Apple iPhone 4 pre-orders now sold out?

We have no idea how this happened given the insane problems Apple and AT&T have had processing iPhone 4 pre-orders today, but lots of people (including us) are seeing a July 2 ship date at Apple's online store, or about a week after the next-gen iPhone launches on June 24. Frankly, that's amazing -- we can only imagine the kind of sustained rush it took to cause a sellout of a product virtually no one was actually able to order. So that's Apple and AT&T both sold out -- at this point it's looking like standing in line somewhere come launch day is going to be your best bet, but we'll let you know if we hear any better news.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[vishnu93 Posted Jun 16th 2010 5:58AM]

I preordered mine at AT&T store at 2:30 PM EST, hopefully I'll get it on the launch day, 24th.

[XChrisX Posted Jun 16th 2010 6:30AM]

Got my preorder in from Apples website, and a black 32gig iPhone waiting for me at the Apple store. Will arrive bright and early before the store opens to wait for my prize!

[AdmiralKlingon Posted Jun 16th 2010 6:54AM]

@hated one

I upvoted you simply because you are fantastically ridiculous.

[Vero Posted Jun 16th 2010 7:18AM]

Gotta love it .. I wasn't able to pre-order in the ATT store because of their banning of ATM/Visa debit cards.

SOOO .. I was able to finally order one last night around 1230AM using the same card w/o a problem. This time .. from the Apple site.

[packnut Posted Jun 16th 2010 7:28AM]

I thought there was a article just a few days back that said Apple was going to have 10 million for sale on launch day!! even if that is in every country that they are selling on release day does this mean that they already went thought all ten million or that was just a false article??

[kiezel Posted Jun 16th 2010 7:43AM]

Here we go again! Thanks Apple for yet again not acknowledging the success of your overhyped cellphone, we look forward to waiting. (Well, I don't, I had my Desire on launch muha!)

[injustifiiable Posted Jun 16th 2010 8:37AM]

After about 8 hours of trying on the Apple Store, I was able to get mine preordered. Got the email confirmation and everything. Yay me!

[erinsonb Posted Jun 16th 2010 8:50AM]

Hey guys... please PLEASE tell me this is a true reservation... and not some bullshit first-come-first-serve-if-youre-lucky reservation? I'm worried obviously because there's no name and no confirm # and no price and no plan........

http://cl.ly/c891b498c4c1dc0304cf

[MRCUR Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:08AM]

@erinsonb - That's a real, June 24th reservation. Congrats and enjoy your new iPhone!

[erinsonb Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:18AM]

@MRCUR THANK you. Now at least I can get there at, you know, 6am instead of 5am, haha

[ekindesigns Posted Jun 16th 2010 11:07AM]

@erinsonb Actually, quoting the bottom of the confirmation email from Apple:

""Pre-authorization does not guarantee iPhone availability at an Apple Retail Store. iPhone is sold on a first-come, first-served basis.""

[erinsonb Posted Jun 16th 2010 11:11AM]

@ekindesigns Yeah but I THINK that's mostly to cover their asses. I tried to re-reserve today on apple.com, and now they're not taking reservations, period. so I feel like this confirmation it's better than nothing? Plus... I'll still be getting to the store before 7am :)

[Elfhat Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:08AM]

For in store pick up is there a difference btw "pre-order" & "reservation"? I received my reservation confirmation, but since I haven't actually paid for the phone is it still guaranteed assuming I'm there at 7 on launch day?

[MRCUR Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:09AM]

@Elfhat - So long as it says "We'll see you on the 24th!" and "Your reservation will be held until close of business on June 24th", you're good to go.

[Elfhat Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:25AM]

@MRCUR Ok, thanks!

[ekindesigns Posted Jun 16th 2010 11:07AM]

@Elfhat Actually, If you read disclaimers at the bottom of the confirmation email:

"Pre-authorization does not guarantee iPhone availability at an Apple Retail Store. iPhone is sold on a first-come, first-served basis."

[MRCUR Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:12AM]

After spending literally all day (and night) trying to get a pre-order through on Apple's site, I'm out of luck for the 24th it seems. I did at one point get a reservation for the 24th in, but I was never asked for my Apple ID, nor have I gotten a confirmation number.

[jventu Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:17AM]

I pre-ordered mine at 7:00 AM yesterday via the AT&T website. I got the confirmation email for a June 24th delivery and was charged in my Check Card. However, this morning my bank account does not show the charge. I am concern that they might cancel my order. Has this happened to anyone?

[erinsonb Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:21AM]

@jventu Not sure, but my GUESS would be that they're just majorly backed up with orders, so payments might be a little screwy at the moment? Hold onto that confirmation for dear life though!!! :)

[Statusnone88 Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:25AM]

@jventu Im pretty sure they won't fully charge your card until it actually ships, what you saw yesterday was a pre authorization charge. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't worry about it.

