My iPhone Saga

I didn't intend to get an iPhone yesterday.  I figured I'd be able to order one online, or just wait a few weeks and pick one up when the madness died down.  From what I understood they were shipping an enormous amount of devices.  This wasn't like trying to get a Wii before Christmas.  There'd be supply.

It didn't quite work out that way, however.

I work in Times Square and was planning on seeing a play with my wife on 59th & Park at 8pm last night.  On a whim I called over to the AT&T store on 52nd & Park, just to gauge the madness.  They informed that the line really wasn't that bad, maybe 40 people. 

That seemed remarkably short to me so I figured, why not give it a shot?

I ended up being #53 on line and the experience of being there was alone worth the wait.  There were reporters, cameras, gossip and rumor about other lines at other stores, and even some fighting (two interns at the front of the line had been sent to hold spaces for their their two bosses and a dozen of their bosses' friends.  Massive arguments ensued over whether this was cutting or simply place-holding; AT&T security eventually let them in despite booing, hissing, and multiple threats from the crowd.)

It was hard not to get caught up in the excitement.  It seemed like stores were running out already, people had been waiting for hours, days.  There was chanting, helicopters, live lineblogs from around the country.  At this point I HAD TO HAVE ONE NOW.

The line started moving at 6pm and then abruptly ground to a halt when the AT&T sales network went down.  Apparently this was happening all over town and it sent the crowd outside the store into a panic spiral.  Store windows were banged on.  Derogatory remarks were made about AT&T.  We were told that the Apple store in Soho had sold over 150 devices before our store was even able to sell 5.  It got ugly.

The computers came back up and the line started moving again but it was still a remarkably slow process.  I give AT&T a lot of credit for taking the plunge with this device in such a huge way, but they they are clearly not at all set up for this kind of product launch.  The store would only allow 6 people in at any one time and each purchase seemed like an eternity when watched through the window from the line outside.

When my group finally got to the front of the line we were given some terrible news: they'd sold out of the 8 gig iPhones and only had 4 gig devices left.

People went nuts.  A surprising number walked away.  I'm not even sure whey they make a 4 gig iPhone (except perhaps, as one person on line in front of me surmised, it was to make the 8 gig model seem less ridiculously expensive by comparison) but it was clear that nobody wanted one.

At this point it was 7:45pm.  My play started in :15 mins.  I was not going to leave without an iPhone.  So figured I'd eat when served and picked one up. 

I ran out of the store :10 mins later and hopped in a pedicab which got me to the theater just in time for curtain.  The play was Rabbit, part of 59E59's excellent Brits Off Broadway series and it was really great.  But I had a hard time concentrating on the performance.  I was having massive remorse and regret that I'd purchased the 4 gig model.  I felt like I'd been taken advantage of.  I felt robbed.

Hope was not lost.  During the play I was getting emails from friends that iPhones were still available in the 5th Ave Apple Store.  My ever-patient wife agreed yes, it would be worth our walking over to the store after the play to check the situation if only so I'd shut up about it.

It turned out there was no line at all.  We walked through a corridor of applauding Apple Store employees chanting, "YES!  iPHONE!  GO GET ONE!" (For real.)  I went right up to a counter, swapped out the 4 gig for the 8, and was out of there about :5 mins later.

Buzzing with excitement I speed home and updated iTunes to get the phone to activate only to encounter the same iTunes 3.7 bug that is plaguing thousands of others.  No help online.  No help from Apple Care.  No hope in sight. 

By 1am I did manage to get the iPhone up and running, but I still can't use iTunes without multiple continuous error messages.  This issue seems pretty widespread and from what I understand Apple is working furiously on a fix.  And to be fair, many people had a much harder time getting their devices up and running than I did, especially when trying to port from another account (AT&T or otherwise.) 

If you don't have one yet my advice is wait it out for a little bit.  AT&T is feeling the pressure of millions of accounts attempting to activate over the weekend.  Apple is frantic about their buggy iTunes, which it is necessary to run to get the phone to work.  And all of this is happening with the July 4th holiday around the corner.  I suppose, all things considered, this is to be expected.  It is a one of the biggest, most anticipated, and complex consumer product launches ever.  They'll get the hang of it in time.

So how do I like the iPhone?  Stay tuned for the review...

Comments

[Felix]

I certainly think that it could have been made much clearer that the AT&T stores would only get a limited supply of phones, while the Apple stores were a much better bet. I sauntered in to the Soho store yesterday and bought one, went home to my newly-installed v7.3 of iTunes, activated the phone, and the whole thing went off without a hitch. Seamless. I transferred from T-Mobile to AT&T in about 3.5 hours, which I found quite impressive given the number of other people doing the same thing this weekend.

I've put a couple of notes on the phone on my blog, but I will say that I'm one of the suckas who bought the 4GB phone, & I have no regrets. (The guy at the Apple Store, however, did admit that they've sold almost none of them.) My 1G iPod was 5GB, and this is still vastly more storage than any other phone in the known universe, so I'm not exactly feeling cramped for space. If the next-gen iPod is 80GB as rumored, then that's a worthwhile upgrade. And I'm sure that as a mobile video freak you want lots of storage space. But I'm happy with YouTube, which takes up no space at all. Fact is, I'm using this as a phone and email and web browser mostly, and the 4GB vs 8GB is irrelevant there. I'll throw some of my favorite tunes on too, and I'm very, very happy.

[Tom Ryan]

Great post, Greg. Due to typical Apple first gen issues (I had a dud battery on my first gen iPod that I bought in December 2001), I am a hold out for the moment. However, even so I have to say, it's awfully tough to sit on the sidelines. I keep thinking about the damn thing so much I may as well spend the time in line and pray I get lucky!

[Greg]

Re: storage - you're dead right Felix. If the main purpose is that this is your phone and you just want to throw on some songs because you can then I'm sure 4 gigs is plenty. But as you point out, I'm a mobile video guy - and that eats up storage like nobody's business. I've already run out of room on the 8 gig.

And Tom - just give in a buy the phone. You know you can't wait. They've still got plenty in Soho... :-)

[Erik Schwartz]

I'm waiting for:

3G

More storage (at least 12-15 Gig)

A user upgradeable/replaceable battery. 300 charge cycles is less than a year.

But it sure does look sweet.

[Erik Schwartz]

PS, your wife is very patient.

[Mrs. Twofones]

I was happy to support Greg's insane drive to get his hands on this phone, but I confess I am relieved that he's at work today and has lots of people who will be happy to geek out with him. 48 hours of in-home product demos is about my limit.

[Homer Fink]

TF - you buried the lead. YOU TOOK A PEDICAB!!!

I'm holding out for the 40 gig iPhone.