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Topic: Smartphones

Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

Summary: I knew the iPhone 4S would be popular even given that the tech crowd did not seem that excited. I was surprised though that the first batch of pre-orders already sold out.

Matthew Miller

By for Smartphones and Cell Phones |

Like millions of other folks I pre-ordered my iPhone 4S early Friday morning. And also just like we saw in the past the pre-orders apparently sold out (all carriers, colors, and capacities at the Apple Store online) and the shipping estimate has now been extended to 1-2 weeks. You may still find some available for the 14 October date via carrier websites so check there if you still want to pre-order. Like the iPad previously, it took 4 months to get back in stock, we will likely see this next move to 3-4 weeks and later, which pretty much guarantees we are going to see lines outside Apple stores, wireless carrier stores, and places like Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, and Best Buy next Friday when the iPhone 4S appears in retail locations.

There are a few key decisions one has to make when purchasing an iPhone 4S and I ended up going with the Verizon white 32GB model. I like my white iPad 2 and since I have so many black phones I wanted something that stood out a bit from the rest. I thought of the 16GB model with the iCloud support, but then thought I would be taking many more photos and videos with the new camera so went with the 32GB model. I am very curious what readers are buying so take a second to vote in my poll below. I am not including the carrier options in this poll or it would be way too big and since carrier choice is primarily driven by what carrier works best in your geographic area I just want to see what you chose between white, black, and capacities.

[poll id="36"]

Topics: Smartphones, Apple, Hardware, iPhone, Mobility, Wi-Fi

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52 comments
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  • Poll excludes 4S?

    Hey, great "voting poll" with your 4S article!
    You forgot to include ANY iPhone4S at all.
    (ZdNet just gets worse and worse.)
    CathyCC
    Reply Vote

    • Oops, that was poll 35, switched to poll 36

      @CathyCC Sorry, I copied the poll html format code and forgot to update the poll number. It is updated now and I guess that's what happens when I get up too early on Saturday morning. Thanks for your support :(
      palmsolo (aka Matthew Miller)
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

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      yamatchy001
      Reply Vote

  • Remember

    The iPhone 4S is horrible, and it will flop. That's what I've been reading from just about every article, on here and elsewhere. Fans are going to be angry at Apple for delivering less than the media hyped they would, they'll swarm to *insert OS* for the true freedom that only it can provide.<br><br>Wait, what? That isn't true? <br><br>>_>
    Michael Alan Goff
    Reply Vote

    • LTE phones prove 5-12 Mbps download speeds, so 14 Mbps for AT&T iPhone 4S

      @Michael Alan Goff: ... is on par.<br><br>For now, iPhone 4S is times faster in graphics and many times faster in vector/multimedia floating point calculations than any other smartphone currently on sale.<br><br>The camera is by far the best too (with additional lens, with IR filter, with image signal processor, times quicker operation, hardware based/gyroscope video stabilization) among any smartphone (though dedicated cameraphones may compete).<br><br>The display is times more sharp than the likes of Samsung Galaxy S 2, and the battery life is better.<br><br>Siri, Airplay, iCloud, the largest media and applications library.<br><br>And the phone is not a huge brick, still can be used conveniently for actual <b>phone part</b> of "smartphone" concept, and it is not plasticky.
      DDERSSS
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

        @DeRSSS The camera may be better we'll have to see. If Siri works better than the app did it will be awesome, if it works like the app I can't see using it much. I hope the battery life is better but what make you think it will be Better? They claim the 4 is better than the 3GS and I haven't noticed any improvement and I don't understand how the standby time can drop by 1/3 and give longer life when using. I love the screen on the 4 but side by side with the galaxy 2 I don't notice anything but the bigger screen. But having said that, I don't mind the smaller screen and I'm learning to like iOS. I'll wait on the reviews and as long as it works well I'll get one. Guess my point is I hate hearing how great a phone is that no one has actually used.
        Delmalgeri
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

        @DeRSSS Do research and ignore DeRSSS, he is spouting old information and doesn't have a clue. Heck, some of his info cannot even be verified.
        slickjim
        Reply Vote

      • I wasn't actually being serious

        I personally see the 4S as a great phone, though the emphasis is more on refinement. That is a great idea, putting in things that provide an optimal experience without getting far behind.

        I don't see 4G as being something that a majority of people actually use, either.

        All in all, I was just making fun of the fact that the phone that is a "failure" has been pre-ordered to the point where there is a wait. I bet all companies wish they could have such a failure.

        Don't you?
        Michael Alan Goff
        Reply Vote

      • @Peter Perry

        No different than many of your posts.
        Bruizer
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

    Matt, a lot of your colleagues will be eating crow. It will be cool to see how they spin it.

