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Apple's new iPod touch, nano and shuffle now up for pre-order on Amazon
Sure, all the talk of late is about Apple's shiny new iPhone 5, but let's not forget the company also unveiled a slew of fresh iPods back at the Yerba Buena Center this past week. And while the Cupertino outfit's had the music-friendly lineup for pre-order on its website from day one, folks can now start placing orders through Amazon as well. The only bad news is the revamped iPod touch shows an estimated shipping time of 3-5 weeks, while the "renanoed" nano and the tiny, colorful shuffle are both expected to be shipped in 2-5 weeks. As far as pricing goes, the MSRP tags are the same as Apple's -- though there is a better chance you could get them a bit quicker thanks to one of Amazon's renowned shipping options. Either way, you'll find 'em all at the source link below.
iPhone 5 pre-orders crack 2 million in first 24 hours
We told you Apple would likely provide numbers for those "incredible" iPhone 5 pre-orders. The company tells us that it notched two million pre-orders in the first 24 hours, more than twice as many as the million it recorded for the iPhone 4S last year and over three times the iPhone 4's figures. Many of those online purchases that missed launch day now won't arrive until October. Yes, it would almost be a shock if Apple didn't shatter any records given the size of its existing user base, but the scale of demand suggests you just might want to get in line Friday morning if you're bent on getting an iPhone 5 on launch day.
Apple, carrier stores open at 8AM on September 21st for iPhone 5 sales, early pre-order tallies are 'incredible'
Apple regularly likes to kickstart major launches with early retail openings, and it's just confirmed that the natural order of things is intact: both its own stores as well as those for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will open at 8AM local time on September 21st to take iPhone 5 sales from anyone who missed out on the pre-order rush. As for how well those pre-orders have gone so far? Apple's statement on the subject doesn't give us concrete numbers at this stage, but it certainly hints at an upbeat outlook: "Pre-orders for iPhone 5 have been incredible," said Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris. "We've been completely blown away by the customer response."
iPhone 5 shipping times slip almost immediately to 2 weeks, early birds feel validated
When we suggested it would be a good idea to stay up late (or wake up early) to guarantee a launch day iPhone 5, we meant it. Those bent on pre-ordering through the Apple Store saw the company's online portal exhaust itself within an hour of the 3:01AM availability -- faster than the iPhone 4 and 4S, and no doubt crushing the hopes of North Americans who value their sleep. Individual US carriers weren't quite so quick to sell out, although they weren't far behind. AT&T is now quoting two to three weeks for any new orders, and Verizon doesn't see any new orders on their way until September 26th. Only Sprint is left taking pre-orders with the expectation that they'll arrive next Friday, and it's certain that the supply situation won't get better in the near future. We're curious to see just how many iPhones sell before the weekend is out, or even the day; given the briskness of pre-orders for the iPhone 4S last year, we wouldn't be surprised to see some braggadocio from Apple or the carriers by the time Monday rolls around.
Nintendo Wii U now available to pre-order in the UK from Amazon
People here in the US of A have been able to pre-order Nintendo's latest gaming console since shortly after the Japanese company wrapped up its NYC event yesterday, and now it's time for UK folks to do the same -- at least through Amazon. The online retail giant's now offering both the Basic and Premium units on its site for £249 and £299, respectively, or there is also a top-of-the-line bundle which includes ZombieU that's priced at £329. Regardless of the Wii U route you choose to take, be sure to mark November 30th on your calendar as the date to expect that trademark brown box to show up at your doorstep.
PSA: iPhone 5 pre-orders kick off on September 14th at 3:01AM ET
Ready to hop on the iPhone 5 bandwagon after tuning into yesterday's unveiling? Keep an eye on the clock and pull out a credit card, because Apple, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will kick off online pre-orders tomorrow at 3:01AM (or at 12:01AM PT for folks on the West Coast). Sixth generation iPhones begin shipping on September 21st and start at $199.99 for 16GB models bound to two-year contracts. Those who relish a healthy dose of suspense can always test the hand of fate -- and retail availability -- by visiting Apple's brick-and-mortar establishments at 8AM on launch day.
GameStop taking Wii U preorders, $60 trade-in credit for Wii
Quick as a flash, GameStop is now taking pre-orders on the Wii U, which today received its release date of November 18 and prices for its Basic and Premium SKUs. Gamestop is going by Nintendo's RRP, with the Basic set (8 GB white Wii U, white Wii U GamePad) priced at $299 and the Premium set (32 GB black Wii U, black Wii U GamePad, GamePad Cradle, Wii U console stand, Nintendo Land) priced at $349. You can place those pre-orders here.GameStop is also offering an $10 incentive for trade-ins tied to a Wii U pre-order. So the $50 current trade-in for a Wii U goes up to $60 with a Wii U pre-order. That deal applies to all console trade-ins, but only one trade-in can be applied to the Wii U pre-order.As yet, Amazon, Best Buy, and Toys R Us are not taking pre-orders.
