preorders
Latest
Archos 70c color e-reader now up for pre-order stateside
What do you get when you cross the Atlantic ocean with the Archos 70b color e-reader? An alphabetical shift one place, it seems. The Android 2.1-powered book substitute with a 7-inch 800 x 480 TFT display has popped up for pre-order on JR.com. No picture (although we assume it's pretty much the same as the 70b), a $149.99 price tag, and no definitive release date. Resistive touch screen, 600MHz CPU, 4GB Storage, WiFi, SD slot, and a 10-hour untethered lifeline. Much cheaper than a Nook Color, but is still appealing amongst an even sweeter competition? That's your call.
Verizon iPhone now shipping to select customers: 'it begins'
While pre-orders have been halted for the interim, several readers that got their credit card information in on time have been sent an email from Verizon alerting to an CDMA iPhone shipment en route to their residence of choice. FedEx doesn't seem to be tracking any of the orders just yet, but we'll check back tomorrow to be sure. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: We've seen our first FedEx tracking screen and the estimated delivery date is February 7th, a whole 72 hours before everyone else gets it. Thanks, Richard!
Verizon halts iPhone pre-orders, brings back everyone's favorite technician for new ad (video)
As they say, "Ye who snoozes, something something something, set your alarm for launch morning." Take solace in a new dramatic commercial for Verizon iPhone featuring you-know-who -- it's after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Fujifilm FinePix X100 pre-orders begin, retro beauty is yours for $1,200
We've yet to snap a single photograph with Fujifilm's FinePix X100, but we don't let little things like substantive testing get in the way of love -- it's destiny that we and this gorgeous camera be together, no matter the cost. Of course, considering that cost is presently $1,200 at Adorama, where the 12.3 megapixel APS-C shooter just appeared for pre-sales, you may not feel the same way. That's just fine. You'll probably have until March to longingly gaze upon that F2 Fujinon lens, hybrid viewfinder and gorgeous magnesium curves before you make up your troubled mind.
Samsung Galaxy Player up for pre-order at Amazon UK, £150 buys 8GB worth of Android Market apps
We Americans may not see it until summer, but Samsung's 3.2-inch Galaxy Player is about to call Europe home, as following French presales the PMP has now appeared at Amazon UK. There, it's sporting a tentative January 7th release date and a pair of capacities and prices, with a modest £150 (about $234) nabbing you 8GB of storage and £180 (roughly $280) fully doubling that capacity to 16GB. Apple's iPod touch is the obvious comparison here, and it's shaping up to be a valid one -- while there's no Retina Display to be had here, it's hard to sneeze at the real Android Market and some decent codec (OGG / FLAC / XviD / DivX) support. Unless you've got a cold or something. [Thanks, Paul]
Nintendo 3DS pre-orders begin at GameStop, still no official US price
The forumites at NeoGAF were chatting it up all evening, and sure enough, it's true -- starting this morning, you can reserve a Nintendo 3DS by dropping a stack of change at any GameStop store. How high you'll have to pile the coin seems to depend on the location, as a New York employee wanted us to deposit $50, even as an Arizona store said we'd only need to bankroll a modest $25. Not that it much matters, as either way your money will go directly towards the as-yet-undetermined (likely $300) purchase price. Should your local GameStop fail to recognize the autostereoscopic handheld's impending availability, just kindly ask them to consult their computer, find the SKU field, and type in the magic numbers "020132." Then, painstakingly wait until March to claim your prize.
