Pre-orders for the iPhone 6 will start at 12:01 a.m. PDT and will be available to purchase in Apple Stores on Sept. 19th, 2014, but what isn’t widely known is that it looks like Apple is kicking off Personal Pickup availability starting with preorders as well. This means that you’ll be able to preorder an iPhone 6 and select a store in your area and pick it up on launch day….
We’ve independently confirmed this news with several Apple Stores and Apple’s online chat. The option to pickup an iPhone in store will be available during the checkout process and Apple will have a second line for Personal Pickup at each store on Sept. 19, 2014. This should lessen the preorder and launch day chaos for consumers.
This information is also (roughly) worded on Apple’s Retail iPhone page:
The big day is coming. Pre-order iPhone 6 and have it shipped to you for free, or pick it up in store. You can also buy at the Apple Retail Store beginning at 8:00 a.m. on September 19.*
One representative also confirmed the following:
In regards to store pickup, there will be options available for that at most stores, which will be indicated at the time of your order. The option will exist while supplies last.
Last year, Apple’s in-store pickup option didn’t start until three days after the official release. Even then, the pickup option was halted just one day after it started and then resumed the following week due to an apparent glitch on the website.
We expect the option for Personal Pickup to become unavailable soon after preorders begin until stock replenishes for each store. Hopefully with the preorder options and store availability, this year’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch will be a smooth one.
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Any idea if trade-in could happen at the same time as personal pickup?
Darren, are you aware that you can almost always get more for a used phone on eBay than you can ever get on a trade in? For example, the most I’ve seen as a trade in for my iPhone 5S has been $410, I believe with Gazelle. The same phone is routinely selling for well over $500 on eBay, even more if it is in superb shape, has Applecare and/or is unlocked
Doug, I used to use eBay but found the numerous fraud bids and fraud buyers overwhelmed the experience. After many echoed the same experience I abandoned that method. I know of one whom said while the received the box, it did not have the iPhone in it(even though it did) and eBay reversed the payment. How is a seller to prove otherwise? This has become very difficult. Maybe this has change in the last year?
I always video the package (expensive items) being open to packed to wrapped while in the post office and handed over all in the same video…! And i did actually have someone claim this on an iPhone 3g a few years ago…! I called the police for theft by deception, and he failed in his claim and was arrested and charged…!!!
I sold my iphone 5 for $300 on eBay…
If you were purchasing the phone that morning I’d think trade-in would definitely be an option. If you paid for the phone in advance over the internet, I doubt it. Trade ins are usually a at the time of purchase thing
if they follow the typical procedures, yes you will be able to do a trade in of your current phone when you pick up your online order. You will receive a gift card which you can use for a case, apple care plus if you didn’t order it etc.
I’m excited to see the first numbers that will once again smash the competition as always.
As luck would have it – we’ll be on vacation Next Friday. Good to know that I can pre-order and pick it up when I get back on Saturday! Thanks Apple.
Any idea if this is this going to effect the inventory for those who are actually buying the phone in store rather than pre-ordering?
In the past, they’ve kept in-store pickups separate from regular store purchases.
Yes and no on this. In store pickups of items that can be bought at the store and are in stock at the store are pulled from store stock. it is only if it’s a custom order or something out of stock that it is separate because the item is shipped to the store as a pick up point only.
Given that these iPhones aren’t in stock the pre orders will more likely be handled like any other out of stock item and shipped separately from the stock. Once the phones are in stock they will likely be handled as any in store item is. Pulled from stock until the stock if gone and then shipped from the online warehouses.
Apple is known to use SAP inventory software which allows for the creation of ‘buckets’ with different statuses. items can be shifted between these buckets either manually or using pre programmed bits of software. For example, their warranty service system could shift a part from an ‘available’ bucket to a ‘used’ bucket when a service is set up. By the same token the whole Reservation Pass system could shift phones from ‘available’ to ‘reserved’ (allowing in store and online to see what can be sold) to ‘sold’ (and thus eligible for service if needed at a later date). Online would only be able to see what is ‘available’ so there would be no chance of selling a unit that someone in line has been promised, provided they did the reservation pass
So with the contract free option with T-mobile will I be able to switch the sim to another provider say ”net10” since it’s not coming with the sim-free option?
I’m trying to figure out the same thing.
Me too. Lots of conflicting information out there. They do eventually sell them a few weeks later SIM-free – at least they have in the past.
