The Official iPhone 5 Thread (Liveblog links inside!)

[Maximus96]

so how does one sell an unopened iphone5? do you just hand the box to the buyer? or does this need to be done at an att store to do some kind of swap?

 

[bearxor]

If the person was going from one LTE device to another, like a Lumia 900 to a iPHone 5, I'd imagine you'd just need to ask them to get a nano SIM with their phone number and pop it in the phone from an AT&T store.

If they're going from a HSPA+ device to an iPhone 5, I think a plan change is required. The store would have to do this to their account before giving them a nano SIM.

Either way, a store visit is required.

I would imagine that if you were to sell it, then they opened it up and started using it, it would activate on your line. That may not be too big of a deal as long as you're on top of it and can immediately call AT&T back and have them do the plan change and SIM swap back to your device. But really, I'd avoid that if at all possible. I think if I were going to sell a iPhone 5 as new that I used my upgrade on, I would open it up and remove the SIM just to be absolutely sure.

 

[Maximus96]

If the person was going from one LTE device to another, like a Lumia 900 to a iPHone 5, I'd imagine you'd just need to ask them to get a nano SIM with their phone number and pop it in the phone from an AT&T store.

If they're going from a HSPA+ device to an iPhone 5, I think a plan change is required. The store would have to do this to their account before giving them a nano SIM.

Either way, a store visit is required.

I would imagine that if you were to sell it, then they opened it up and started using it, it would activate on your line. That may not be too big of a deal as long as you're on top of it and can immediately call AT&T back and have them do the plan change and SIM swap back to your device. But really, I'd avoid that if at all possible. I think if I were going to sell a iPhone 5 as new that I used my upgrade on, I would open it up and remove the SIM just to be absolutely sure.

Thanks. I'm still debating whether to sell it or not...I see some listing on craiglist going for $1000 for a 16gb...if the short supply is really true and i can fetch that much i sure wouldn't mind selling it and buying a factory unlocked version later and pocket the difference...

 

[Fingolfin269]

Does anyone know if this new connector is going to cause issues with cars that have on-screen command capability? I know with my 4S it's pretty sweet because I can just plug it into the USB jack in my car and I get full functionality on my display. This just occurred to me when I was screwing around with some stuff on screen on the way to work this morning.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Does anyone know if this new connector is going to cause issues with cars that have on-screen command capability? I know with my 4S it's pretty sweet because I can just plug it into the USB jack in my car and I get full functionality on my display. This just occurred to me when I was screwing around with some stuff on screen on the way to work this morning.

Good question. I have the same issue.

 

[waggy]

ohh the IP5 sounds nice.

my daughter is up for a new phone in 2 months. she has been wanting a "smartphone' she been asking for a IP4. a friend of ours offered us one for $300 witch was gently used (it was too).

something like this would be good. I told her i would get her a new MP3 player for Christmas (sigh been putting that off for years trying to get a nice used one).

 

[Aikouka]

ohh the IP5 sounds nice.

my daughter is up for a new phone in 2 months. she has been wanting a "smartphone' she been asking for a IP4. a friend of ours offered us one for $300 witch was gently used (it was too).

something like this would be good. I told her i would get her a new MP3 player for Christmas (sigh been putting that off for years trying to get a nice used one).

Buying a phone off-contract isn't bad if you're not stuck with typical contract prices. There's no point in paying AT&T, Verizon, etc. the same price every month without getting a new phone out of it. Unless there's a reason why you may want to leave before two years. What size iPhone 4 is your friend offering you? The iPhone 4 8GB will become free with contract and the iPhone 4S 16GB will be $99 with contract. The 4S is a pretty decent internal upgrade compared to the 4.

EDIT:

Oh, and I keep checking Verizon's "order status" page to see if there's any more information, but nothing so far. Also, I put order status in quotes, because just providing a tracking number is not the status of my order, Verizon!

 

[VashHT]

Buying a phone off-contract isn't bad if you're not stuck with typical contract prices. There's no point in paying AT&T, Verizon, etc. the same price every month without getting a new phone out of it. Unless there's a reason why you may want to leave before two years. What size iPhone 4 is your friend offering you? The iPhone 4 8GB will become free with contract and the iPhone 4S 16GB will be $99 with contract. The 4S is a pretty decent internal upgrade compared to the 4.

EDIT:

Oh, and I keep checking Verizon's "order status" page to see if there's any more information, but nothing so far. Also, I put order status in quotes, because just providing a tracking number is not the status of my order, Verizon!

