Slash Lane
iPhone 3G S shipments on hold
Some of the first U.S. customers to place their pre-orders for the new iPhone 3G S began receiving shipment notifications from UPS earlier this week with delivery dates of June 17th (today), a full two days before the device is slated to hit retail stores.
Though UPS strives to deliver packages as quickly as possible once they arrive at local sorting facilities, Apple overnight asked the company to hold back home delivery of the new handsets until Friday the 19th, the day the device is slated to launch nationally at Apple, AT&T, Best Buy and Wal-Mart retail outlets.
As such, many customers awoke this morning to find that UPS had updated the delivery status of the iPhones with an exception stating that, "the receiver requested a hold for a future delivery date" or "the package is being held for a future delivery date."
This isn't the first time this particular situation has come up. Apple has several times in the past shipped products such as iLife and iWork ahead of their launch date. In some of those cases, customers actually received their orders early but were later asked to surrender them back to the shipping company for re-delivery a few days later at Apple's request.
iPhone Software 3.0
Meanwhile, existing iPhone and iPod touch owners are anxiously awaiting the arrival of iPhone Software 3.0, slated for today. Although some had expected Apple to make the software available sometime in the early morning hours in order to cater to those customers in international time zones, a release early this afternoon now appears more likely.
A few hours ago, Apple Singapore began sending text messages to customers informing them the release would show up in iTunes sometime after midnight local time. Assuming U.S. customers will gain access to the software at the same time, it would suggest a stateside release between the hours of between 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm Eastern time or 10:00 am and 12:30 pm Pacific.
For those in the UK, the software should turn up between the hours of 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm.
Marko Zivkovic
Malcolm Owen
Amber Neely
Christine McKee
William Gallagher
Andrew Orr
81 Comments
Of course they did! The new iPhone isn't released until Friday. They shipped them early to account for any delays with customs, or bad weather, or whatever. This is a standard practice. Anyone who thought they were going to get their phone early is crazy.
Millions of copies of the last Harry Potter book sat in post offices and UPS depots around the country for a day or two before being delivered on the actual release date. This is the same thing.
I got that same message.
Christ, people need to find something real to be outraged at....
But I want me new software/phone now!!!!!
(whines softly)
What disappoints is that those that took the time to preorder won't get their handsets until AFTER those who just go to the Apple or AT&T Stores. Unless UPS delivers by 8AM, which they usually don't. At least not where I live.