The big day is almost here. After months of speculation, a momentous keynote from Tim Cook, and record preorders, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will officially hit store shelves this Friday. Apple is going to great lengths to ensure that Friday runs smoothly for its customers and employees.
We’ve tracked down Apple’s retail gameplan so you’ll know what to expect on launch day including what percentage of iPhones Apple Stores are required to hold back, refreshment times (Starbucks usually) and Personal Setup details …
Apple’s big week starts with the arrival of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus inventory “as early as Wednesday, September 17th.” Retail inventory specialists (Back of House) have been instructed to “hold back 4% of overall inventory by SKU (minimum 1 device/SKU) for DOA holdbacks.” This ensures that customers will not be let down if their new iPhone has an issue right out of the box. Devices that were preordered for in-store pickup will be set aside so they are not accidentally sold to walk-in customers.
Around 5 am, Apple specialists are directed to begin interacting with the line by sharing their excitement for iPhone 6/6 Plus and answering any questions. At this time, the line will be split based on order type: one for walk-in customers and one for Personal Pickup (PPU).
Next, walk-in customers will start getting their Reservation Pass placeholders. This new digital queue system will replace the physical product reservation cards that Apple used during previous product launches. Reservation Pass will be sent to customers’ phones via SMS or email and can be stored in PassBook. Apple will issue the old physical cards to customers who do not have access to text or email while in line. As always, Apple will also be handing out refreshments (most likely coffee and water) throughout the morning. The Genius Bar will not be open for service appointments until “the majority of inventory is out of stock.”
Once the clock strikes 8 am, customers will be greeted with a “warm welcome” and then paired with a specialist who will either confirm the Reservation Pass number for walk-in customers or scan the Ready For Pickup (RFP) barcode for Personal Pickup customers. The specialist and customer will head back to the Genius Bar to retrieve their iPhone of choice and begin the transaction.
Every customer will be asked if they would like a Personal Setup, which is a one on one experience with a specialist who helps get your new iPhone up and running. If a customer declines the Personal Setup, then specialists are directed to inform them about Express Workshops and hand out “Icing” cards, which invite the customer to return to the Apple Store for future training needs.
Stay tuned to 9to5Mac all week as we continue to cover the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch.
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Wonderful…My iPhone 6 plus still hasn’t been shipped.//
That is why you should never pre-order. Plenty of inventory in the stores for you to have it first thing in the morning.
Is this usually the case? I’m being quoted Oct.12-19..would it better to cancel and try my luck at a Store..?
I disagree. Always try to pre-order. The only time there is plenty of inventory is if you have pre-ordered. I’ve been to a few iPhone launches and the number of iPhones available for walk-ins was a fraction of what was available for pre-orders.
Ultramet, do NOT cancel your order at this point. In some cases (a handful, but just happened to me) you may not get your upgrade eligibility back in time for launch day.
The only way is to 1)Make sure your carrier will verify your eligibility as soon as you cancel it and 2) make sure there is pre-order for pickup at the stores near you still available. If there are no more pickup pre-orders available, you’ll have to be one of the first couple dozen (at best) in line for walk-ins. Pre-orders get priority, period.
If you ordered from Apple, don’t worry about it. If at the time of order, delivery was 9/19, you WILL receive it on 9/19. It used to freak me out too, but it will ship on 17 and be out for delivery on 19.
Are you sure if it says delivers on 9/19 I will get my iPhone it is 9/17 at 1:15 and still no been shipped any advice?
Got shipment Notification it would ship on 19th, Pre ordered from beta stall
Did you track by reference in UPS?
“Sorry, but we’re out of stock.” “Yeah right!!! Just dip in to that 4%… It’ll be just between you and me *winks*.” *Hands $5 bill.
Better be at least a Benjamin.
How about this: Buy an iPhone 6 instead of a plus and use the $100 you save for the same reason!