    How could this phone not sell? Faster processor, better battery, better camera, faster network, Siri, iOS 5, it's beautiful...no plastic. How could anyone not be impressed?
    CowLauncher
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

      @CowLauncher the biggest complaint will either be it does not come with Android, or a Windows Mobile OS on it. It does not matter if it is faster then the competition, it will fall short of the rumors, on the internet.
      Rick_Kl
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

        @Rick_Kl

        Nothing can ever live up to hype.
        Michael Alan Goff
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

        @James Quinn There absolutely is, I am sure Apple is happy with the growth of the product but I guarantee you they want to keep pace with the Android Phones and that just isn't happening.

        You know what the real problem is, you can get GHz Android Phones for Free but all you can get is the antiquated 3Gs for free with iOS which just doesn't stand up well.

        Also, $99 for an 8 Gig iPhone 4 on Sprint and yet you can get the EVO 4G for free. Do you see the problem here?
        slickjim
        Reply Vote

      • Again with the double market share crap

        @Peter Perry Android has a number problem and it is pretty much artificially inflated by the fact that Android is the OS of MOSTLY CRAPWARE. Android is installed in every crapware there is today and people like you count those numbers as positive ... when in reality they are not.

        While the Android OS may have a large number when combined, the truth is that iOS has real market share because the OS is actually making money. On the other hand, Android OEMs are mostly a group scavengers fighting for the little bit of leftovers at the bottom of the barrel. That is not a healthy business environment. When the OS is selected because "we need to have something out today" it degrades the quality of the product.

        The funny part is that iOS may have about 50% less in numbers than Android OS .... but 3rd party developers are making MILLIONS on iOS and barely nothing on Android .... forcing them to resort to an adware supported environment that pretty much destroys any decent user experience, tarnishing the brand and product.
        wackoae
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

        @Michael Alan Goff hype. or speculation? If the rumors came from Apple, then it is hype. If the rumors came from the web, then it is speculation. Only time will tell the true value of these phones. Personally, if the buyer is happy with the phone then it is worth the asking price
        Rick_Kl
        Reply Vote

      • @Peter Perry: Do you lie on purpose or just make things up?

        <i>"Really, 2 years ago they were the big dog on the market and in that same time they've seen their phone market Share slow down and Android Double their Market Share in half the time... "</i>

        Only when you look at a small segment of the market of smartphones (less than 1/3) and only when you look at "market share". This is a 100% false statement when you look at the mobile industry as a whole. If you look at "profit share", the picture is obvious. Any company making Android will eventually go bankrupt.

        <i>"Do you know what this means? Eventually the industry will standardize on the platform with the largest market Share"</i>

        Again, this is a 100% false statement. The industry will stabilize on the platform that has the greatest potential for wealth creation. Given Google is about the destruction of wealth, Android may have lots of "units" but its eco-system, software, games and available media will continue to be very sub-standard.

        <i>"and Android already has [three] platforms (ereaders and smartphones and [MP3 players]) and Apple with iOS has MP3 players and Tablets [and smart phones] The problem here is that both of the Android Markets are growing and one of Apple's markets is shrinking while the other is growing."</i>

        <b>NOTE</b>: I corrected your errors above.

        Actually, two of iOS's platforms are growing and one market is in harvest. Apple however owns the MP3 player market. Android's MP3 player market, like its tablet market, has been still born. Without the carriers to push the product, only fanboies are buying Android tablets and MP3 players.

        Really? 1.8 million Android tablets sold to consumers in 9 months? That is all? This is not impressive given the millions upon millions shipped. NOTE: 500,000 of those are in the last 6 weeks.
        Bruizer
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

        @Rick_Kl Like your rumour here?
        You know how to read Rick? What does "Pre-orders sold out" mean to you?
        hyusama
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

        @Rick_Kl <br>Windows Mobile is ended, and Windows Phone 7 is the current one and if you want to bash Microsoft, go ahead, but remember WP is different from WM and Android is not from Microsoft. Now go back and troll as much as you could and spread FUD. BTW, iPhone 4S is really great and I ordered white 64GB.
        Ram U
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders sold out, currently at 1-2 week shipping

      @CowLauncher The problem is that it is going to sell to the same people and it really needs more to grow.
      slickjim
      Reply Vote

      • And since iPhone sales have since it started selling been GROWING.

        @Peter Perry .. How can it be selling the the "Same" people for if it were then sales would be neutral would they not?

        Pagan jim
        James Quinn
        Reply Vote
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