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If you have your heart set on getting an iPhone 4S on Friday, but missed out on pre-ordering the device, you’re probably thinking you’ll have to have to wait in line for hours. Perhaps some Apple fans are already camping out at your local Apple store. A happy iPhone camper
Should you take the day off of work on Friday to stand in line? Should you dig your tent out of the basement? Should you wait until Saturday in the hope that your store doesn’t sell out of the model you want?
No worries, The Wonder of Tech has you covered. In what may be the best kept secret in the tech world, Radio Shack (a/k/a The Shack) is taking pre-orders of the iPhone 4S on AT&T and Verizon. Sorry, Sprint customers, as of this writing, Radio Shack isn’t taking orders for Sprint iPhones.
I haven’t seen this reported elsewhere, and the two Radio Shack stores I visited to confirm this information had no signs up to advertise the pre-orders. But both stores stated that they were taking pre-orders. To further confirm this, I dragged a friend into a Radio Shack and had her pre-order a 16GB white iPhone 4S on AT&T (actually she was thrilled to do this as she thought she would be in line for hours on Friday).
If you pre-order at Radio Shack, you must put down a $50.00 deposit which you get back in a $50.00 gift card. You can use that gift card to help pay for the phone when you pick it up. You have three days from Friday to pick up the phone, after which they can sell it to someone else.
So if you’re planning to stand in line for an iPhone 4S on Friday, save yourself some time and head to Radio Shack today instead!
Were you looking forward to standing in line on Friday? Have you already pre-ordered your iPhone? Are you scratching your head wondering what all the fuss is about? Let us know in the Comments section below!
10/12/11 At 9:00 EDT this evening one Wonder of Tech reader told me that his local Radio Shack was promising Wednesday (10/19) deliveries for pre-orders of the iPhone 4S. I then confirmed with my local Radio Shack that they were still taking pre-orders for Friday (10/14) delivery at its store. The Radio Shack website says that pre-orders will be available for pick up in stores on 10/14. If your Radio Shack is its iPhones will be available after 10/14, check with a different Radio Shack store in your area.
I’m most interested to try out Siri on the new iphone. I think that has alot of potential. I can’t wait to see what it will be able to do a couple years down the road.
Hi Ross, You’re right, Siri is supposed to learn your voice and improve as you continue to use it (like an Android app I reviewed last month, SwiftKey X). So in a few years, maybe Siri will be able to figure out what I’m thinking! On second thought, maybe that wouldn’t be so good. 😉
Thanks for your visit and your comment!
Hi Carolyn,
That’s great news for those who can’t wait to get their hands on the new iPhone! Although I wanted an iPhone for a while, I will wait and see what the reports are going to be on this version. Especially in regards to taking pictures. (My son has a HTC and it takes spectacular pictures. Even breath-taking panorama shots.)
Of course Apple products are known for their simplicity and ease of use, that’s what I like about them 🙂
Have a great rest of the week!
Ilka
Hi Ilka, Yes, it can be very wise to wait and see how a product performs before buying it, especially if you’re signing a 2 year contract! You have much more self-restraint than I do!
Thanks so much for your visit and your wonderful comment! 🙂
Unfortunately I have to be waiting a little longer than you. I live in Norway, and I don’t think that they’re in store until the end of October or maybe I am wrong? I don’t remember when they’ll going to ship it to Norway.
Anyway. I need to wait until I can afford it. So I won’t be the first one in Norway to buy it, but I am sure going to buy it as soon as possible 🙂
Hi Jens, Yes, you’ll have to wait an extra two weeks. October 28 is the launch date for Norway and 21 other countries. I’m thinking you can pass the time until you get one by enjoying your new iPad. 😉
While the featurewise, I think I am okay with my iPhone4, if we think from the advancement of computer science, and its impact on our lives, this upgrade is a major milestone. Siri is a serious step for the mankind in the field of Artificial Intelligence. I am sure, we are yet to see lot more, and this is just the first step, and I cannot disregard the fact that, its Apple again, who takes the first step towards bringing a serious computing topic to our hands. As a matter of fact, Google has had a lot of contribution towards AI as well, but most of it, has been in terms of Robotics, and in deep research area.
I am very interested in getting a 4S. Am currently doing time in AT&T jail, and I don’t come out till Dec, so have to wait till then. But as soon as I can, I will. (also, like I had told you earlier, ‘we’ have a piece in the Siri app too).
