The iPhone 7 hits stores, some models are already sold out
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Starting bright and early on Friday, September 16, you can get your hands on a brand new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus.
Apple fans are finally laying their hands on the brand new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Eager customers joined long lines in cities like Sydney, Hong Kong, London, New York, Boston and San Francisco on Friday as the new models went on sale, more than a week after they were unveiled.
Apple is releasing the phones, which are water resistant and feature beefed-up cameras, in more than 25 countries around the world. But people who haven’t reserved one in advance won’t be able to be too picky about the color — or get the larger model. Apple said earlier this week that the iPhone 7 Plus is completely out of stock online.
“During the online pre-order period, initial quantities of iPhone 7 Plus in all finishes and iPhone 7 in jet black sold out and will not be available for walk-in customers,” the company said in a statement.
However, some consumers who thought carriers might have the larger model in stock were disappointed as the day progressed.
“The iPhone 7 Plus is not available in stores this morning, so customers who wish to get iPhone 7 Plus should go [online] to place an order,” a Verizon spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile said its stores had “limited inventory at launch,” with shipping dates as far away as the end of November for black iPhone 7 Plus devices.
“The iPhone 7 Plus is not available in stores this morning, so customers who wish to get iPhone 7 Plus should go [online] to place an order,”
Your best bet of finding an iPhone 7 Plus may be directly through Sprint. A spokesperson said “most of our retail stores have [the iPhone 7 Plus] going into [today].”
An AT&T spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Many customers who couldn’t get a device aired their complaints on Twitter.
If you’re not in a rush and don’t fancy spending your morning waiting on a sidewalk, you can order an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus online through Apple or a number of retailers.
According to Apple’s website, the jet black version of the iPhone 7 Plus won’t ship until November in the U.S. All other colors, including matte black, will ship in two to three weeks if ordered online directly from Apple. Those wait times could change.
The 4.7-inch iPhone 7 starts at $649 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus starts at $769.
Outside an Apple Store in Hong Kong, sports coach Kala Singh said he’d reserved his matte black iPhone 7 a week ago. “I always upgrade my phone when they change the number,” he said.
Singh opted not to go for a jet black version because he said he’d heard it’s easy to get finger smudges on them.
But at the same store, Tsang Yan-yee said she was “a little bit upset” that she’d had to settle for a rose gold iPhone 7 instead of a jet black one. She also said she was disappointed with Apple’s controversial decision to remove the phone’s headphone jack.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific iPhone 7 models were reported as sold out before they went on sale?
Which specific iPhone 7 models were reported as sold out before they went on sale?
The iPhone 7 Plus in all finishes was completely out of stock online. Also, the iPhone 7 in jet black had sold out during the online pre-order period.
Q.When did the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus officially become available to customers?
When did the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus officially become available to customers?
The new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models went on sale starting Friday, September 16. Eager customers formed long queues in various cities on this launch day.
Q.What shipping delays might online customers face if they order certain iPhone 7 models directly from Apple?
What shipping delays might online customers face if they order certain iPhone 7 models directly from Apple?
If ordered directly from Apple online, the jet black iPhone 7 Plus might not ship until November in the U.S. All other colours, including matte black, have an estimated shipping time of two to three weeks.
Q.Did any specific carriers indicate they might have the iPhone 7 Plus available for walk-in customers?
Did any specific carriers indicate they might have the iPhone 7 Plus available for walk-in customers?
Sprint stated that most of their retail stores had the iPhone 7 Plus going into launch day. In contrast, Verizon advised customers to order online as the Plus model was not available in stores.
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