Yes you can as long as you got the phone unlocked from apple itself I’ve actually bought the 5s directly from tmobile and was told it was unlocked when I went to change my service I found out that it was not unlocked and had to call tmobile to unlock it
Your best bet is to buy the Verizon one off contract. It sounds surprising but the Verizon one has been unlocked since iPhone 5.i bought my 5S from Verizon and I use it on Tmobile just as well. Runs the same carrier version as the tmobile bought version in the family.
The problem of buying the Verizon model is due to it not being offered at “No Commitment” pricing at launch.
I’m interested to find out this answer too. I am an AT&T customer, but do not want to have a contract resign (or move to AT&T NEXT) take place. Will T-Mobile work with an AT&T SIM?
To be honest, I got T-Mobile phones due to the same issue after I had this conversation with @chronic on twitter
“@chronic: T-Mobile, 64GB, iPhone 6 Gold
now I can rest easy.”
“@schwincat05: @chronic is it unlocked?
“@chronic: I can do that myself *shrug* • RT @schwincat05: @chronic is it unlocked?”
”@schwincat05: @chronic yes thanks Capt Obvious. I was asking bc you can’t buy an ATT one online without a contract.”
“@chronic: @schwincat05 I know. I’m just a dick and don’t want to advocate where to buy an already-unlocked model for obvious reasons.”
It’s my understanding that it all comes down to how you pay. If you buy it from Apple you have to pay full price (even if you use their Barkley card to ‘finance’ it) so it’s unlocked. But if you buy from T-Mobile and use their financing the phones are locked to T-Mobile to ensure you pay off the dang thing.
I wonder if this is for the US only?
Unless otherwise noted, yes, this is only US.
Smart business strategy which allows Apple to sell more accessories, get non Mac users to took at Macs, etc.
Can you pre-order online, pick-up in store, and then pay for it in store? Or do you have to pay online at the time of pre-order?
Normally, you pay online, when you actually order the device. This keeps the” tire kickers” from pre-ordering and then not showing up to pick it up.
But – This is just my experience, YMMV.
nope. The point of the whole personal pickup thing is that it is prepaid so you are 100% guaranteed that you have it. Because it is paid for and thus no longer Apple’s to sell
I went to a store to ask a few questions about the pre-order process and the guy confirmed ‘PICKUP IN STORE IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN’. A day later, this news breaks out. I am confused now.
I’m an Apple Consultant. Most of the people in the Stores are clueless. Ask to speak to a Business Specialist. They are usually a little more clued in and hopefully won’t just make some shit up on the spot to get rid of you.
At the time when you asked the apple worker abt the pre-order, that was probably all the info he was given.
I can tell you right now that Apple staff rarely get told in advance what is going to be announced. Granted he should not have said that it “won’t happen” and left it open ended but still don’t expect them to know before it’s up on apple.com because that’s usually when they get told.
Apple rarely tells their staff shit in advanced. So at the time you asked the question that was the information they had based on the fact that they have never done in store pickup orders a week before the launch. Same day is the best that has ever happened.
The Apple store guy said “It hasn’t happened the last 2 times. There’s no reason it should happen now” Meaning ‘no pickup in store’
Just called a store and spoke to a lady. She said I can choose to pick up in-store, but I WON’T be able to pick up on the 19th. Even the units shipping will leave the warehouse on the 19th, so mail-in orders also won’t be delivered on the 19th. She was pretty darn sure.
Every preorder I’ve done in the past with apple has always been on my doorstep the same day as release. Which is just foolish that people wait in line. It’s a great feeling leaving for school knowing I will have a new device that day and come back after classes to a new toy ;)
Can’t wait.
All the pros of ordering online mixed with the torture of going into a store to pick it up? Hey wait here in line for your phone like every one else who is here to buy one.
Does not work that way. You get sent a specific time window and you see dedicated people to get your phone for you when you arrive. You do not wait in the regular line.
Where does it say you get an appointment?
Previously you could reserve a phone but would still have a long wait to actually get it. Maybe a couple of hours.
Apple announced they are not giving out cards but I have not seem a word that you get a reservation time.
or you do. We just don’t know at this point how it will happen. The only plus to doing an online order for in store pickup is that it is sold and paid for so it is yours. If you get the notice that it is ready to pickup then its pulled and secured. No one else can buy it. They keep those items for a good week if not more before they are returned, the money refunded etc.
But whether they do some kind of make an appointment, or separate line or lump everyone together remains to be seen
They typically separate the store purchases (the 100-person queue) from the in-store pickups. Dedicated specialists usually bang those out and you don’t have to wait more than 10 minutes.
