We already knew Apple sold — and upsold — 1 millioniPhone 3GS devices opening weekend, but an internal memo shows just how big an event that was for AT&T. Massive summer blockbuster, thy name is iPhone 3GS.
On this year’s launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008’s iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 — all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008’s launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours.
Now imagine how many they would have sold if MMS and tethering were ready, and they’d expanding their network to better handle iPhone traffic.
(What, the dead horse had it coming!)
[Via MacDailyNews, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
We mentioned AT&T’s femtocell way back in February, but we don’t blame you if it doesn’t ring a bell. In a nutshell, femtocell is a box you add to your internet setup at home that lets your route the AT&T service you’re paying for through the broadband connection you’re paying for — and you’ll get to pay for the privilege as well.
Yeah, makes no sense to us either, but the bottom line is our sibling site WMExperts picks up an update from Slashgear that says it should be here by the end of the year.
No word on pricing for the femtocell unit, but it was reported earlier that the unit would cover approximately 5,000 square feet and allow up to four simultaneous, secure voice or data connections.
A couple of our readers have written in over the weekend concerned that they still can’t activate their iPhone 3G S on AT&T’s network. Greg let us know that he was originally assured his Apple Store-purchased iPhone 3G S would be activated within 48 hrs (?!) but now it looks like that’s been pushed back another 48 hrs — or 4 days total.
He forwarded us an email he claims to have received from Apple offering a $30 iTunes credit by way of apology.
Isolated incident or is anyone else experiencing the same problem?
AT&T (via MacRumors) has posted a video of iPhone 3G S getting dressed up for its big debut tomorrow morning. If you ordered from them Empire, one of those just might be yours!
TiPb will be in line tomorrow. If you see any of us, say hello! And make sure you join us here on the blog and in the forums so we can all share pictures and updates on what’s come to be the yearly Super Bowl of gadget releases.
UPDATE: AT&T has a press release up. It’s for real.
A toss-away line in Walt Mossberg’s iPhone 3G S review (yep, it’s up already!) made us do a double take. Then a spit take. Then… (what other kinds of takes are there again?)
AT&T, stung by criticism in recent days, has just decided to offer the lower, new-customer prices at launch to iPhone 3G owners eligible for upgrades at any time up to Sept. 30 of this year, even if they were originally told they’d have to pay the $200 premium.
No, we don’t believe it either. But we’d love to believe it. AT&T, some confirmation?
If it’s true, it’s a catastrophically generous gesture from AT&T to it’s beaten (by network issues) and battered (by lack of MMS and tethering) customer base. In essence, it’s like handing every iPhone 3G upgrader $200 in cool hard cash. (That’s why we’re having such a hard time believing it!)
If it’s true, however, (and not to look a gift carrier in the mouth) what’s going to happen for those who already pre-ordered at the $499/$599 price?
Not long ago TiPb reported AT&T forcing every iPhone user who is not using a iPhone data plan onto the correct plan and possibly hitting you with extra charges. Now it seems AT&T is finally making good on that promise as Erica Sudan, over at TUAW, is now reporting AT&T is planning on dumping iPhone GoPhone accounts. TiPb thinks this is AT&T finally flipping the switch on iPhone users subscribed to non-iPhone data plans and GoPhone accounts are also falling victims in all of this. The following text message is being sent to various AT&T customers:
AT&T Free MSG: A new software upgrade for iPhone will be available on 6/17. This upgrade may affect your data service. Please visit att.com/iphone or call 800-901-9878 for a representative. If you download the software and are not on an approved iPhone data plan, your data service will be interrupted.
So AT&T is using the 3.0 software as it’s excuse to flip the switch, but exactly how would they know what software you currently are on? The only way would be if iTunes reported back to Apple and then they give the information to AT&T. That scenario is highly unlikely.
Anyone not on a iPhone data plan and using an iPhone get this text message yet? Be warned fellow GoPhone and non-iPhone data plan users…
TiPb is constantly receiving the big question regarding AT&T and MMS - will there be an extra charge for it? The answer is a simple no. The better question would be - when will we actually see it?
Later this summer, as part of the 3.0 software, AT&T will make multimedia messaging (MMS) available at no extra cost
to customers with a text messaging bundle.
Now “later this summer” can literally mean June 19th for all we know. TiPb thinks AT&T faithful will see MMS sooner than you may think.
More AT&T related questions can be answered via this AT&T FAQ.
Once again it seems AT&T’s lock down of the iPhone will be paying off in droves. It’s only been a few days yet AT&T has managed to sell each and every single iPhone 3G S that it had stored away for pre-orders. Any unlucky customer who places an order with AT&T after today will sadly have to wait an extra one to two weeks to get their hands on their new iPhone 3G S.
Now keep in mind, if did get your pre-order in on time with AT&T, you will still have to show up at 7:00 am on June 19th to claim your prize. After the pre-orders have been picked up, the remaining stock will go to all of the walk-in customers. Regarding Apple and their supply, there has been no word yet so you can try your luck ordering straight from Apple.
So to all of you who took the pre-order plunge, which route did you travel? AT&T or Apple?
[Thanks to everyone who sent this tip in! Via BGR]
Interesting take from the Macalope this week with regards to the ongoing confusion and resentment surrounding current iPhone 3G owners and the price they’ll likely have to pay when upgrading to the iPhone 3G S on AT&T. See, the Macalope believes both sides of the debate have it wrong:
[AT&T fronting part of the hardware costs to Apple] isn’t a “subsidy” by the traditional definition. It’s a loan. AT&T is loaning you the money to buy an iPhone and you’re signing a contract to pay it off over the next 18 months. If you decide you want out of your loan, you have to pay a buyout. [...] See, AT&T gets its money one way or the other. Nobody’s “subsidizing” anything.
Even if it is more of a “loan” than a “subsidy”, though, does that make understanding the pricing model easier?
Also worth reading, In typical fashion, the Macalope thoroughly gores PCMag over their WWDC take-away — using ponies, and their reaction to today’s Safari 4 download numbers.
Lots of good ideas offered all around, but is AT&T listening? Reader David from Texas wrote in to let us know they just might be after he received a direct email newsletter from the US iPhone carrier saying:
[AT&T's] commitment to you is to continue to expand the scope, capacity and speed of that network. We’ve raised the bar and we intend to continue raising it. This is a top priority for us in 2009 so you can have a great experience every time you make a call, check an email, surf the Internet or watch TV.
So they’re getting the words. Hopefully the actions will follow…
The iPhone Blog merged with the Phone different site in May of 2008. Both sites were founded on a premise that comes one from one of Apple's old slogans: Think different. The iPhone Blog: for people who dare to phone different.
