Why are there no iPhone 5s pre-orders?

chris

chris

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I've seen this brought up in various threads today and felt it was worthy of its own. If you're just showing up to the party, Apple will start pre-orders for the iPhone 5c on Friday. The bigger fish, the iPhone 5s, it will not be available for pre-order. If you want the 5S, the only real option is to visit your local Apple Store next Friday or take your chances with the online store. The former means you'll have to wait beyond the 20th to get your new iPhone.

So why all of sudden did Apple decide not to do pre-orders on the iPhone 5s? If I had to guess, it's one of three possibilities:
  1. Supplies of chips, sensors or something related to the 5S are in short supply. They realized sell-outs are coming, but need to hold back orders to allow for sufficient quantities to be available in store.
  2. Oh no, it's a 'S' year and maybe they don't see demand in line with previous years. Apple gets plenty of PR from news outlets covering those long lines. If they allow pre-orders and the iPhone 5S isn't sufficient hot enough to warrant big lines, removing the pre-order option helps keep crowds at Apple Stores next Friday.
  3. They don't want us to get valuable sleep. By removing a pre-order option, demand will be high next Friday. Gotta get up early to get your gold. It's like the prospecting days.
What's your conspiracy theory? Why are there no iPhone 5s pre-orders?
 
chris

chris

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I agree with you for the most part. It's probably a mix of the 1 and 2. Don't we say that every year, that no one is going to lineup for the 'S'. By the time next week rolls around, people will have time to consider the upgrades and we'll have less fence sitters.
 
medenblik

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ImageUploadedByiCafe Forums1378851197.821518.jpg


This pic shows both as being able to preorder. 5S and 5C


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medenblik

medenblik

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Ok great. If we order the 5S on the 20th. What day will they be delivered? Or can we order and say pick up in store on the 22nd?
 
becomingwater

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The reason is simple. When two products are released and both are predicted to be great sellers you don't want to have them preordered at the same time. So they let one be pre-ordered because most will get the 5c and the other phone will be in its own sell point. That way they presell a lot of 5c and they already know the 5s will sell. Most won't get the 5s because they have the 5. Then again some will upgrade like me to get the gold color :)


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liberated

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Personally, I will wait as long as I have to at home for the 5S, I'm happy with my 5, I want the 5S but are not willing to waste a day in line at a store.
 
shutter13

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I think it sucks, I want the 5S, but I live several hours from an Apple store, and really don't want to camp at an AT&T store with no guarantee of getting one. While watching the event I told my wife I was pre-ordering the 5S and then it's not available. it really sucks. I'll end up ordering one on the 20th and won't get it for a month or better.
 
prott1

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becomingwater said:
The reason is simple. When two products are released and both are predicted to be great sellers you don't want to have them preordered at the same time. So they let one be pre-ordered because most will get the 5c and the other phone will be in its own sell point. That way they presell a lot of 5c and they already know the 5s will sell. Most won't get the 5s because they have the 5. Then again some will upgrade like me to get the gold color :)


Sent using iCafe app
Click to expand...
I agree with you right up to the part were you say, "most won't get the 5S".. Who wouldn't want the 5s, especially with the new color.. Gotta say, the Gold is pretty hot! Just another way to tick off loyal customers.. I've had every damn phone they've made, and now they do this.. Pretty crappy! :mad:
 
trnsilver

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I went into AT&T today before the announcement. I was actually there to ask about U-Verse, but I asked the guy there if he had any info about the announcement today (obviously, he didn't).

However, what he did say is that I could put my name on a waiting list for the iPhone 5S and that there were already 50 people on it! I was shocked considering this is not advertised. But I put my name down for an iPhone 5S 32GB in Black and he said they should get hundreds of each color / size in on the day it is released so I should have one.

In other words, I suggest investigating the same. AT&T stores generally have shorter (or no) lines on release day compared to Apple Stores. If you can get your name on a list ahead of time, there will be one waiting for you.

We'll see if this works out for me (and the rest of you), but it seems like it can't hurt to try.
 
dallasjetfan

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trnsilver said:
I went into AT&T today before the announcement. I was actually there to ask about U-Verse, but I asked the guy there if he had any info about the announcement today (obviously, he didn't).

However, what he did say is that I could put my name on a waiting list for the iPhone 5S and that there were already 50 people on it! I was shocked considering this is not advertised. But I put my name down for an iPhone 5S 32GB in Black and he said they should get hundreds of each color / size in on the day it is released so I should have one.

In other words, I suggest investigating the same. AT&T stores generally have shorter (or no) lines on release day compared to Apple Stores. If you can get your name on a list ahead of time, there will be one waiting for you.

We'll see if this works out for me (and the rest of you), but it seems like it can't hurt to try.
Click to expand...
I walked into AT&T for my first iPhone the 4S when it released and ha no problem picking one up. I plan on doing the same this time.
 
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acosmichippo

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but there were online preorders for the 4S release. stands to reason the 5S will be more difficult to get a hold of on release day since the people who want one then do not have that option anymore. less supply, more demand.
 
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CASEACE79

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trnsilver said:
I went into AT&T today before the announcement. I was actually there to ask about U-Verse, but I asked the guy there if he had any info about the announcement today (obviously, he didn't).

However, what he did say is that I could put my name on a waiting list for the iPhone 5S and that there were already 50 people on it! I was shocked considering this is not advertised. But I put my name down for an iPhone 5S 32GB in Black and he said they should get hundreds of each color / size in on the day it is released so I should have one.

In other words, I suggest investigating the same. AT&T stores generally have shorter (or no) lines on release day compared to Apple Stores. If you can get your name on a list ahead of time, there will be one waiting for you.

We'll see if this works out for me (and the rest of you), but it seems like it can't hurt to try.
Click to expand...
That guy might lose his job. As far as my research shows ONLY Apple stores will have the 5S on the 20th. This has been confirmed by Apple's wording along with my friend who is the mgr of a Verizon Store. He said that they will not have any on release day but can place orders on the 20th.
 
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