The iPhone 4 is now available for pre-order — in theory, anyways. We’ve been trying to pre-order and pay for an iPhone 4 since 9 a.m. ET and have been left with Apple.com time-outs, AT&T error messages, clueless customer service reps and reservations recorded at the wrong price.
Checking Twitter and Facebook, we know we’re not alone. Fortunately, after nearly eight hours at this, we do have some tips for those of you still trying to get a pre-order or reservation.
The main problem — from what we’ve been able to gather after phone calls to various AT&T and Apple customer service agents — seems to be on AT&T’s end. Quite simply, the servers that check for customer eligibility are being hit from all directions. If you’re at an AT&T store, good luck getting a pre-order to go through reliably. Online, the situation is similar, with error messages appearing after you enter in your mobile phone number and account password.
At Apple.com, timeouts and error messages appear as soon as you select your iPhone and go through the AT&T eligibility screen. Occasionally you may end up at a “reserve at a local store” screen but in most cases, you either get a “session expired” message or a never-ending “waiting for authorization” screen.
Earlier today, the new Apple Store app was working reliably for setting up an in-store reservation. However, because of high demand, the app has now stopped processing reservations. If you did manage to place an order using the app, be aware that because the app bypassed the AT&T eligibility servers, when you do get your confirmation e-mail from Apple, the price you see for the iPhone 4 will be either $599 or $699 depending on the capacity. In other words, the contract-free pricing is the default. We fully expect that issue to be cleared up by June 24.
Bright Spots
Best Buy, which is also accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 4, doesn’t go through AT&T’s activation system. The company seems to have its own line. So if you don’t mind getting your phone at Best Buy for a $50 deposit, it looks like this is the fastest way to do a pre-order on an iPhone 4 without having to deal with AT&T.
RadioShack is also taking pre-orders and we’ve heard some positive reports via Twitter about its process too.
Our advice for people who are still trying to pre-order an iPhone 4:
- Try the Apple Store app first. The pricing confirmation may be incorrect for now but you can at least you can reserve a phone. The app is currently NOT taking reservations at this time but that could change as things settle down.
- If there is a Best Buy in your area and you don’t mind putting down a $50 deposit, go to Best Buy. Chances are the retailer’s launch day lines will be way shorter too.
- Avoid going to any AT&T stores.
- Wait until tomorrow to see if the madness has finally dwindled.
Have you been able to pre-order your iPhone 4? How long did it take? Share your experience in the comments.
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