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i've check the last 4 nights for our store in Albuquerque. All sold out. I've already been cleared by the wifey to get one, just need one to show up in ABQ!

Always the supply issues, even when they know its going to be huge. I heard rumors of supply shortages due to manufacturing difficulties before they went on sale, but had no idea it was going to be this bad.
Our local stores (PA) are sold out every day. There is a line of people that show up every day waiting for that days allotment (seems to be around 20-30 for these stores), and they are gone quickly.
So unless you have time to sit at the store all day, since you never know when a shipment is going to come in, you are out of luck.
They won't actually tell you how many phones they have either, which is rather annoying to those of us that live more the 15 minutes away. If you bug them enough, they will tell you how many people are in line. Then, ask whether they think whether it would be worth waiting in that line. Its a yes or no question they are allowed to answer which gives you an idea of whether to go to the store or not.
I quizzed the woman about this sorry state of affairs at our local store. She said she was totally sympathetic, and that it seemed to be a difficult way to buy something if you have a job during the day.
She literally recommended waiting until next week, when she seemed to think they would have stock (as in phones on the shelves when people come in).
This after I finally got the FAN number removed from my ATT account so that I could buy one at the Apple stores since ATT stores have no idea if they are ever going to see them again. (FYI - A FAN number is a number that is on your account that gives you no discount, since you own an iPhone 2G, but prevents you from buying an iPhone 3G from the Apple Store. It can be added back later if you want it removed (so you can buy a phone at the Apple Store), and it will give you a discount on the new 3G service).

PS - Pay no attention to the little red and green lights on the Apple page. I called the store that had a little green icon for the Black 16G, and they said they had only white. It doesn't seem to bear any relation to whether they are getting shipments in the next day either, since one store that had red lights confirmed for me today that they had just gotten a shipment in.
Good luck.

they should compare the LG dare to the iphone

The website availability is not meant to be a current, live status. It looks at store stock and tells you if they will have any when the store opens in the morning... so no, it has no relevance on incoming shipments... just what's left at the end of the day so you can decide if you want to wait in line before they open. Since they are likely to sell out of any shipments they receive during the day, I wouldn't expect tons of green dots any time soon. Apportioning the iPhone stock only makes sense: the areas with more people/demand will get more phones.
For those complaining about supply issues... c'mon, they sold 1 million of them in a weekend, where the last one took 74 days. Knowing it's going to be huge and knowing it's going to be THAT huge are two different things. It's really cool, but it's a phone... you can wait a few days for crying out loud.
And, yes, "bad Steven Seagal movie" IS redundant.

flybynight said:

But that's exactly the problem. The stores in NYC and other trendy tech hangouts seem to have all models available even at the end of the day, and every day, while those of us in other large metro areas have been empty since Friday early afternoon. Not a single extra iPhone to be had at all.



I'm willing to wait for a few days or even a week or so, but if it takes a week just to get more in to the store, only to have them immediately sell out again, well that's just cruel. And considering I want one for the SO who refuses to wait in line at all, the last thing I want to do is get one for me and switch carriers and then later try to go with the family plan and have AT&T screw up that transition.

Sorry for commenting on my own post...


Actually, "Executive Decision" was a good Steven Seagal movie. I think we all know why.

- wait, is "bad Steven Seagal movie" redundant? -
Yes. Need you ask? ;-)

"Actually, "Executive Decision" was a good Steven Seagal movie. I think we all know why."
Is it because it had real actors like Kurt Russel and Halle Berry, or because Mr. Egomaniac got killed?
Oh, never mind.

You cannot go by the website.. in Nebraska, my mom bought one despite the fact it said they would have no phones... make no mistake, EVERY apple store gets phones everyday except Sunday... if you are the first there in the day, you will get one.
On a lighter note, I have the iPhone 3g, and I have 3 original iPhones... after the 2.0 update (which is on both types), the only benefit to the iPhone 3G is GPS.. which is worthless with Google Maps other than to look cool with satellite imaging, and the 3G.. however, I find myself having to force the iPhone 3G to classic EDGE most of the time because 3G drops calls constantly... 10-12 times per day, where as regular Edge does not...
Also, in Albuquerque where I live, Edge is full signal everywhere, whereas 3G only has full signals around the Apple Store / Uptown, and somewhat along Montgomery.
The good areas (Academy, etc) no 3G at all... SE ABQ (air force base), no 3G (well maybe one or two bars, but constantly flips back to Edge).
Just because you get a good Edge signal, does not mean you get a good 3G signal... in fact, I would almost guess ATT has like 4 towers with 3G in our area, because it works hardly anywhere...
My advice... don't be upset about not getting the new iPhone.. the first iPhone is built better (true aluminum, great design and construction), whereas the new iPhone 3G is plastic, feels cheap, and already my headphone jack is shorting out...
If I had to pick only one, I'd pick the previous model... just my opinion.
mike

They have definitely been short on them in Colorado. I found out that a "limited quantity" had arrived @ the Boulder store on Monday, and arrived only to find that the guy 3 people in front of me got the last one. I then fortunately called the Broomfield store close by shortly after, and scored the 3rd to last one after waiting in a line of only about 20 people. Seems like they are stretched pretty thin as far as shipments, and I'm pretty lucky I got one.

It's true that the stores in Maryland have been in short supply, but the Apple website has incorrectly been saying that none are available. I've happened to be around 2 different Apple stores around 11:00 a.m., one on Monday the other on Tuesday. Both stores had just received shipments of phones (not enough for me to get one though), even though Apple said none would be available. So, don't trust Apple's website.

This is all good, but I still can't get the iPhone in the UK. I wanted a white one but I can only get one in an Apple store and there isn't one close to me!
I have to wait until they are in stock in o2 / CPW stores and I don't know when that will be!
There aren't even any black ones in o2 stores either, which makes my quest even harder!