Hey there!
I can’t see any option for unlocked iphone 6 in http://store.apple.com/us/buy-iphone/iphone6, just T-Mobile contract free.
Anybody knows if the T-Mobile contract free is unlocked? (I know it comes with a t-mobile nano-sim, but I don’t know if it ships locked for T-Mobile).
Thanks!
Yes Tmobile is an unlocked phone
Any idea about the Unlocked Verizon iPhone6? I can only see T-mobile version in the pre-order page
i really think apple needs to send out something as far as how things will be handled. i did confirm the new digital queuing system will be used from a friend that works at my local apple store. Only thing i hope won’t happen is people who pre order online and choose in store pick up (if it happens) will get there phones from the stores inventory. there should be more phones shipped specifically for that. also i have verizon unlimited data and i will be paying full price to keep it, i spoke with one apple rep who said only customers with upgrades or new customers will be able to get phones. no one will be able to pay full retail. spoke with another rep who says this isn’t true. my friend also told me they are now allowing people to purchase via, jump, edge and next.
in store pick-up wasn’t even an option this morning…
For those of you in the UK wondering if you can pre-order online and pick up in store, you can!
http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/iphone/
The only thing it isn’t conclusive whether you can pick it up on 19th.
Is this 12:01 PDT global or just US? Any ideas for Canada? Tks.
sooooo
1. am i going to be able to go to my apple store the 18th, at midnight and wait in line??
because i would really like to, its fun.
2. are they going to have any gold tmobile phones?? they only had space gray for tmobile, last year.
Depends on the store. But they won’t start sales until 8am even if the area allows an overnight line.
stock again depends on the store. presumably they will have at least a few of every model but how many is anyone’s guess.
If you Pre-Order the iPhone, doesn’t it get delivered to your house on launch day?
Im pretty sure that’s what happened with me for the iPhone 5 launch. They delivered it the same day it launched…
What does “option while supplies last mean”? If I pre-order wouldn’t that mean it will be there? Just a little confused by this.
If it’s anything like it usually is, the website will crash tonight. By the time anyone gets through to actually order their new iPhone they will all be sold out.
Then we will all be standing in line the night before release hoping to get lucky.
I assume this is only for Apple stores, and not for carrier stores? Because, as luck would have it, my town is getting it’s first Apple Store less than one month after launch. Until then, it’s an hour away.
I was wondering for the in-store pickup if I’m not there at 8 am, will my order still be there for pickup?
Also if I get it to be shipped, will it get to my house Friday or not till the week after?
In the past, some very few lucky people have received their iPhones in the mail a day before official launch. Guess it just depends on location and how close you are to a mailing distribution center.
So just to confirm, preorders start 12 PDT and I live in EST so I should be able to preorder at 3 AM??
3:00AM Eastern time. Drink a lot of caffeine.
it’s past midnight for you right now, were you able to place an order?
12PDT.
Does that mean that you can pre-order online and pay at the store or do you need to pay by credit card? Thanks
I plan on going to my ATT carrier store to do a pre-order in the morning when they open. I asked the in store rep if I could come in Friday morning to pre-order, she said it would be no problem. It’s looking like online pre-orders will sell out quickly. Is there a separate stash that carriers can make pre-orders from? Why would she be so confident in me coming in at 9am, when people are able to pre-order starting at 3am(EST)?
So what is the best way to get it? Planning on ordering tonight, think delivering to the door will be best, most convenient option, but also think most likely to get delayed? What is the best option to ensure getting it on the 19th?
“We’ll Be Back” message is up on the Apple Store.
did anyone actually get to choose the “pick up” option when they ordered? I was only able to have it delivered…
I ended up having to choose the Personal Pickup for my 6 pre-order since the app only would let me ship to the account holder’s address (which is my mother in NJ – I’m in NYC). So we’ll see how that goes launch day. I take the “The option will exist while supplies last.” quote to mean stock/supplies in their online store that will support it. It’s not like I made a reservation, this is a full order on my account with a credit card.
Does anyone know if I preordered a iphone6 plus, can the order be cancelled if I am able to pickup up at the store when they go on sale Sept-19? The preorder confirmation email said expected ship date isn’t until Oct 13-20!
as I recall from years past you could, if the item had not shipped. But I wasn’t dealing with phones. The whole account eligibility business could muck it up. If you return a phone it takes at least a day for it to reset so you can buy something else. Canceling an order might do the same thing.
is paying cash in-store on release day an option if you’re not preordering?