Hi iRewardChart, I imagine you are very interested in getting the iPhone 4S, especially because of your history with the developer of Siri.
I have two suggestions for you with getting an iPhone 4S before December. The first is to visit a few AT&T stores. I have heard of people getting different answers depending upon whom they ask.
The second is to sell you iPhone 4 and use the money towards the 4S. The iPhone 4 is commanding a strong resale price so you may find the price difference between the two phones isn’t very much.
Of course, you could wait until December, which will be here before you know it!
Thank you for your visit, helpful tweet and insightful comment!
Hi Carolyn,
I’m still not convinced. I did drive on the motorway on Sunday and so I am convinced about Sat Nav’s. I need one! My young friend gave me the wrong directions and I ended up driving 75 miles instead of 10. He had a map on his smart phone, but the battery was low; typical! The weather is very changeable here now as the seasons change. My friend went alone to take photographs and the light was terrible and got worse; glad I stayed home. It seems better today and the winter light and colours can be spectacular. I’m still planning next year’s holiday, I got ‘shock horror’ comments from friends when I said I want to go to the theatre to watch a Shakespearean play! lol. I should get some amazing photographs around Stratford upon Avon although it will cost a small fortune!
Hi Mike, Yes, I don’t know how anyone survives without a SatNav, unless you never stray more than a block from your home. I would tell you that for not much more than the price of a SatNav, you could get an iPhone, but the plans are what would cost you.
Android phones have SatNavs pre-loaded on their phones. Google Maps on Android phones have turn-by-turn directions pre-loaded.
But definitely get a car charger with a smartphone. Any SatNav app uses a lot of battery!
Hi Carolyn,
Will an Android phone talk to me like a Sat Nav? I like Google maps, but to access the internet on an Android would cost £10 a month; more than I pay now! I’m not mean but I ant that holiday! lol I checked the junctions on Google maps and they are complex, that’s why I think I’ll get a sat nav, I’ll try one first.
Hi Mike, Yes, indeed, Google Maps on Android phones has turn-by-turn spoken instructions. Your Android phone will function like a SatNav with no additional apps necessary.
I can understand how you are reluctant to pay the extra £10/month to access the internet on the go. Just wanted to let you know that option was available!
(raises hand) Still surviving without sat nav! But I pretty much can find my way around southern England blindfolded, so the real challenge will be when I move to the US, if I ever do, by which time sat navs will have hopefully become easy enough for even me to use!
Hi Kathy, When and if you do move to the US, you may be able to get a smartphone with a sat nav (GPS in the US). Android phones come with the Google Maps app that functions as a sat nav/GPS. The iPhone has lots of apps available that will guide you well!
So what’s the order time on these? Do they expect a backlog? I just want to be able to get it for a certain daughter’s birthday in early December.
Hi Kathy, Right now the order time at the Apple Store online is 1-2 weeks. Radio Shack online doesn’t have a wait time, but the phone has to be picked up in the store.
No telling how long the wait will be at the holidays. There might be no wait or the wait might be longer. But if you plan ahead you should be able to order one for her in time. 🙂
I forgot to ask my wife if she went to Radio Shack today. My boys will be in town tonight and we are having dinner at her parents house so I will find out if she ‘sealed’ the deal. I think she was taken aback that you could get phones at Radio Shack; she always went to the Verizon store.
Hi Bill, Yes, the iPhone 4S being available for pre-order at Radio Shack was a well-kept secret. I hope they forgive me someday for outing them! No signs were up in either store I went to and I never saw it advertised. But I made three visits to two stores and had a friend pre-order one to make sure it was real.
Other tech bloggers are reporting that pre-orders of the phone are sold out so I’m happy I was able to share this news with Wonder of Tech readers!
Have a lovely evening with your family, Bill! 🙂
Have you read about the crackberry meltdown? I haven’t been getting e-mails all afternoon……….lovely……..
Yes, it started yesterday in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America. It spread to North America today. Did I mention the iPhone is coming out on Friday? 😉
While you’re waiting for your emails to return: My Blackberry Isn’t Working! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI
Did you know…the problem with Blackberry originated in Slough? Apparently it is RIM’s headquarters, and a switch failed, and a repair of that didn’t work, so they were down for days. All out of Slough!
Hi Kathy, yes, I did know that the BlackBerry problem originated in Slough, my former backyard (or garden, as they say in the UK). The first telescope was invented there too. Slough is a technological hotbed! 🙂