Apple has implemented a new reserve-then-pick-up system from iPhone 6S AND PLUS, to rid of the waiting-in-queue ritual on the eve of a new mobile device, especially in concern of some hiring city-dwelling homeless to stand in line for them . while I believe it is a proving reflection of the brighter-side of techno-society, let’s see if it indeed works out better .
20150926_094303cur800x450EuphR
on above photo Japanese police stand guard, to let only those who have a reservation for today, stay in-line – thus quite short – just before opening early at 8am Friday September 25 2015 when iPhone 6S AND PLUS is released on Planet Earth .

here I will inform how the reservation system operated on the first group of countries where iPhone 6S AND PLUS was released on the last Week of September 2015, notably around the Pacific Rim : neighboring Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and the States . more-over I will concentrate on Japan and the States, for they are the countries where the most of these latest devices were purchased, to be brought and/or re-sold in South Korea the past two Weeks – as case-studies to dig-in and prepare yourself for South Korean (expected) reservation and release .

 

while the details differ a bit by country, over-all out-line is identical . there were largely two types of reservation-then-pick-up, all done at the Official Apple WebSite :

  1. Pre-Release reservation began TWO Weeks before Official release date .
    • announced limit was two device per person, but even three or four was possible depending on your choice . you pick either 6S or PLUS, capacity of either 16, 64 or 128GB, and four colours in silver, gold, black or the new Rose Gold, which is actually pinkish-copper tone . Rose Gold was incomparably the hardest to get, with 128GB topping scarcest .
    • then you choose WHICH Official Apple Store around the country you want to pick-up ON Release Day AND available time in 30-minute increments . you can choose two of the same models or two different combinations . no payment required at the time of these initial reservations .
    • popular models and Apple Stores in densest locations filled up quickly, so it was a matter whether you intended to venture-out onto outer-States in search of your new sacred device . the result was eMailed to you as proof of confirmation, and was NOT shown at your Apple account On-Line . you could NOT change your choice nor reservation, so it was a simple matter of showing-up or NOT at your designated time and place, for it was sold-off to those who visited that store, if you didn’t .
  2. Post-Release reservation began from the day AFTER Official release : every morning at 8am for pick-up at your designated store from 9am there-after – effective for that day ONLY .

 

plus a few characteristics on the above reservation process :

  • each country required some sort of personal identification either or both : during reservation and/or while pick-up . for example : Japan sent a confirmation number to your Japanese phone number during reservation, while U.S. only asked to see two forms of your local ID at pick-up .
  • while Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia sold fully carrier-unlocked SIM-free models, U.S. hardened with no announced unlocked ones but mere full-payment on carriers . some mistook this for unlocked and many discussion abound over fan-sites and user forums . States-side : full-paid T-Mobile while still locked, could be used in South Korea, while Verizon came unlocked despite Official introduction other-wise, and also compatible in South Korea .

 

understandably, most tight rules above may have been placed to block massive shipment to india from these first-tier of countries ..

 

 

( October 14 Wednesday Update ) two nights to go before early reservation pumps-up over the Korean Peninsula on iPhone 6S AND PLUS – where strict reservation system held on the first tier of countries may not be strictly enforced in South Korea, as telecommunications branches here-and-there are accepting loose reservations on their own – like preceding iPhone series . now that is a good thing .

( October 17 Saturday Update ) a day to nation-wide reservation on iPhone 6S AND PLUS at telecommunications and larger ReSellers branches : the reserve-and-pick-up implemented abroad earlier does not seem to be planned for South Korea . ofcourse Apple’s way of doing things cannot be known ahead in this not-so-critical market for Apple . more-over many telecommunication branches are taking reservation in the way of SMS messages and confirmed the same way, and ensures early reservists can pick-up a Week from now on release day next Friday //

 

( October 19 Monday Morning ) so Apple’s reservation system also implemented at other first-tier countries is NOT being used in South Korea, rather the good ol’reservation system as before . now the largest telecommunications company from your regional telephone company : KT had announced their Official Website closed 8:30 to 10:30am for any other service than iPhone 6S reservation, where actual reservation would start from 9am.

but they opened their dam water gates at 8:57am. after which SMS message reservation for 10,000 units filled in 2~3 seconds ! (understandable for many had been already written and all you had to do was push the ‘send’ button when the starting time comes – so much of those who pushed at 9am sharp lost their cause, as it began a couple of minutes earlier than scheduled) soon after 128GB AND Rose Gold were sold-out in the next minute !! then their first allotment of 50,000 units were all sold within 10 minutes !!! gulp they had expected to actually sell-out in 30 minutes though ?!

on pre-release concensus among Apple and iPhone user forums : 64GB capacity was the most popular, while Pink and Black was the color most sought for .

this was the similar case for Korea’s fore-most carrier SKT selling-out in 7 minutes, and the late-runner LGT filling-up within 45 minutes . as Mr.Spock of classic science-fiction television series Star Trek  would acclaim :”fascinating !” especially considering this is the most expensive of all iPhones to land on Korean shores, also due to currency exchange //

 

home-ground’s major competing analysts should be dyingly searching for a hole to crumble into, as even my favourite S6 sold barely ten on their first minute of its Official release ..

those who have successfully reserved in the split-seconds at the beginning of office hours this morning : would be receiving them on Official release day next Friday October 23 by courier (because they will ship-out the day before) or pick-up by 26th Monday .

 

 

– Korea Tech BLog –