The iPhone Saga

Short version: I wanted to buy two iPhones this weekend (one for me, one for Sheryl). I have not yet succeeded in that task.

Long version: My family's contract with Sprint has ended (we're now on month-to-month) and with the new iPhone coming out, Sheryl and I decided to give each other iPhones as our anniversary presents. Because I get a service discount with my company, I have to do it through an AT&T store. So, earlier in the week, I head to a store to do the whole iReady thing. (Note: in order to get 2 iPhones, you must have 2 physical bodies with you, so me doing this alone is not happening. Understandable, but inconvenient)

Friday rolls around and because I have a job and family, I'm not willing to wait for 6 hours in a line. I do run by an AT&T store who ran out about 10AM. So as per my plan, I'm probably not getting an iPhone Friday.

Saturday: Sheryl has a meeting at church, so I drop her off there and then head to the AT&T store in Green Hills where they were supposed to have more iPhones. I get there and wonder of wonders, I'm first in line with the kids. I'm flabbergasted. Some other people join up behind us, I'm getting pretty excited. Until an employee comes out and says that they don't have any iPhones and don't know when they'll be getting new ones in. We could, however, backorder them and get them in about 7-10 business days. I decline, deciding to head to the Apple Store and seeing if I can possible get in there, since I'm told that I open an account there and get it changed to the business discount. Also, it's the second day of the new iPhone and surely there's not a line there any more.

Wrong.

I end up going by the Apple Store and AT&T store 3 more times over the course of the next two days and there is a line every time. I know that activations are taking a while. I know there are a bunch of people that want iPhones (including me). But seriously, when you have a product that still has lines 2 days after launch, that's not a success in the popularity of the product, that's a failure in process and inventory. When someone wants to give you money for a product, but can't, that's a failure on some end.

Here's the end of the story: I'm going to try and backorder phones today. It's not worth my time to go every day or so to check and see if iPhones are in stock, so we can survive with our current phones until then. I'd like to have the phones, but I'm not willing to wait in a line just to have them. I'd like to have them. I'd like to be able to give Apple or AT&T $600 to buy the phones. I just can't waste my time a line to do it.

Update: I went to the AT&T store on my lunch break today and was able to order the phones. They should be in in 7-10 business days at the latest. Hopefully sooner.