Dell Inspiron Duo and speaker dock up for pre-order at Microsoft Store now, no clue when they'll ship out
The Dell-Microsoft symbiotic relationship continues where it left off with the Venue Pro, as another highly desirable piece of hardware has been made available at a Microsoft Store ahead of Dell: the transforming Inspiron Duo and its JBL-powered speaker dock. That's actually in your favor this time, however, as you won't have to trek across the countryside to one of Microsoft's seven brick-and-mortar stores, but rather grab the $549 convertible at Microsoft's website, and you can even get $50 off the audio station's typical $99 price. That said, these are most definitely pre-orders we're dealing with here and there's no expected shipping date on the site, so it's hard to tell if you're actually securing yourself the first spot in that "first week of December" line. They won't charge you until it ships, though, so if you're not willing to wait for our full review to see if that slick spinning screen is up to snuff, now is probably the time. [Thanks, Joe]
ViewSonic ViewPad 7 tablet up for pre-order, now costs a wallet-crunching $599
Excuse us, ViewSonic, but we think there's been some sort of mistake -- your ViewPad 7 tablet is on sale at Amazon for $599, over a hundred dollars more than you said it would cost just two weeks back. Yes, we certainly understand you have to import the OlivePad rebadge from a substantial distance and negotiate with Google for its Android Market innards, but we're not exactly ecstatic about the 600MHz ARM CPU -- even with front- and rear-facing cameras on board. Given that Samsung's Galaxy Tab doesn't have phone functionality stateside, we admit there's a market for a seven-inch Froyo tablet that can do voice calls, but did you really have to take Sammy's controversial price point as well? [Thanks, onelove]
Seiko's 'active matrix' E Ink watch now up for pre-order
Does the time you spend at work away from your e-reader leave you crippled with the E Ink shakes? Well the good news is that Seiko's gorgeous atomic clock-syncing 'active matrix' E Ink watch we covered a while back is now available for pre-order via Amazon Japan. The bad news is that it's priced at ￥84,000 (on sale) -- which equates to roughly $1,022 based on current exchange rates. That's about five times more than Phosphor's latest 24 hour time zone mastering E Ink watch, or nearly enough cheddar to a buy one of Amazon's latest Kindles for everyday of the work week. Really, though, the price isn't too surprising coming from a respected watch company like Seiko, especially when you take into account its schmancy 180 degree viewing angle, geek-chic looks, and radio-controlled movement. Don't be misled by the 'active matrix' terminology however, because a matching leather trench coat isn't part of this deal. [Thanks, P-A]
T-Mobile's Galaxy Tab available for preorder at Amazon, costs $699 unsubsidized
We played devil's advocate with Verizon's $599 Galaxy Tab, but it looks like the T-Mobile version of Samsung's Android 2.2 tablet is going to cost a Benjamin more -- it's ringing up at $699.99 right now at Amazon unsubsidized. If we were you, we'd wait and see what kind of deals can be had in-store come November 10th, but if you simply must have one immediately you'll be able to use it with one of Magenta's standard mobile broadband plans. $25 a month gets you 200MB with 10-cent-per-megabyte overage fees, whereas $40 buys you unlimited use with a 5GB speed cap, and you can purchase blocks of prepaid data an 100MB, 300MB and 1GB increments at the usual rates. It's a bit of a shame we're paying the price of a decent laptop for a seven-inch smartphone sans cellular calls... but you didn't really need that rent money, right?
HTC 7 Surround slides into Best Buy for $550 unsubsidized, Omnia 7 appears at T-Mobile UK
Micro surround speaker bar in a Windows Phone sound like your cup of tea? Best Buy's taking your HTC Surround pre-orders right now for handsets that'll ship on November 8th, and cost a penny under $550 on the off-chance you're looking to buy off-contract. Hey, you can even call it the T8788 if you want -- we won't tell a soul. Get a good look at the phone right here, in our launch hands-on. Should you live in the United Kingdom, you can order a Samsung Omnia 7 instead -- T-Mobile UK's got the Super AMOLED phone ready to rumble for the price of free on £35-and-up tariffs. See that handset in action here. [Thanks, Sanders L.]