Yeah same for me on ATT, it just says "processing", no estimated shipping date or any real info.

 

[vi edit]

I'm just curious to see 1) what the added stress of 10 million new LTE devices does to VZ & AT&T's network and 2) how long it takes the general idiot masses to blow through their data caps with their newfound freedom.

 

[Aikouka]

Yeah same for me on ATT, it just says "processing", no estimated shipping date or any real info.

I pre-ordered my 4S from the AT&T store last year, and I recall that there was pretty much no indicator until a few days prior. Okay, I went to my GMail and looked up my e-mails from AT&T last year. The iPhone 4S was released on 10/14, and I did receive mine on that date. I received an e-mail from AT&T with my tracking number on 10/12. Checking my tracking information, AT&T sent it with standard overnight shipping.

 

[Maximus96]

you can try tracking with reference number on UPS site. it might work for fedex too. I tracked my order thru the apple store using the number from my main line as the reference. The status in apple store is still "processing", but UPS shows my phones are in TN and KY...i guess the black and white are coming from different places.

 

[ponyo]

How are you guys checking the status of the order if you ordered from AT&T? AT&T Wirelss Order Status webpage "Check Order Status" button is grayed out for me.

 

[VashHT]

I just log into my account and then go to the "My orders" tab, or just click on check order status from the original email.

 

[Aikouka]

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find it via the UPS or FedEx systems. To add, I'm pretty certain that a UPS shipment hasn't been setup for me (at least not yet), because UPS would have notified me of a new shipment scheduled for delivery. As a UPS My Choice member (FYI: this is free), they end me e-mail notifications whenever a shipment change occurs, and that includes any new shipments that are being sent to my home. However, I don't know if FedEx has anything like this as I'm certainly not a member of anything at FedEx.

I did a bit of Google searching, and I did find a better order status page for Verizon:
https://preorder.verizonwireless.com/iconic/iconic/screens/IconicSearchInit.do

It lists my order as in process and my date is still 9/21.

EDIT:

I found some guy whose order says it shipped, and it lists Memphis, TN as the originating location. If that's the case, mine may not ship until Wednesday or Thursday, because all packages from Memphis come the next day for me anyway.

 

[mavere]

Embargo's ending tonight. http://twitpic.com/avyh7l

Grab some popcorn, fire extinguishers, and load up your favorite forums.

 

[ponyo]

I just log into my account and then go to the "My orders" tab, or just click on check order status from the original email.

I'm a new customer and when I click on the check order status from the email, it takes me to the Wireless Order Status page but the "Check Order Status" button is grayed out and I can't click it.

EDIT: I was able to Google and get to a different Check Order Status page. I was able to enter the order number and zip code to check the status. It shows the status as "In Progress", but the quantity is showing backordered. It looks like I'm not getting mine for 2-3 weeks minimum.

 

[Aikouka]

EDIT: I was able to Google and get to a different Check Order Status page. I was able to enter the order number and zip code to check the status. It shows the status as "In Progress", but the quantity is showing backordered. It looks like I'm not getting mine for 2-3 weeks minimum.

I believe that's what my 4S did with AT&T, and I still received it on the release date. You could probably search up the 4S thread and see me worrying like a girl on prom night.

 

[ponyo]

I believe that's what my 4S did with AT&T, and I still received it on the release date. You could probably search up the 4S thread and see me worrying like a girl on prom night.

Well I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm partially hopeful because the order confirmation email said 9/21 and when I checked the phone number porting status, it showed the porting will be completed on 9/21 at 9:30 AM. I would assume AT&T will have to give me a phone and SIM card if my phone number is ported over. My Straight Talk coverage ends on 9/22 and I would really hate to refill for another entire month because of the delay.

 

[Aikouka]

That's interesting that your number is porting over like that. I have to go into the Verizon store to port my number over, which they told me will tell AT&T to cancel my service. You should have seen their reaction when I asked, "So, when I get the phone, I cancel my AT&T service?" ... "NOOOOO!!!"

 

[mosco]

Does anyone know if this new connector is going to cause issues with cars that have on-screen command capability? I know with my 4S it's pretty sweet because I can just plug it into the USB jack in my car and I get full functionality on my display. This just occurred to me when I was screwing around with some stuff on screen on the way to work this morning.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=15677035&postcount=16

Not looking good for you.