Wonder if there are details on how they’ll handle T-Mobile in store. I’ve heard a couple of recent reports that the reps are slowly being trained on selling T-Mobile phones using JUMP or the Equipment Installation Plan (the 24-month payment plan) but it’s not everywhere yet. I’d definitely rather do it with the EIP than buying it upfront, but not sure if all the reps will be trained in it by Friday.
There isn’t much to train on….they check you out as part of an automated process….if that is an option for you, it will be presented as part of checkout.
This time around, NEXT, EDGE, JUMP are all available at Apple retail. (AT&T, Vz, Tm)
Some of the reps would add the JUMP even if you don’t want it. So check your bill.
This happened to me. It was amusing because I PIF and was like…ummmm… :)
I got an email right after i reserved my 2 iPhone 6 Plus (image below) i didnt get any Ready For Pickup (RFP) barcode? http://puu.sh/bBsfw/2adb5ea859.jpg
It looks like you used the “Reserve and Pickup” option which means you don’t receive any barcode but just need to be at the door at the given time (8 – 9am for you). The Ready for Pickup barcode is for pre-orders with in-store pickup. This service might not be available in your country, which explains why your email is different.
I’m in the UK and the situation is the same as yours – I reserved for pickup too and won’t receive any barcode.
Thanks!, i was getting worried
Okay, I wasn’t going to say anything in the last article I read, but now it’s driving me crazy that this is the second article in a row from 9to5mac in which I have seen the same mistake. When one writes in the English language, apostrophes denote ownership and are not used in pluralization. Those who write professionally for a living should understand this. (i.e. it is “store shelves”, not “store shelve’s”). “Store shelve’s” would be used when referring to something that belongs to the store shelves. It would be much appreciated if the author could make that grammatical correction.
Sorry for the inconvenience. It was a simple typo. All fixed now.
The author has clearly demonstrated reasonably knowledge of apostrophe use. ‘its’ and ‘customers’’ are both fine… you’ve found a typo, not a journalist with bad grammar.
Actually, it’d be “store shelves” or “store shelf’s.” “Shelve” is a verb, so it can’t be in the possessive. If we’re being picky about grammar…
“DOUCHE BAG”
Ay dios mio… Que dramatico.
la gente necesita para relajarse. Is this a prelude to what’s going to happen in line Friday morning?
Ir’s about people making fuss over an apostrophes .
puro pedo
What day will Apple put out demo models of the 6/6 Plus for people to play with? I’m almost certain that I want the Plus size, but I’d like to use it for a bit first. I would think it’d be on the 19th, right? Or could it be sooner?
Based on past history, Apple has always had demo models set up on their tables for people to hold and play with starting from the day they go on sale. So this year should be no different.
Apple will put out demo models when they receive product in the back room and it doesn’t immediately leave the store. This means Apple will serve the rush first before they start putting out demo models. It wouldn’t surprise me if the wait is one to two months.
@Stephen
Apple will have a boat load of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models already setup on the floor for demo, before the store even opens on the 19th.
It ships on 19th Pre ordered the plus from beta stall http://bit.ly/1qPTFV2
So, I ordered my iPhone 6 for delivery to my office… totally dropped the ball on ordering a case, and I want to avoid all the nonsense at Apple Stores opening day. Looks like cases are sold out, shipping in a few weeks from their website. Any idea if Verizon stores will be nuts / have the Apple silicone / leather cases on hand?
I’ve noticed carrier stores generally don’t carry Apple’s cases, at least not at first due to supply issues. Seems AT&T and Verizon did carry a selection of the 5C silicon cases, but they arrived well after 5C’s launch. Best Buy, however, should be carrying them on day one. That might be your best bet to avoid insane traffic and still get the case you want.
Thanks for the tip – I’ve got a Best Buy a quarter-mile from home – should be plenty convenient.
Order a case from Amazon today for $10. It will get to your office before your iPhone.
thats good, already pre ordered my iphone 6 plus from betastall . com and should get it in 2 days getting a case wont be a problem i think.
God, as an Apple retail employee, it’s amazing how these things leak out. See you on Friday!
Is it nice working there?
Are you guys really excited when you “share your excitement”? Like when you run out the door at 8 am?