ExoPC preorders open to all from CAD $649, tablet loses GPS but gains SanDisk SSD
First the good news, for those who've waited months to get their paws on that 11.6-inch multitouch capacitive screen: there's no longer anything stopping you from dropping a stack of change on the Windows 7-wielding ExoPC. Originally restricted to the first 1,200 dedicated fans, preorders are now open to all, with the 32GB tablet setting you back CAD $649 (about $624) and the 64GB version CAD $749 (about $720), with both models featuring up-to-160MB/s fast SanDisk P4 mini-SSDs and up to four hours of battery life. The bad news is that you'll no longer find GPS on that 64GB model, as the prototype didn't pan out, and we're afraid that September 30th ship date has already slid back to October 15th. Take a gander at our hands-on preview (or better yet, wait for our review) if you've yet to make your mind up. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone 4 pre-orders now shipping
We're still trying to puzzle out the mystery of why some iPhone 4 pre-orders have been randomly canceled, but there's good news for the rest of the 600,000 people who managed to get past Apple's ordering issues last week: the newest iPhone is now shipping. We haven't gotten our ship notification email yet, but judging from our tip jar plenty of other people have -- we'll see if anyone's lucky enough to score an early delivery. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Best Buy stops iPhone 4 pre-orders
If you're thinking you can overcome AT&T's move to stop taking iPhone 4 pre-orders by power-walking over to Best Buy to get your pre-order on before anyone notices: not so fast. Following AT&T's move, Best Buy pulled a big ol' "me too" today and, according to their iPhone 4 FAQ page, are no longer taking pre-orders of the new phone. The Best Buy website assures those who were already successful in placing an iPhone 4 pre-order with them that their orders will be honored. However, it's still possible latecomers won't get their phones until the early-July timeframe due to their processing them on a first-come-first-served basis. As you might recall, Apple boasted pre-sales of about 600,000 units before AT&T had to stop accepting new pre-orders. That number was said to include those that Best Buy processed. I'm just wondering what percentage of that 600k was processed through Best Buy rather than AT&T and Apple stores. I can't believe one is considered a "latecomer" a mere two days after this all started. [via The Mac Observer]
600,000 iPhone 4s pre-ordered, Apple apologizes for issues
We were amazed last night to see both Apple and AT&T sell out of iPhone 4 pre-order units despite the sustained ordering issues, and now we know why: Apple managed to move 600,000 iPhones in just a single day. Yes, that's a lot -- Apple says it's the largest number of pre-orders it's ever taken in one day, and AT&T says it's ten times as many orders as it took for the iPhone 3GS. It's not all sunshine and roses, though; Apple's also apologizing to the large numbers of people who simply couldn't get through yesterday, and AT&T's suspended pre-orders entirely until the device is in stock. We're guessing AT&T might also be putting the stopper on things while it gets those pesky security issues under control, but there's a chance the carrier is just trying to deal with the insane order volume coming from Apple's servers -- it served up 13 million eligibility checks yesterday, shattering the previous record by three times. All in all, it looks like Apple has a hot item on its hands here -- almost too hot to handle. Here's Apple's full statement: Yesterday Apple and its carrier partners took pre-orders for more than 600,000 of Apple's new iPhone 4. It was the largest number of pre-orders Apple has ever taken in a single day and was far higher than we anticipated, resulting in many order and approval system malfunctions. Many customers were turned away or abandoned the process in frustration. We apologize to everyone who encountered difficulties, and hope that they will try again or visit an Apple or carrier store once the iPhone 4 is in stock. Update: Looks like that "ships by" date just slipped once more from July 2nd to July 14th. Yikes.
US Apple Store now showing July 2 ship date for new iPhone 4 preorders
We admit it: due to an editing mixup, our earlier post wasn't all the way accurate at first. While AT&T's preorder allocation for launch day (June 24) was all done, Apple was still cruising along. iPhone 4 for all! For... about four hours. As of a few minutes ago, with some intermittent switching back to the original date and variation among different areas of the country, the US Apple Store website is now showing a pretty consistent July 2nd delivery shipping date for new preorders. If you refresh your browser (remember, hold down the shift key to recache the page!) you may see the date switch back and forth again... but any way you slice it, we're close to the bottom of the box. Despite some near-catastrophic systems issues during the day for Apple and AT&T, and some breathtaking account security problems on AT&T's upgrade pages (users seeing the wrong account when they log in to your site is never good), it seems like the infrastructure held together enough to work through a huge surge of business today. We won't know for sure how many iPhones were preordered today until & unless Apple and AT&T choose to share, but it's easy to say 'millions' with a straight face. Speaking of poor estimation skills... remember when I said that the iPhone 4 was unlikely to see delivery dates bumped on the first day of preorders? Uh, yeah, sorry about that. If Joe Wilcox can admit (in grudging, snarky fashion) that he was wrong, so can I.
