Verizon: iPhone 4 preorders broke launch day sales record

[Matthew DeCarlo]

As promised last month, Verizon launched preorders for the iPhone 4 on February 3. The carrier closed preorders in the first few hours, announcing that the iPhone 4 has surpassed the carrier's all-time record for sales of a single device. That's pretty impressive considering preorders began at 3AM and they were limited to existing Verizon subscribers, not new customers.

Verizon didn't share how many units it sold, but AppleInsider reports that Apple prepared two million handsets for the provider to split between preorders and its retail launch. The amount dedicated to preorders varies depending on who you ask -- some say 100,000, others say a million. For what its worth, AT&T moved 600,000 iPhone 4 on its launch day last June.

Customers who managed to place an order before Verizon pulled the plug should receive their phone in a matter of days. Some tracking numbers suggest the device could be delivered as early as today or tomorrow if you're lucky. Verizon will offer the iPhone 4 to all customers on February 10 through its retail and online outlets, Apple stores, Best Buy, and select Walmart stores.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/42288-verizon-iphone-4-preorders-broke-launch-day-sales-record.html

 

[princeton]

I do wish apple didn't need to move the buttons. Now vendors will have to make all new cases to work with each phone.

Other than that very minor annoyance it seems like quite a successful product launch.

 

[Kibaruk]

Thats kind of the whole point, that only Apple and not "vendors" make cases.

 

[princeton]

Thats kind of the whole point, that only Apple and not "vendors" make cases.

Actually it was primarily due to the usage of a CDMA2000 antenna instead of the typical side mounted UMTS/HSPA one used on the AT&T variant.

 

[lawfer]

Poor fools who buy that watered down iPhone from Verizon. I'm sorry, but I would never purchase a smartphone such as the iPhone on a CDMA network. Say what you will about AT&T, but no simultaneous voice and data is a major, MAJOR inconvenience. These numbers are just a glimpse of how uneducated people are, which will consequently lead to an equal number of complaints from the very same customers.

 

[Guest]

Who let ATT reps post on this site? ATT dropped call rate is a MAJOR inconvenience. Simultaneous voice and data is a feature.

 

[lawfer]

Guest said:
Who let ATT reps post on this site? ATT dropped call rate is a MAJOR inconvenience. Simultaneous voice and data is a feature.

Oh, but I forgot. Then there are these people who are slightly educated on the matter, but then again, like in every product or brand, there's always a biased and highly subjective opinion used to unconditionally defend even the brand's or product's most obvious shortcomings. And the worst thing is that this fanboyism is increasing these days... Is Apple releasing a virus or something?

Let's say you are on a conference call with your boss, and you boss' bosses. He tells you he's going to send you a document to your e-mail, and that he wants you to check the cost of the new project, and give your thoughts on the spot for the other members in the conference call to hear. If you are on a call, you will never get that e-mail until you're done with the conversation. Is that a "feature" to you? GTFO. If you're going to use your smartphone for business, for exmaple, CDMA is an unreliable choice.

Both Verizon and AT&T are great networks. They both have weak areas where cell sites haven't been installed yet. All of the hate towards AT&T is nothing but that. Just like for Verizon for being supposedly slow. At the end of the day it's all dependable on where you live, and preference.

 

[mosu]

too many lonely and unsecured people....

 

[princeton]

Sorry guest. Lawfer is right. You Americans are the only people who still rely on CDMA technology. It's slow and like lawfer said, it can't simultaneously do voice and data.

You guys are just lucky one of the carriers got smart and ditched EvDo.

 

[Geary]

Lawfer said:

If you are on a call, you will never get that e-mail until you're done with the conversation. Is that a "feature" to you?

Generally when I'm on a conference call I'm also sitting at my desk or on my laptop. But that's just me, I guess.

 

[lawfer]

Geary said:

Lawfer said:

If you are on a call, you will never get that e-mail until you're done with the conversation. Is that a "feature" to you?

Generally when I'm on a conference call I'm also sitting at my desk or on my laptop. But that's just me, I guess.