How early do you get to touch or play with the phones?
Are there any tips or tricks you can give us to make our wait easier or the whole experience more pleasant/faster
Do you know if they will allow you to buy an ATT IPhone 6 at full price at the apple store on Friday morning?
as far as i know yes. i’ve been keeping in touch with my local verizon store and they said i could purchase an iphone 6 at full retail price. i can even trade in my iphone 5s torwards the purchase. i think would do the same so you should be ok
This will be the first time in years I go and wait in line. I ordered one already but it won’t even ship for at least 4 weeks. Might as well try my luck and go to the opening. At the very least I should be able to play with the demo models.
Dan, can you clarify the timing of the passes and when you can leave? I have a meeting at 7am, so I figured I couldn’t wait in line. Are they going to start handing out the passes in the 5-6am time range? If you get a pass, are you allowed to then leave immediately and come back anytime that day? Does the pass guarantee that you have the phone you’ve requested even if other folks that were behind you interact with the specialists before you? Thanks!
Jamie – Yes, the Reservation Pass should guarantee you a phone for that day. Take a look at the article I wrote about Reservation Pass for some more information. http://9to5mac.com/2014/09/10/apple-aims-to-make-buying-an-iphone-6-easier-at-its-stores-with-new-digital-queue-system/
Thanks! Very helpful.
I’m sure it explained it all in the article that was linked but as long as you return that same day your phone will be reserved for you. You WILL have to go to the end of the line when you return, though. The pass doesn’t let you skip back to the front.
was told today, that because i ordered a gold iPhone 6 plus i won’t be getting my phone till 10/14! this is so lame and apple is just yanking everyone’s chain!
So, I pre-ordered through the store pick up option. Do I HAVE to wait in line still? It may be hard for me to make it because of some meetings on Friday morning. If I showed up at around 10:30 – 11:00am would my phone still be there?
After zooming in close on the screen shots – there will be two separate lines, but if you’re there before 5am there will only be 1. And, there will be staff dedicated solely to PPUs.
I think it’s saying that each pre-ordered phone should be put in a pile ahead of opening, but I’m not clear on all of their verbiage. But, overall, the tenor of what’s written leads me to believe they’re taking the PPU’s seriously and trying to make it as smooth as possible for us.
Two questions regarding pre-ordered for Apple Store pickup:
1. Will they make me activate the new phone in the store or can I take it home to set up on my own?
2. This (very helpful) write-up seems to indicate all customers will start in one line, which will then be broken up into two lines. Am I reading this right and I will have to compete for a spot in a line with those who have not pre-ordered? And, will there be staff dedicated to pre-orders/PPUs?
From what I know, they’ll need to make sure they phone is active on your carrier’s plan, but the rest of iPhone’s activation (iCloud, setup, etc.) can be done whenever you wat. You’re free to leave with the phone once they’ve verified it’s tied to a carrier account.
1. It depends if you selected one with a contract or unlocked in the reservation process.
If you selected unlocked and pay full price then you can set up at home. Swapping out the sim card yourself is an easy way to avoid activation fees if you use an online account to change sim #’s.
If it’s on contract you have to be locked in before you leave the store.
2. Yes before 5am though. Once the line splits you leave all those suckers behind. If you are getting an unlocked phone that has no contract you could be in and out in a matter of minutes. This is because dedicated staff will be walking down the reservation line and checking you in.
I think I’ll stick with my 5s.
cool story, bro.
anyone know if there is a limit to how many you can buy? 1 per person or?
Definitely not one per person. I walked out with 2 phones last year (one for me and one for the wife). Not sure on the policy, but if you need to buy 2, I know they’re fine with that.
When you could reserve for pickup you could choose between 1 and 2. So i guess you can’t buy more than 2 as of now
My iphone 6 has shipped and will be at my house Friday…so excited! I would love to see what the lines look like at the Apple store though. :)
Does anyone know if I will be able to purchase 2 iPhones if I go for an in store purchase at apple? Both me and my wife want to upgrade. Best Buy said I could only purchase one and that she would need to be with me to purchase a second. They are both in my name. thanks?
