I'm guessing everyone saying it's no big deal was lucky enough to snag a their phone already
My biggest frustration is apple keeps adding new carriers when they can't supply the carriers they already have. If you can't produce enough phones to meet demand how do you keep coming up with phones to supply these new carriers? Either they're sold out or they're not. Apparently they're not really "sold out".
Look at it this way: You're Apple, selling the iPhone. You have retailers, like Best Buy and Radio Shack, and you have carriers, both moving mountains of inventory... you also have your own retail stores. Moving mountains of inventory. Then, you have
individual consumers, ordering through your website. You don't have enough inventory to cover all your bases. Who gets shorted? The big dogs moving
millions of dollars of product? When their bottom line (and satisfaction) is dependent on your ability to supply? Because if they don't have it, their customers will go somewhere else. Or maybe your own retail stores? Or would you pick the lesser of all evils, and short the little individual purchasers buying one phone each and wanting them delivered straight to their doorstep?
It's business. Contracts with retail businesses and carriers are worth millions upon millions of dollars over many years. They aren't the sort of people you leave high and dry if you don't absolutely have to... and Apple Stores get shipments daily.
Short answer: The phones are out there. They are in
high demand. People are going to great lengths and paying over retail to acquire them. Their money is no different than your money. If the phone isn't coming to you, go find one. If you won't, someone else will.
I spent probably 17 hours spread over two days on my lap top, repeatedly searching and refreshing the inventory page of any Apple store in a 100 mile radius... and when one popped up as "Available Today for in-store pickup" and it was in the size I wanted, I clicked "Buy" and drove to get it. Didn't care how far. Luckily it happened to be only 30 miles, but I would have gone farther if necessary.