Ahh, but what happens if you are not sitting at your desk? That's the purpose of the earlier analogy: businessmen who use their smartphones on the go rely heavily on it; they deserve a network just as reliable. But, then again, that's just you.

 

[NickV]

Verizon iPhone 4 become instant popular cool

 

[Guest]

Lawfer: What phone would you buy from verizon than? hmmmm

 

[Chazz]

Princeton said:
Sorry guest. Lawfer is right. You Americans are the only people who still rely on CDMA technology. It's slow and like lawfer said, it can't simultaneously do voice and data.

You guys are just lucky one of the carriers got smart and ditched EvDo.

We also have T-Mobile, who uses the GSM network. I wish CDMA gets trashed.

 

[Geary]

Lawfer said:

Ahh, but what happens if you are not sitting at your desk? That's the purpose of the earlier analogy: businessmen who use their smartphones on the go rely heavily on it; they deserve a network just as reliable. But, then again, that's just you.

Then hopefully the people I'm talking to are reasonable and don't lose their minds that I can't immediately check email on their phone? (You know, like how we used to do it all of 3 years ago.) I feel like having a clear call that doesn't drop pretty much trumps all else...

 

[Guest]

Lawfer - Here are a few thoughts. When you buy a smart phone, it is a phone first and it's smart second. Calls should not be dropping when it shows i have 4 bars of signal. I'm with Geary and I generally take conference calls at my desk. BUT let's say I'm not, most people send materials prior to the call and I should review them before the call, not during. If not and they send during the call. Shame on them for being unprepared and they should be understanding if I can't review that second.

Unfortunately my company switched us from VZW to ATT to get the iphone specifically. I'm hoping we'll now go back. It's much more embarrasing to drop out of a conference call with a client, boss, etc... than to not be able to review a document they are sending last minute.

 

[lawfer]

Guest said:
Lawfer - Here are a few thoughts. When you buy a smart phone, it is a phone first and it's smart second. Calls should not be dropping when it shows i have 4 bars of signal. I'm with Geary and I generally take conference calls at my desk. BUT let's say I'm not, most people send materials prior to the call and I should review them before the call, not during. If not and they send during the call. Shame on them for being unprepared and they should be understanding if I can't review that second.

Unfortunately my company switched us from VZW to ATT to get the iphone specifically. I'm hoping we'll now go back. It's much more embarrasing to drop out of a conference call with a client, boss, etc... than to not be able to review a document they are sending last minute.

I'm not discussing drop call rate from AT&T, as it is clear their network is not as strong as Verizon's on most areas. My earlier example was to point out the major inconvenience it is not to be able to do simultaneous voice and data. Simple as that. I could have easily changed the example to someone downloading an app or browsing while on a call (which is equally unfeasible).

Now, since there's nothing you can say against that fact, I don't really see why we should drag this out any longer.

 

[Guest]

You are right I can't argue with you on how to use your phone. The simple point I was trying to make to you is that not everyone uses a phone the same way you do. That doesn't make them poor uneducated fools. They just might not care about the same features you do.

 

[lawfer]

Guest said:
You are right I can't argue with you on how to use your phone. The simple point I was trying to make to you is that not everyone uses a phone the same way you do. That doesn't make them poor uneducated fools. They just might not care about the same features you do.

I'm not calling them uneducated fools because I'm assuming they will like the same network functionalities as me, I'm calling them fools because I know they will blame and complain for capabilities Verizon doesn't have that AT&T has had for a long time. In case you've forgotten, we're talking about a $199 device, with a long term contract. In contrast, one does something that the other doesn't; consumers see this and become enraged. And in this case Verizon is not to blame, but the consumer for making an uniformed decision. Or uneducated as I prefer to call it.

It's like you try to blame the earth for gravity because you fell off your chair. No, how about I blame you for not sitting correctly (or purchasing the right chair for that matter).

 

[Guest]

yeah yeah... but what happens when your boss say's hey im going to send..........and you drop the call?? and im upset that both verizon and att&t iphones do not have an indicater light??? whats up with that