Best Buy takes 2012 Amazon Kindle pre-orders for those that hate online shopping, appreciate irony
There's a certain amount of self-contradiction going on if you're visiting a brick-and-mortar store to pre-order a device that's all about e-commerce. If you relish the irony, Best Buy will gladly let you reserve Amazon's $69 Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, upgraded Kindle Fire and both sizes of the Kindle Fire HD (including the LTE model) at both regular locations and Best Buy Mobile. The retailer isn't as specific with its in-stock dates as Amazon: beyond the $69 Kindle's September 14th date, we're only promised a generic October release for the Paperwhite and 7-inch Kindle Fires, while the 8.9-inch tablets will be available "before Christmas." Not the quickest path to getting a new Kindle in your hands, then, but it may be the best way to get a hands-on before clinching the deal.
Xiaomi Phone 1S ships August 23rd with avalanche of backorders
You know you're doing well when even your warmed-up, older smartphone is triggering queues before it's on sale. Xiaomi has just promised that the Phone 1S will reach the market on August 23rd, but with 200,000 units to share -- a slight shortfall when there are 1.3 million reserved phones. The company hasn't said how quickly it will catch up to the backlog for its revived Android flagship. We hope it's soon; it wouldn't do to have customers still waiting for the 1S by the time the Phone 2 rolls around in October, after all. We'd say it's a nice problem to have, and it bodes well for sales of the true sequel.
Pikachu Yellow 3DS XL to hit Japanese shores, require a pre-order for purchase
Nintendo handhelds are no strangers to new coats of paint -- or Pokemon, for that matter -- and now the firm is readying a Japan-exclusive Pikachu Yellow 3DS XL (officially the LL for locals). The brightly colored clamshell features a white interior and the electric rodent's visage on its lid with his tail trailing onto the underside. Priced at ¥18,900 (roughly $238), the portable will only be available at Pokemon Center stores throughout the Land of the Rising Sun on September 15th for those who pre-order between August 25 and its release. Gamers in North America may not be able to snap up the uniquely hued system, but this weekend's launch of the 3DS XL in red and blue could provide a small measure of consolation.
Google starts shipping Nexus 7 pre-orders, writes a rhyme to celebrate
Dr. Suess it's not, but Google just had to make a bit of hullabaloo about the launch of its first branded tablet, the Nexus 7. The search giant took the wraps off it a few weeks back, but now pre-orders have finally started shipping to those who plunked down the $199 (or $249) for the Jelly Bean-packing slate. A few of you tipped us that the charge had finally hit your credit card, and now the official Google Nexus Twitter account has confirmed the devices have been packed on to trucks. So, celebrate, unless you're one of the hesitant ones that didn't place your order early in the Google Play store. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Belkin's WeMo home automation gear up for pre-order, iOS current control for under $100
Been quietly pining for Belkin's couch potato home automation solutions? Well, the wait is (almost) over, as the company has finally put its WeMo Switch and Motion products up for pre-order. You can reserve yours through Belkin or Amazon, with the Switch costing $49.99 and the Motion / Switch bundle setting you back a neat $99.99. Apple likes it enough to add the gear to its home-friendly repertoire in-store on the 26th, while other retailers, Verizon included, will be stocking them shortly afterwards. Rig the Switch up to your WiFi at home and you can control the flow of juice from its outlet via the WeMo iOS app (sorry, no Android love). Add in the motion detector and you can set rules for power control based on proximity triggers. Interestingly, Belkin also reports IFTTT integration, meaning the devices can be used for a lot more than the simple on / off remote commands and scheduling we originally thought. For those with iDevices, the free WeMo app is available now, not that it's particularly useful just yet. Need Mo? Check out the official PR and a promotional vid after the break.
Sprint Galaxy S III won't hit stores tomorrow due to 'overwhelming demand,' pre-orders not affected
Eager to get your hands on a Samsung Galaxy S III with the little Sprint logo on the back? The Now Network is being ever the tease, confirming to us through an official company spokesperson that overwhelming demand has prevented sufficient inventory from reaching store shelves. This doesn't count for early adopters that pre-ordered a 16GB model, however: they'll likely still find the precious new smartphone on their doorstep tomorrow as originally anticipated. According to Sprint, pre-orders for the 32GB version will begin next week, but the carrier isn't completely certain as to when we can expect to see those shipped out -- we'll keep you posted as the news pours in.
