM on 6-11-2009
Being punished by paying full retail because I already own a 3G is insane. I should get a break on price not pay more. ATT and Apple need to get their collective heads out of that dark place,located on their backside!!!
Reply
Joe said 11:49AM on 6-11-2009
No, you signed a contract. It is no different from any other phone. But it at full price or early upgrade price or don't
Le Big Mac said 11:45AM on 6-11-2009
You're not being punished. You're just not being rewarded (with a subsidized phone) twice in 12 months.
John said 12:07PM on 6-11-2009
AT&T already gave you a price break when they covered part of the cost of your iPhone 3G in exchange for you signing your name to a 2-year contract. You haven't finished your side of the deal yet, so why should they give you another discount?
I'm no fan of AT&T or any other telco, but I find your sense of entitlement to be a little odd.
John said 11:49AM on 6-11-2009
If memory serves, the iPhone 3G wasn't available for purchase online, whereas the original iPhone was. I think that's what really made the lines so long last summer. The 3GS is available for online purchase on both apple.com and att.com, so that should make things a lot easier this time around.
Reply
Le Big Mac said 1:06PM on 6-11-2009
No, it was the lack of online activation of the iPhone 3G. You had to do it in the store. With the original, they bagged it and charged you within seconds--no need to review credit checks and so forth.
Stiv said 12:07PM on 6-11-2009
Yeah, I did the preorder for in-store pick-up. But the fine print at the bottom of my email confirmation says that pre-ordering does not guarantee availability and that the iPhone is being sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
So, what's the point of my effing pre-order, Apple?
Reply
"Bob" said 1:56PM on 6-11-2009
It's not a pre-order. It's pre-qualification. Basically, they're verifying your information, running the credit check, and (if transferring from another carrier) getting your old carriers information NOW, so that there's no chance of you failing the credit check, or forgetting to bring your T-mobile account number to the store on game day.
The benefit to you is you know you're not gonna get hit with a deposit, or forget information after waiting in a long line.
The benefit to Apple is it takes much less time to process a transaction that was started at home.
Shunnabunich said 11:51AM on 6-11-2009
Considering Apple was too lazy to make white fronts for the white-backed iPhones, yeah, you are kinda crazy for wanting something that fugly. :P
Reply
ill trooper said 6:39PM on 6-11-2009
I think a white front on the iPhone would look terrible. It would make the screen look small, and having white divided by the chrome bezel would look cheap.
I considered getting the 3GS in black, since I've had the white 3G for a year, but decided that the black iPhone has never grown on me. So when I'm eligible in August for the upgrade, a white 3GS it shall be.
glarbleflarb said 11:54AM on 6-11-2009
Why not just order it online and have it delivered to you on release day? Excuse me - Release Day. Avoid the lines and the hassle and the possibility of running out of the phone you want before you get to the front of the line.
Reply
bsvec said 12:30PM on 6-11-2009
This is exactly what I did. I got worried for a minute when I saw this article that I misunderstood and would still have to go pick up the phone at a store.
I just got my order acknowledgment that says it will be delivered to my house on June 19th. It seems obvious that preordering to a store wont guarantee that it will be there. What are they going to do hold it for you while you hundreds of people are lined up trying to buy them?