[Aubrey Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:59AM]

@jventu
That is the case Statusnone88.
They don't run the charge until it ships, they just authorize the card (make sure you have money) until next week. If you got a confirmation number, you'll get the phone.

[Wasko Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:22AM]

I took off work next Thursday just so I could camp out for a phone. What a bunch of bullshit this was.

[Statusnone88 Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:28AM]

@Unverified User
I took off work also, but that's so I can be there when fedex arrives and to play around with the phone. Boss asked why I needed off and I said "I need to spend time with my baby."

[fs Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:23AM]

I pre-ordered at 5:30 AM EST, my confirmation email said:

Pre-orders will be fulfilled beginning June 24, 2010. Orders will ship on a first-come, first-served basis. We will notify you by email when your order ships. Your order may be subject to AT&T eligibility and credit requirements. If we have any questions about your eligibility or your order, we will contact you via email.

If you bought backordered items, we'll ship in-stock merchandise first and then complete your order with a separate shipment. Multiple backordered items will ship when all items are in stock.

[ehshuu Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:23AM]

i got thru 415pm after trying all day almost gave up i said 1 more time and it worked ... emails arrived around 7pm saying june 24th

[gadgetjack Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:29AM]

My experience w/ AT&T was miserable....went to the AT&T store after work yesterday (since could not get it ordered online)...needed to order two phones (have three in family, about to get two more)...and AT&T had a rule that "one per physical person"...since I did not plan to drag my wife or kids (one as out of town and physically could not make it) down to "stand in line" just to place a pre-order, and after standing in line for 20min just to speak to a manager (who coldly told me he would make no exception), I walked out of the store with no upgrade on order. Screw AT&T. I am an Apple shareholder so I will benefit from this roll-out, but at this point, I am nearing end of my contract for my three iPhones and why add 4G phones which extend two more years ? I LOOK FORWARD to the day Verizon gets this phone ad I am THROUGH w/ AT&T. Grossly bad service and bad customer service are lethal and its sad to see Apple makes us suffer this pathetic carrier. But I can truthfully say my miserable AT&T experience yesterday ensures a) I won't get my upgrade through AT&T b) will likely buy a 4G on eBay or craigslist and bypass AT&Ts upgrade path entirely so as not to extend my contract w/ them, and/or c) just be patient w/ my 3GS phones (which will only get cheaper) and make do until this fall, when hopefully AT&TS lock is gone. AT&T has truly made an ex-customer (5x phones, avg bill $400+) out of me...they just don't know it yet.

[Zeek Balder Posted Jun 16th 2010 9:31AM]

I was able to get through last night around 945pm, absolutely crazy.

[kratos2029 Posted Jun 16th 2010 10:02AM]

I pre ordered mine minutes before apple changes the ship date :D. on the order status its says "Ships:Delivers on 24th" :D

[Patton Posted Jun 16th 2010 10:07AM]

I don't think people would be nearly as upset with this situation if the site had actually worked yesterday. Assuming they did actually sell out of the hardware, it means that the people who got their orders in successfully just got lucky. For everyone else that tried hundreds of times over the course of the day, thinking "okay, I'll try tomorrow," it's frustrating to have wasted your time.

Also, this "we can only ship to your AT&T billing address" shit is inexplicably dumb. I'll wait a week, but I'm not shipping my brand new iPhone to my apartment.

[ekindesigns Posted Jun 16th 2010 11:13AM]

@Patton Agreed. I actually temporarily change the billing address of my AT&T account so I could get it shipped to work.

Worked like a charm. :D I think I'll wait a bit before I change it back though.

[loudone82 Posted Jun 16th 2010 10:14AM]

Im glad people did not pick on an easier way to get the Iphone because I walked into my local Bestbuy to preorder two Iphones, took about 4 minutes to walk in and out.

[noxipoo Posted Jun 16th 2010 10:15AM]

where are all the people that said they were going to stop buying stuff since foxconn treated employees so bad? short memory, just like the oil spill.

[Blinklink Posted Jun 16th 2010 10:41AM]

After trying throughout the day, I was able to order a delivery on the 24th at around 4pm via the apple site. Got lucky I guess.

[chezblack Posted Jun 16th 2010 10:55AM]

If I reserved a phone from apple.com is there anyway I can check on att.com to see if the reserve actually went through (I didn't get a confirmation email)

[cobradave Posted Jun 16th 2010 11:22AM]

@chezblack if you use the app, i know for sure there's a reservations tab, and it shows whether it went through or not. don't think there's a place on the website to do so tho.

[whatsaryan Posted Jun 16th 2010 10:55AM]

I got mine pre-ordered about an hour before the July 2nd date popped up, took me most of the day - ridiculous how they still sold out though.

[ATS81 Posted Jun 16th 2010 11:28AM]

After trying every few minutes and sometimes seconds all day, yesterday. I finally was able to preorder one for pick up on launch day. I even got the confirmation E-Mail. So even though they announced a few hours later they're sold out, does that mean my preorder is still valid?