Apple was not prepared!

[diaz2010]

Neither was I; I live about 3 states and 500 miles away! :laughing:

I do agree with diaz2010 though that an area like that should warrant more than 1 gold 64GB iPhone 5s. If the first 2 in line both wanted it, there undoubtedly were many more behind them that did too. Of course, Apple didn't know who would be in line and what they'd want, but with their demographics research I'm surprised they didn't have more available. Maybe the supply was short enough of that precise phone that 1 was all they could spare for that particular store.

Either way, I don't think I would settle for anything other than what I was after if it can be had by waiting a couple weeks. Most users will use the phone they got for the next 2 years. Is it worth compromising to get it a couple weeks earlier?

I agree that after spending that much time in line I will not settle for a different color than what I wanted. For now I have the space grey model and the store is going to call me when they get the gold in so that I can exchange.

However, I am still disappointed in the way that Apple handled this launch. If someone would have told me before Friday that an Apple launch would be this big of a disaster I would have laughed in their face... This is not the Apple that Steve worked for many years to build back up...

 

[Larry Pager]

I'm a bit more cynical about all this.
Apple didn't get to where they are today by being totally unprepared with fubaring releases of major hardware.
As for the fingerprint scanner holding things up, sure I believe that it wasn't the easiest thing to produce. But it's not like they just started making the phones last week. I think it's a bit of mind games with the "I want what I can't have". Control supply a bit, media jumps on it, people now are interested.

And Apple can't win- if all the stores each had iPhones stacked floor to ceiling, the media would be howling that the 5S/5C launch was a flop since stores didn't sell out and Apple overestimated demand. Selling out and limited supply makes it easier to give the impression that demand far exceeded supply, which translates into the iPhone is not dead and done for.

 

[jamiespeck]

I could be wrong but wasn't this the first release where all the carriers were done at once, and second they did more markets like china on release day, they cant make even more phones appear. If then you take in to count the a7 and the finger print sensor ya things are gonna be a little shorter then what people want. If someone really wanted to upgrade and they knew before hand there was a rumor of super short supply, then the lazy people should of gotten off there **** and gotten one in the morning. I drove 6 hours for work from cedar rapids to Saint Louis and went to a couple stores at 1 am and actually got lucky to find what I wanted except it wasn't gold. im overall happy with how apple handled it with the things that had was spreading out the stock over the world.

 

[Oofa]

Apple knows exactly what it's doing..... and it's working.

 

[cjvitek]

So the closest Apple store to me is about 4 hours away (there are actually two in San Antonio). So I don't really have that as an option, so I was waiting to get a iPhone 5S (silver, 64GB) from my local AT&T store. When I found out all they were getting was grey, I went to a few other local stores, but Best Buy was sold out of AT&T, and Radio Shack only got the 16GB grey versions.

If I had known that the model I wanted wouldn't have been available locally, I would have stayed up and ordered it online. As it is, since I waited until the morning after I drove around to a few stores, and now the delivery time is listed as October 8th!

Suffice to say, I am a little disappointed. While I understand that they may need to limit supply to other stores, it would be nice to know in advance, since I now have to wait 3 weeks for the new iPhone. For people with no real Apple Store near them, they basically got the short end of the stick if they wanted anything other than the grey model.

Chris

 

[diaz2010]

So the closest Apple store to me is about 4 hours away (there are actually two in San Antonio). So I don't really have that as an option, so I was waiting to get a iPhone 5S (silver, 64GB) from my local AT&T store. When I found out all they were getting was grey, I went to a few other local stores, but Best Buy was sold out of AT&T, and Radio Shack only got the 16GB grey versions.

If I had known that the model I wanted wouldn't have been available locally, I would have stayed up and ordered it online. As it is, since I waited until the morning after I drove around to a few stores, and now the delivery time is listed as October 8th!

Suffice to say, I am a little disappointed. While I understand that they may need to limit supply to other stores, it would be nice to know in advance, since I now have to wait 3 weeks for the new iPhone. For people with no real Apple Store near them, they basically got the short end of the stick if they wanted anything other than the grey model.

Chris

Some people who went to the Apple store and waited got the short end of the stick...

 

[cjvitek]

Some people who went to the Apple store and waited got the short end of the stick...

I agree - but at least the potential opportunity to get one. There was no chance for me to get one at all, regardless of how early I stood in line, what store I went to, etc.

Anyway, I guess I will go back to ordering online in the future.

Chris

 

[KingaSpades]

I think that it was the best launch that I've seen and I've been in line at every one so far and this time they had way more phones!

 

[diaz2010]

I think that it was the best launch that I've seen and I've been in line at every one so far and this time they had way more phones!

Yeah if you waited in line all night to buy a 5c...lol

 

[jhamilton3]

Honestly I was upset with the whole only offering pre-orders for the 5C deal. Have to admit I'm feeling they planned being short on the Gold 5S on purpose to boost the mania and demand for it.. I had a friend who ordered through Apple while the page was still showing "Store is down for an update" for me... didn't make any sense.

 

[Trees]

All I know is that I showed up at my carrier at 8am. Walked out by 830 with a 64gb black 5s. At work by 9. Piece of cake.

Nice. I thought about doing the same, but have had black phones for years, so went for the 64GB Silver 5S. The trade off was limited availability. But I'll have time to figure out which case...

 

[KingaSpades]

5S here. Why would I buy a 5C? LOL! They had a lot of phones and a lot of people got 5S phones. They ran out of silver and gold really fast but I got what I wanted. I was first in line.

 

[Trees]

I agree - but at least the potential opportunity to get one. There was no chance for me to get one at all, regardless of how early I stood in line, what store I went to, etc.

Anyway, I guess I will go back to ordering online in the future.

Chris

Given the Valley is over 1M population, and likely more from a commerce standpoint with the shared border, Apple might be wise to consider opening a store in the area.
Rio Grande Valley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BTW, keep up the great work on mosquito and related research. Enjoyed reading your site.

 

[cjvitek]

Given the Valley is over 1M population, and likely more from a commerce standpoint with the shared border, Apple might be wise to consider opening a store in the area.
Rio Grande Valley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BTW, keep up the great work on mosquito and related research. Enjoyed reading your site.

Thanks!

I agree, the RGV is a reasonable location for an Apple store. Of course, I might be biased.

​Chris

 

[anon(279851)]

i highly doubt they dropped the ball

Blink,

Stores had like 15 or less gold iPhones.. Seems like they were unprepared for the demand to me.

 

[Premium1]

Blink,

Stores had like 15 or less gold iPhones.. Seems like they were unprepared for the demand to me.

15? Most stores had less than 5 and in many cases 2 or fewer

 

[Premium1]

I think that it was the best launch that I've seen and I've been in line at every one so far and this time they had way more phones!

Were you at a different launch than everyone else? lol

 

[anon(279851)]

15? Most stores had less than 5 and in many cases 2 or fewer

You may be right. I was doing a guess of the average Apple store. In Cincinnati, I believe it was less than ten gold iPhones. I settled for space gray like everyone else.

 

[Premium1]

You all can have your gold I just wanted a space Grey lol. May go with silver and white though depending which gets back in stock first

 

[diaz2010]

You all can have your gold I just wanted a space Grey lol. May go with silver and white though depending which gets back in stock first

I am glad you like the space grey, because I hate it. I have always liked the white iPhones better and I really want the gold...lol