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]
The Apple Store is down -- and back up. iPhone pre-orders available now!
If the tsunami of e-mail we just got is anything to go by, it appears the online Apple Store may be down. (Checking: yes, it's down.) Since the store is down overnight on a weekday, that's a pretty good indicator that it's not just down for maintenance. With iPhone 4 pre-orders set to take place sometime today, it's a fair bet the store is down while Apple prepares for the onslaught it's about to receive. We'll try to keep you updated on the store's status, but you'll have to bear with us... most of the TUAW team is asleep at the moment. Update: The store is back up. As predicted, iPhone 4 is now available for pre-order, but only in black. The white iPhone is currently unavailable, with no indication of when it will be on sale. Readers report that they're having trouble getting preorders through on the online store in some cases. Patience...
iPhone 4 preorders start tomorrow, but when exactly?
Update: Preorders are live! The emails haunt our sleep. Plaintive in tone, they ask the same question... and they just. Keep. Coming. When? they ask. Do I have to stay up late, or get up early? The anxiety, the tension. When? When? For the iPad launch preorder kickoff, we asked on your behalf and we got an answer; in this case, we we've had no response from Apple PR to tell us exactly when the iPhone 4 preorders will begin. Maybe that's a protective step, to keep AT&T's systems and Apple's store from getting deluged; we don't know. The retail outlets that are accepting preorders (Radio Shack and Best Buy; the Walmart sales don't kick in until launch on 6/24) will presumably be ready to go when they open Tuesday morning. Update: One of our commenters reports that he was told by an Apple phone rep to check the store at 9am ET, 6 am PT. What we can do is give you the likely times, and a quick bit of advice. [Thanks to timeanddate.com for the fixed time links.] Option A: Midnight, Eastern time. Not a particularly likely candidate, as it would put the heaviest load on the purchasing systems overnight when the support leads are presumably asleep. Still, if you're up and want to check the store, we won't tell. Option B: Midnight Pacific. Again, doesn't seem like a good bet, but it's possible. Option C: 8:30a ET/5:30a PT. This was the time for the iPad preorder kickoff, and it's a reasonable guess -- AT&T's headquarters team will already be on the clock, and Apple's store ops folk can be ready. Option D: 8-9 am PT. By this time, all of the East Coast will be at work or school, but it might be when the gates finally fall open. The piece of advice mentioned above? Relax, for crying out loud. Whenever you happen to wake up and check the site will be plenty of time to get your preorder in -- they are not likely to bump delivery dates on the first day of preorders. Have a calming beverage, get a good night's sleep, and let your dreams wander amongst the Retina Displays and the gyroscopes of your imagination. Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/flattop341/ / CC BY 2.0
iPad descends upon 9 countries on May 28
Earlier this morning we noted that the iPad will be made available in Australia on May 28th. Fortunately for other international shoppers, Apple's announcement wasn't restricted to Australia. In fact, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK will all have iPads available for sale on the 28th. Pre-orders are being taken as of today, May 10th. Last month, Apple announced that the iPad's international availability would be pushed back to "late May," citing high initial demand. "Demand is far higher than we predicted," Apple's press release read, "and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad." At that time Apple promised that pre-orders would begin on May 10th, which they have. Congratulations to Apple's worker bees for getting those things out the door. To our international friends: prepare to get nothing accomplished on the 28th.
