Launch

iPad 2 Supply Already Dwindling?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2016

If you weren't one of those people that got online at 1 AM this morning to snag an iPad 2, you may be waiting a while. Apple's second version of its popular tablet went on sale early this morning online, and will be available at 5 PM at retail stores today.

It appears it didn't take long for Apple fanatics to snatch up the first round of shippable iPad 2's. At about 7 AM PST this morning, customers trying to order the new iPad online were met with a 2-3 week ship time.

People who got their orders in before that, were able to have the product shipped in 3-5 days. After noticing the lengthy ship times, I decided to call my local retailers, and see what would be available for local purchase.

To my surprise, the wireless dealers I contacted stated they would have limited quantity on hand. They also stated that they wouldn't have any iPad 2 WiFi only models on hand for the big launch day.

When Apple announced a ship date of less than 2 weeks after the iPad 2 was made public, I expected them to be a little more prepared. Especially considering that the original iPad, was one of the fastest selling consumer electronic products in history.

Did you snag an iPad 2 this morning? Will you be venturing out to a retail store today? Let us know below!

iPad 2 Available Online at 1am Tonight

Sébastien Page ∙ March 10, 2011

As of tomorrow 5pm you will be able to buy the iPad 2 in several locations, including of course the Apple Store. For those of you who don't want to wait in line, Apple will allow for iPad 2 orders online as of 1am PST.

I need 3 iPads so here is my strategy: I'll set my alarm clock at 1am and order 2 iPads, one white, one black. These 2 iPads are gifts for my mother and mother in law.

I'll go to the Apple Store Friday before 5pm and get the line. As soon as I get inside the store, I will check out the 2 colors and decide whether I want to go with white or black. Historically, I've always chose black products, but I have to admit the white iPad 2 looks gorgeous.

Unless you're an Apple fanatic like me, I believe the best solution for you is to order online. Sure you won't get instant gratification, but Apple said they will ship online orders fast. That means that you could get your new iPad as early as Saturday, or, worst case scenario, on Monday.

So, what are you going to do?

Why Will Apple Start Selling the iPad 2 at 5pm?

Sébastien Page ∙ March 8, 2011

Usually, Apple lets you pre-order their new products. For example, you could pre-order the iPhone 4 to get it delivered to your house on the same day it is available in store. This has always been my preferred method of buying Apple products, as I don't have the patience to wait for hours in line.

When Apple introduced the iPad 2 last week, they announced that the new device will be available for sale in stores as of Friday 11th, 5pm. Why such an odd time of the day, you may ask.

The conspiracy theorist in me has it all figured out, and again, it's all about marketing and PR. Here is my reasoning...

6 points of sale = 6 times more publicity

The iPad 2 will be for sale in 6 locations (Apple Store, Best Buy, etc...), which is very unusual. Normally, Apple and its partners (AT&T and now Verizon) are the only one to launch a product. But the more stores that sell the iPad 2, the more publicity Apple gets.

At 5pm on a Friday, people won't mind getting in line

At 5pm on a Friday, pretty much everyone is on weekend, thus available to wait in line for an iPad. I suspect that stores like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target will have a very limited amount of iPads on stock in order to create scarcity, which will turn into free publicity (ie. news headline: iPad 2 sells out in 2 hours at Best Buy).

Huge lines = even more publicity

Apple knows that by starting to sell the iPad 2 at 5pm, this will create gigantic lines at 6 different locations instead of one, if they chose to only sell the iPad at their stores. Again, this is a marketing stunt to generate bigger headlines (ie. Thousands get in line at Best Buy, Target, Apple Store, etc to buy the new iPad 2).

What do you think?

Snagging a Verizon iPhone 4 Will Likely Be a Tough Task, So Here Are 5 Handy Tips

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated December 17, 2017

If you're already a loyal Verizon customer and are interested in the iPhone 4, the good news is that Big Red has a special allotment set aside for users wishing to upgrade. For those of you interested in switching to Verizon for the iPhone, things get a tad more hairy.

Just look at the situation. The only concrete plans that Verizon has released thus far, is the fact that they are taking pre-orders for existing customers. Outside of that, information has been slow to come out about how Verizon plans to handle the demand on what is sure to be a limited supply of inventory.

Recent commentary from Verizon chief operating officer Lowell McAdam suggests that even he isn't exactly sure how the official launch will pan out on February 10th. So if you're a new customer wishing to snag an iPhone at launch, you probably have your work cut out for you...

Australia is the Latest Victim of Apple’s iPhone Shortage Game

Guest Author ∙ September 8, 2010

On launch day of the iPhone 4 I was 26th in line at the Mall of America. I arrived at 2 in the morning and by the time Apple opened their doors there were easily over 300 people waiting behind me. I know that everyone in line that day didn't go home with the new iPhone. It was blissfully maddening.

The latest shortage reports are coming out of Australia where TUAW shows the country's carriers are feeling the heat from a high demand, low supply market. With cell carriers down under getting new shipments each week, and the Apple stores in the US each day, I feel like the company purposely shorthands their retailers and inadvertently causes chaos...

iOS 4.1 Coming September 8th

Guest Author ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

This is interesting. Engadget has a screenshot of the UK Apple Store that shows iOS 4.1 scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 8th.

The US Website still shows the usual "Coming Soon" announcement so we'll go out on a limb here and say that the 8th is the day. Any ideas on how this inconsistency of information happens?

Hardware Fix Coming for the iPhone 4 Antenna in September?

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

iDB reported about the iPhone 4 arriving in Mexico last week. Today Mac Rumors posted an article claiming an executive from Telcel, the mexican iPhone carrier, says the iPhone 4 will be getting a hardware revision once the free case promotion runs out.

Marco Quatorze comments that the policy of giving away free cases will be implemented the same to the rest of the countries selling the iPhone 4. Following September 30th (the date Steve Jobs said Apple would reevaluate the issue) the hardware would be changed to resolve the antenna discrepancies. A bold assumption to say the least...

iPhone 4 to Launch in 17 More Countries

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated July 6, 2017

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 4 in 17 more countries on Friday.

Apple's iPhone 4 will be available in 17 more countries this Friday, July 30. iPhone 4 features FaceTime, which makes video calling as easy as one tap, Apple's new Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone, resulting in stunning text, images and video, and a beautiful all-new design of glass and stainless steel that is the thinnest smartphone in the world.

The white iPhone 4 has been delayed until "later this year" and there is still a shortage of black iPhones in stores so I wonder how they're going be able to fulfill the demand. Additionally, iPad screen manufacturer LG said even though it’s currently running at full capacity, the company won’t be able to meet Apple’s demand. That sure is a nice problem to have.