Preordering Iphone 4

Couple questions:

1) Can I just preorder online at apple.com or do I have to go to the store to preorder?
2) Also, parents have a company discount for at&t... can I apply that if I preorder online?
3) Does preordering guarantee that you get one by the 24th?
4) Do I have to rush to preorder (ie. will they run out of preorder stock even before the actual launch date)?

Thanks!

 

1. Pre-ordering will begin on the 15th, I believe you can pre-order from both Apple & AT&T.
2. If your parents get an AT&T discount, you'd would have to buy your phone through AT&T.
3. Pre-ordering is your best bet for getting one on the 24th, but nothing in life is guranteed
4. Typically when Apple offers pre-orders, their standard shipping gets it delivered to you on the release date. When I pre-ordered my iPad, the standard free delivery got it to me on the Saturday release date.

 

I am a current iPhone 2G 8GB user that I got off a friend for $50. My contract ends in July, am I eligible to upgrade when the new iPhone 4 comes out?

I heard some 6 months before contract ends promotion is going on. Also am I eligible if I didn't originally buy the iPhone?

 

log onto your account at attwireless.com and it will tell you if your eligible or not and what for.

 

I think that's only if you actually bought the iPhone from AT&T on a contract.

 

Since you bought the 2G from a friend you never received a discount so you should be eligible. Even if you did get a phone with a discount at the start of the contract AT&T will usually give you a discounted phone within a month or two of your expiration date. The only way to know for sure is to call them or check your account online.

 

Easiest way to check: if you currently have any iPhone, dial *639# and AT&T will send you an upgrade eligibility text back.

 

Thanks for the heads up! Another quick question...

I also have a Verizon Wireless line and my contract ends June 27th...The iPhone 4 comes out the 25th though...Is there anyway I can just transfer my number over and somehow leave my Verizon line for two days and then cancel?

Or if I just get a new number on AT&T, is there a way to get my Verizon number ported over later?

 

So if you guys could help me out here this would be nice.
Since I am on a family plan I am not eligible for the full subsidized price till 2/2011. So I had this scenario in mind which would be cheaper than paying the early upgrade price.

Start a new line and order the iPhone 4 on that line at the lowest price. Then swap numbers with my current iPhone 3GS, and than cancel my iPhone 3GS line and only pay an ETF of 105.

The only thing that might be a problem is the fact that normally on ATT when you swap phone numbers you swap sim cards but I am not sure how I am going to be able to do that between the iPhone 4 which uses a micro sim and the iPhone 3GS which uses the regular SIM.

 

Att should be able to change the numbers for you.

 

Right my question was though the way ATT changes numbers between phones is by swapping SIM cards, but the micro SIM wont fit into the Iphone 3GS and vice versa.

I called ATT and they had no clue what a micro sim was.

 

I'd say your best bet would be to get the new line with the new iPhone. Then take both phones to a store and have AT&T switch them for you.

 

Really? With Rogers in Canada, which is pretty much the ATT equivalent here - GSM carrier using SIM cards, one can change/port numbers using the same SIM card; done it myself a few times. I would have thought AT&T would be the same in this regard.

 

When you port a phone # the new carrier is required to immediately notify the other carrier in the porting process. So if you port your VZW # you'll get hit with the ETF from VZW. Obviously that sucks for a 2 day difference. I'd wait if you can.

 

Ahh ok thanks haha. 2 days...Sucks real bad.

 

Well if the phone numbers are locked to the sim (which they aren't) that's pretty stupid. Everyone with a current phone will need a micro sim for the new iPhone, so they can change the numbers with out just swapping cards.

 

I'm sure they can program a new sim card for you in the AT&T store. Its not that big of a deal.

 

but you could waste a few minutes of someones time doing that...

 

So pre-orders start tomorrow...Um so I can pre-order online at Apple or AT&T right? Or do you recommend I go to the store?

Is a deposit required?

 

I believe you can pre-order online at both Apple & AT&T. If you pre-order at Apple it should give you the option to reserve for in-store pick-up at a local Apple store. If you want to pick-up at an AT&T store, you would have to go and reserve one there. I also believe Best Buy and Radio Shack will have iPhones on launch, and I saw this morning that Wal-Mart should have them too(!?).

A credit card will be required to pre-order, it shouldn't be charged until the phone actually ships.

I'm probably going to pre-order from Apple's online store and have it delivered to my office. The package will likely require an actual signature on delivery b/c of the value of the phone and I have more faith that Apple will get the shipment to me on the 24th than AT&T

 

So you don't expect huge lines like years before right? Do you also expect any shortages in supply?

You would think Apple would have a huge supply based on past years' demands.

 

Lines are tough to predict, there definitely will be some but it depends where you live. I live in North NJ which is pretty well populated and there are precious few Apple Stores and AT&T Company stores. Also, I have to work during the day so getting to a mall is a hassle.

I'm sure Apple will have as many units as possible, but with AT&T moving up everyone's upgrade eligibility there could very well be a bigger rush than last year.

 

i think the early termination fee is like 350$

 

Augh my Verizon contract ends June 27th (2 days after iPhone comes out)

I am just worried if I wait, they will run out of stock and I am stuck with the waiting game which I hate.

 

Pre-Order one... then don't go pick it up til 2 or 3 days after...