Yes, you can. I’ve upgraded by my phone and my wife’s each of the past two years with just me being present. You’ll be fine.
With the overwhelming popularity of the 6 Plus, I hoping they will let me exchange out one of my reservations (I have 2 for 2 phones…couldn’t decide) for one. Taking one of out the store stock for the general public is what I’m going to suggest to them because of all the issues on pre-order night with the apple store. I can see a serious argument brewing here with a bunch of blue shirts. Your thoughts/suggestions are appreciated.
I think these inside leaks of confidential information is detrimental for everyone involved. After all this is confidential information right? Shame on the person leaking this out.
You can call any apple store and they would give you this information over the phone. How do I know this? I’ve phoned 2 nearby, this article just confirms what they are doing. Majority of people don’t care about the small details above like phones set aside(Your city’s population will vary this number greatly). They just want the meat and potatoes of it.
Oh so they provide you copies of confidential documents too over the phone? Gee I didn’t know that Apple Employees emails you confidential documents. sheesh.
They will not do that, please don’t be foolish. Remember that the people around here are very passionate about apple products. We only support them but support the freedom of information (they have been super vague about a lot of launch day details because this is going to be a lot different).
I ALWAYS buy Apple products from Apple on line stores or on site stores – vs AT&T or Verizon stores.
Any idea what time they’re going to be giving the wait line reservations?
With the reports of the iPhone 6/6+ launch in China being delayed, shouldn’t there be significantly more inventory available? I cannot see making people wait 4-6 weeks for the delivery of a 6+ when it seems like there should be a ton of units that were designated for China.
i Preordered on 9/12 foran Apple in store pick up. Money was deducted from my account. Pick up is available for 9/19, but it is still in the “Processing” stage. Can anyone confirm if this is normal or are in-store pick ups handled differently than phones that are shipping to personal addresses?
Mine says that too. I don’t have a barcode or anything. I plan to go tot the Apple Store and wait in the PPU line and hope that it is ready by the time the store opens
Good to know; I finally got a straight answer from AT&T that they forbid any customers to preorder phones for in-store pickup. That’s just their company policy. Which seems insane to me, given that competing wireless carriers *do* permit in-store pickup preorders. Anyway, my nerd-gluttony will probably mean I get my ass up and wait in line for one of these. Best of luck to everyone else with the exact same idea! ^_^
I pre-ordered mine for Personal Pickup, but the email just says that I will be notified when it is ready to be picked up, I don’t have a barcode in either the email or the Apple Online Store. Can I still expect to get a phone if I wait in the PPU line?
I would assume they’re still processing this information. I did the same thing and it has hit my credit card, but still no bar code. Since they pull these out of the regular stock, I’m guessing the bar code will come once they actually assign a phone to the customer. We should be getting those in the next couple days.
I hope you’re right also. I pre-ordered from the Apple Store app and was able to select a store nearby. My order status is still “Processing” but what you said makes sense. The article mentions that the Apple Stores will be receiving the stock of phones as early as today (9/17) so once the stores figure everything out we should be getting a confirmation email.
this is so exciting! I’m a new Apple Retail Employee (Family Room Specialist) and I start on Monday. It’s going to be beyond exciting!!!!
Does anyone know if they will allow you to buy an ATT IPhone 6 at full price at the apple store on Friday morning? I have called apple 3 times and have got back 3 different answers. My company is not allowing us to upgrade so i want to purchase the phone at full price but on the ATT network.
If you are purchasing at full price, it means you are buying unlocked version. Which also means, network doesn’t matter, AT&T or T-Mobile. But yes, you will be able to buy phones at full price.
that is not true. the unlocked version doesnt exist yet. but i agree you should be able to buy phones at full price if you wait in line
I’m in the same boat as you no upgrade available so I was asking about the unlocked version. I was able to pre order the phone with out contract on att.com
I too inquired about the tmobile/unlocked version and I was told by 4 separate apple reps both in store and on the phone the the tmobile phone is locked to tmobile a network. It won’t work with by just putting in your att sim. Apple still doesn’t know know if an official unlocked iphone6/6+ will be available at launch (most likely not) so your best best bet is to head to att and just buy it off contract like I did and if it doesnt come unlocked they can unlock it for free for you as long as you buy it off contract at full price. Hope that helps
Way to go 9to5Mac! Great super-sleuthing. I’ll be in that there line!