PSA: Get your Samsung Galaxy S III pre-orders right here
The phone companies have begun accepting your money in exchange for a place in the queue for a Galaxy S III. If you've yet to splash the cash, then you've got a choice between AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular. We've included links to the pre-order and sign-up lists for each company below, including what arrival information we have. Not that we'd suggest you base your purchasing decisions on that alone since like all things, they're liable to change. Read - AT&T - (June 18th) Read - Verizon ("by" July 9th, make of that what you will) Read - Sprint (Officially set for June 21st) Read - T-Mobile (Officially set for June 21st) Read - US Cellular (pre-orders begin June 12th)
Amazon puts Samsung Galaxy S III up for US pre-orders, offers a slice of quad-core, unlocked utopia
Sufficiently enamored with Samsung's Galaxy S III that you've got to have one in the US before anyone else, and you don't want it sullied by carrier customizations in the trip across the Pacific? Amazon has your back with pre-orders for 16GB versions in both Marble White and Pebble Blue. Either will keep the speedy Exynos 4 Quad and will stay unlocked, so you can hop networks to your heart's content. Do expect to pay a steep premium for being the first kid on your block: at $800, you're spending a lot to get an HSPA+ model on June 1st when the LTE-toting, cheaper (if carrier-locked and possibly part-swapped) editions should reach the US days later.
Assassin's Creed 3 pre-orders set to break Ubisoft records
Ubisoft sent out a press release today boasting massive pre-order numbers for Assassin's Creed 3, stating it's on track to be the highest pre-ordered game in the company's history.Ubisoft claims pre-orders for Assassin's Creed 3 in its first three weeks reached ten times the pre-order numbers earned by Assassin's Creed Revelations in the same stint. People must really be pumped to do some virtual canoeing.By E3, which takes place June 5 to 7 in LA, Ubisoft expects pre-orders to exceed total life-to-date pre-orders for Assassin's Creed Revelations in the US, the current Ubisoft record holder. The franchise isn't showing any signs of slowdown, even though Revelations was met with reserved critical reception.
iPhone 4S launches on China Telecom to 200,000 pre-orders
China Telecom started selling the iPhone 4S today and became the second Chinese wireless carrier to offer the Apple smartphone. According to a M.I.C. Gadget report, China Telecom processed 200,000 pre-orders in seven days, with the highest number of orders coming from Beijing (10,000) and Shanghai (20,000). At a launch ceremony, the wireless carrier said demand for the Apple smartphone was greater than expected. The phone officially went on sale in over 2,800 China Telecom retail stores and third-party retailers today, March 9.
Radio Shack starting up iPad pre-orders
According to a CNET report, Radio Shack has become the first third-party retailer to accept pre-orders for Apple's new iPad. To pre-order through Radio Shack, you have to purchase a US$50 gift card and go into a physical store to place your order. Radio Shack is an authorized Apple reseller, and the chain currently sells the both the WiFi and WiFi+3G iPad 2 through its stores. As CNET points out, the Shack is also one of the few iPad resellers that accepts trade-ins of older iPads when purchasing a new model. We've reached out to Radio Shack to verify this report, but have not yet heard back. Update: A few Radio Shack employees reached out to us to confirm this report. They also point out that Radio Shack has a trade-in program for older iPad models and other electronics.
En Masse 'communicating directly with retailers' over TERA pre-order blunders
Those of you who've been waiting to pull the trigger on a TERA pre-order because of the uncertainty over retail collector's edition versions of the game will have to wait a little longer. En Masse Entertainment's Evan "Scapes" Berman posted an official statement on the TERA website a short time ago that basically says the company is aware of the problem but has no time-table for fixing it. In a nutshell, the En Masse website has been advertising physical collector's edition packages for the better part of a week, but when gamers go to the various retail partner websites listed on the page, the CEs are nowhere to be found. Some TERA fans are a bit anxious because pre-ordering guarantees a slot in the fast-approaching closed beta period, and the only alternative thus far is to buy a digital version of the game directly from En Masse.
Amazon bumps up SWTOR shipping schedule
If you pre-ordered your copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic from Amazon and are fretting over being locked out of the game until you receive your copy, fret no more. The online retailer has issued a statement saying that it's going to ship BioWare's new sci-fi MMO earlier than expected due to the change in the title's release schedule. Amazon says that customers need take no action, as order updates and shipping times will be handled internally and posted to your account order page. The company has also published a handy list of receiving dates that correspond to your selected shipping method, and you can find that and more on Amazon.com. [Thanks to Brady for the tip!]
