Update... Received an email today that the iPhone 7 has actually shipped overnight via UPS and will be delivered tomorrow morning. The tracking number shows that UPS has picked up the phone from T-Mobile's distribution point and its on its way.
Note that I did a JUMP upgrade with T-Mobile on the 12th. A ticket was processed and I received several emails stating that it had shipped and "was on its way" two days ago. Obviously they are holding them until the official Apple release date of the16th. Not bad however and no real problem from my point of view.
One issue that someone brought up was that contended that Apple has been known to tell UPS when they can deliver phones... and have been known to hold up carrier deliveries. The only time that can happen is if the phone is shipped via Apple itself. Apple processes the shipping label with the shipping date and UPS will hold it until that specific date. Apple has no control over a UPS shipment when a carrier sends out a phone nor can it tell UPS to stop a shipment. If T-Mobile had actually sent out my phone yesterday for delivery today, their would be nothing Apple could do about it. That is like me calling UPS and telling them to hold up a shipment that my next door neighbor is expecting because I don't like it being delivered on a specific day. Can't happen. That would be impeding the delivery of goods... not something Apple would ever get into with the Feds.
On the other hand, if Apple has specific ship date it has worked out with the carriers, that is another subject. In the case of the iPhone 7s, they obviously have a date, tomorrow, in which the consumer can get their hands on the phone. So the carriers have abided by that date and the shipments are starting today. Again, if something is shipped out early via UPS or USPS, Apple is powerless to stop it.