Ordered Friday morning through th apple store app at 6:30am got pick up for the 19th but I don’t see a barcode n my item says processing but my card has been charged by apple … Advice please
I ordered a 6 Plus, but delivery is scheduled for the week of October 10; I’ll be out of town all that week. If I don’t cancel the order, will I still be able to buy one at the Apple Store, and then cancel?
Yes if you can buy one from the apple store, but call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to confirm
so how will this kind of thing affect if you want to sell your spot in line? myself as well as many others, some who already have a pre-order and some who don’t care about the phone, would like to get there the night before and hold a spot for people who want to buy it in the morning. can you still do this having a “phone reservation”? if it gets “lost” i assume they will still help whoever is in line/ie the person who switched places to be in the with you?
So the company has its employees drum up excitement?
Pathetic.
Apple customer service sucks. Has from day one.
All this hubbub for a phone whose features are already available from Samsung.
What is the best time to come at the store to get iPhone 6 Plus on Sept 19th? Also in San Francisco, which location is better? Stockton or Chestnut St?
For the 5S, my partner and I got in line about 3:00am at the Stonestown store in SF. The Apple line had started the night before, and by time we got there at 3, one of us got in the AT&T line (I was the second person in that line) and my partner got in the Apple line. He was pretty far back by that time, once the Apple rep got to him about which phone he wanted, the only had black 16gb remaining. He was about 100 deep or more that that point.
So, really, it’s all just kind of luck and dedication. Keep in mind that carrier stores also have phones, but their supply is limited.
THIS is why Apple is the best. Apple marketing dollars are backloaded not front loaded. They spend on servicing EXISTING users to lower churn and create repeat customers.
Most companies ignore this and view backloaded marketing spend as wasted money.
I’ve chosen a 4pm-5pm reserve and pick-up (PPU) – the question i want to ask is will they be turning away people who show up before their time slot and asking them to return or will they let you pick up at anytime? Lastly – based on previous experience (US customers) – generally how long does one have to wait in line for a ‘time slot’ pickup – around 1-2 hours?
Where or how did you chose a pick-up time?
Got sent a ‘Reservation’ link from Apple ‘Online Chat’ rep on Sept 12th. Sent me to a page where you need to login with your AppleID and select the store (in London) of where you want to pick up – and then takes you to page with availability of each device/color/size(GB) – you then select the device and are told to choose 1h time slots of your choice (remember i did this within 20mins of the Apple Store going ‘online’ on the 12th – so everything was available with pretty much all time slots). Once selected i received an confirmation email of ‘Pick up’ at the particular store i chose with the specific time i chose. I later called the store to confirm that the ‘Reserve and Pickup’ is stock controlled and he informed me that it is – although i must pick up the phone on the day otherwise it will be put back into stock,
Lastly – just out of curiosity i went back online around two hours later and clicked on the same link i was given originally and when i selected the store that i’m picking up from everything was ‘Unavailable’ phone/time slots!
Anyone have experience waiting in line for a major iphone release? What’s the best arrival time? Will the Apple Store have only a few dozen for walk-ins or a lot more?
Thanks in advance for the info.
Does anyone know if they are letting you do the Apple recycling program with your previous iphone because I have an iphone 5 I would like to use.
my preorder said that it would shit wouldnt send until oct-nov, but it shipped today.
This is so lame, i pre ordered and now i am regretting. this website http://www.viralexpose.com did warned us for not ordering in advance instead getting it from the stores as normally the pre order one are filled with defects as compared to the market launch one.I have had bitter experience so this time i hope i don’t go through the same problem again.
so what is at this point the best idea to get the phone as fast as possible? Online or in store. When can I expect to get a phone in store after friday?