 

[dagamer34]

The Verge better get it's flame retardant suits ready. The last time they had a review this huge, it crashed their comments (the Nokia Lumia 900 still holds the record for most comments at 2400+)

 

[jpeyton]

Apple 'hasn't really run out of iPhone 5s AT ALL'

In a revelation that seems set to shake the technology world to its very foundations, a clandestine Register source has informed us that secretive shiny-stuff behemoth Apple could easily supply more than enough iPhone 5s to meet initial demand: but that it deliberately chose not to.

Our source, known to us only by the codename "Dry Throat", claims to have enjoyed a high level of access to the decision-making process within the mighty gizmo-peddling operation in the run-up to last week's earth-shattering handset announcement.

"Cook and all the top boys were worried," Dry Throat told his Reg handlers, referring to Apple supremo Tim Cook.

"I mean, think about it. There's no Steve: that's not good. How the hell are you supposed to get mass cult hysteria going without the Grand High Warlock?

"Then, look at the damn thing. It's basically a dead ringer for an old Samsung Galaxy, but with a smaller screen. And we really shot ourselves in the foot with 4G. It's a massive power gobbler - and that's going to kind of flag up the fact that we're the only guys who don't let you swap batteries ... basically because we're really insanely greedy.

"So we're left with Mr Dull from Accounts giving a pitch which says 'Hey guys, why don't you buy a Samsung Galaxy, except double price and with really bad battery life and no option to change batteries. Oh, and it costs more. And if you want it with an SD card, you have to buy one built in from us at like five times retail price, and we've chosen not to use an industry standard connector ... basically out of uncontrollable greed, again'

"It's not marketing gold, is it?"

Dry Throat told us that Apple chiefs decided to emphasise a tactic which has always been used in the company's launches.

"Don't let anyone have many," he said. "That way you're not saying, 'hey, buy our mediocre and really expensive offering'. You're saying, 'see this? Over here? Where everyone else is looking? You can't have this'.

"That way if you do get hold of one, you feel really pleased regardless of the fact it's not much good. And if you can't get one, you really want one. It's so simple - but so effective."

Dry Throat pooh-poohed the idea that anything other than marketing lay behind the supposed scarcity of iPhone 5s.

"Come off it, like they couldn't have millions of the damn things ready in advance and just deliver them to the shops - of course they could, people do it all the time with normal products. But if you could just buy one straight off, it wouldn't be special any more, would it? It's not special in itself, it hasn't got anything the others haven't got. If a lot of people actually had one early on, even fanboys might just realise that.

"As for 'shipping dates have moved back two weeks', don't make me laugh. They were probably sitting there in Cupertino saying 'Huh, nobody's buying it - move back shipping dates by a week, that'll get things moving'. In reality there are probably warehouses stuffed full of the damn things all over the world. Sure, your iPhone 'just left China' ... come on. It's been sitting in a warehouse round the corner for a fortnight while you were shivering in the queue outside the Apple Store like a chump. There are Apple guys rubbing handfuls of iPhone 5s against their naked bodies, using them as paperweights, playing iPhone 5 Jenga - while you're standing outside the shop with your nose pressed against the window, you simp.

"I mean, what's next? 'Track the parts of your iPhone, watch as they come together in Shenzhen? Look, it's nearly assembled now - but, o noes! The unpaid slave intern has dropped it and cracked the case - track the replacement case as it moves to the factory by water buffalo ... track the worker as he reports to the motivational centre for corrective electroshock training'

"Some people will believe anything."

As with some of our other clandestine sources, it would seem that Dry Throat may have been embroidering his revelations a trifle at the end there. Nonetheless there would appear to be a core of truth at the heart of the story.

 

[MrX8503]

Engadget gave a praising review. Apple's claims of twice as fast with better battery life was true. The battery life is nearly as good as the Razr Maxx!

 

[Bateluer]

That's interesting that your number is porting over like that. I have to go into the Verizon store to port my number over, which they told me will tell AT&T to cancel my service. You should have seen their reaction when I asked, "So, when I get the phone, I cancel my AT&T service?" ... "NOOOOO!!!"

Yeah, you need to let them port the number over. If you get the new phone, then call AT&T to cancel, your number goes back into the pool and you'll never get it back.

 

[ponyo]

Engadget gave a praising review. Apple's claims of twice as fast with better battery life was true. The battery life is nearly as good as the Razr Maxx!

I just finished reading the review. I got the impression, lovely hardware, outdated software. Best part was the battery life.