I am an AT&T customer with an active contract for another year. I was advised by AT&T to buy from them online to ensure I could transition to their Next plan. I did that, and stayed up until 3am to make sure I got one. In fact, it somehow let me in 10 minutes early. However, when I got the confirmation email, it says delivery Oct 13-22! I also pre-ordered the next morning at 8am from the Apple Store. Same date! I did this for two 6 Plus phones from AT&T and two from Apple.
So now I’m thinking I’ll cancel the pre-orders and just go to the line at 5am and pick two up (I only need two, but wanted to hedge my bet). However, I’m afraid of two things:
1. Will all my preorder BS prevent Apple from selling me a phone?
2. Will Apple be able to sell me a phone if my contract isn’t yet over? I do have another line not on contract (see concern #1; I used that line for one of my upgrade orders).
I’m in a similar situation, I pre-ordered from AT&T for three 6 Plus phones and they all show shipping dates of early Oct. In my case all my phones are off contract but when I preordered I bought them all on the 2 year contract option. I’m wondering the same thing as you, if I go into Apple store on launch day, will Apple sell me a phone. I was thinking that if I get there early enough to get a digital pass that verifies that I will get a phone, then at that point I could call AT&T to cancel my order. But just not sure how that all works.
Great point! If I get the digital pass, then I can call AT&T and Apple to cancel all the pre-orders I made. I really only need one or two.
I pre-ordered and am shown the availability date of 9/19. question is though, do i need to go to the store and pick it up as soon as possible, or is it OK to go the next day on Saturday? I might not be able to skip out of work during the day on Friday to get to the store
In regards to launch day models over night in the store closest to me they start setting up the Apple Store for launch day, I you see a team of people putting up the displays and images and phones. so expect the same thing tomorrow night. I didn’t get the pre order due to congestion online (never got thru) so I will be camping it out tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to this bigger iPhone model 5.5 in space grey 128GB why not get that massive storage. Also and yes my store today confirmed the pre order line and the walk in line. the Trainer at the store assured me that their will be plenty to go around just color might be an issue. he also told me that Mall security will allow people to start lining up around 9pm without an hassle. since Apple doesn’t own the outside mall space only rents their section. I am making my way out about 8pm to line u for the night.. got to get mines. the only cool thing is that he also told me that once you confirm your reservation spot and Device thru them your free to go home and come back later, for you have already confirmed one and its good for 24hrs. but if im camping all night then I minus well get it right in the morning. A.S.A.P
question any one free to answer. I’ve been trying to preorder the iPhone 6 plus gold 128GB UNLOCKED!! but i can’t seem to find one? are they not selling UNLOCKED iPhones this time around??? don’t want to be tied in to a contract… plz someone assist me on this ASAP.. thanks alot.
Same here, anyone can help us?
So am I basically supposed to wait for my iPhone 6 plus til’ October 12-20 since I pre-ordered? Or is there any other way around it that someone can recommend? I used my AT&T upgrade and I don’t know if I will loose it if I cancel the order. How can they supply the phone on the 19th for wal in customers and not replenish the orders of the people that preordered since day 1? Totally unfair!
Does anyone know if the 2 device limit carries over from a preorder? I preordered two that are being shipped to my house (not the store), but am planning to wait in line for silver (which I wasn’t able to get online). Thoughts on whether or not I’ll have an issue when trying to buy a third device? Think they’ll put the pieces together?
I have a question can i get an unlock iphone 6 in the store or this is only for carrier 2 year contract version? Thanks
Personal Setup is not intended to be a one on one experience, but rather a one to several setting in which new owners have a Specialist available to guide their first experience with their new device.
I preordered on 9/11 and today on 9/19 my email from att says expected shipment date is 10/13-10/31. I would have been better off just walking to a store today probably.
If you’re still looking for an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus (and who isn’t, they’re still nearly impossible to find), we just started tracking local and online retailer inventory at iPhoneInventory.com