pre-order

Who's getting the 64GB iPhone?

At 7 a.m., I woke up and preordered an iPhone 4S. I got the 32GB version, but I'll admit I was tempted to get the 64GB one.

Apple has introduced a new price to the iPhone that hasn't been around for a long while: $399. In fact, there hasn't been an iPhone that expensive since the original 8GB iPhone after its price drop in 2007-2008.

The 64GB iPhone 4S sits atop the iPhone food chain like a threat to any consumer's sanity: is 32GB enough? Should you pay $100 for more storage? In that clever Apple math, you might reason, if you already considered paying $100 for a measly 16GB of extra storage, $100 on the next step up nets you 32GB. Double the extra storage for the same money.

Of course, locked-in flash memory has been the source of clever margins on Apple products for years. In fact, despite dropping prices for flash storage, iPhones haven't changed their storage capacities over the past couple of years. It's a debate iPad owners have had as well, except with the iPhone 4S, there's the important added consideration/concern of its improved camera: 8 megapixels for still photos, and bumped-up 1080p video recording. And, for the first time in the iPhone's history, there are three price/storage tiers (four, if you count the 8GB iPhone 4).… Read more

Will iPhone 4S preorders melt online stores again?

One minute past midnight tonight Pacific time, Apple's next iPhone becomes available for preordering in seven countries, including the U.S., and the big question is whether Apple and its carrier partners face a meltdown similar to what happened with last year's model.

You might remember that shortly after the iPhone 4 went on sale, both Apple and AT&T's online sites ran into problems almost immediately. A deluge of eager buyers hit the two sites in the early morning, grinding the ordering process to a halt. The following day Apple released a statement saying that … Read more

iPhone 4 on preorder at Sprint 'while supplies last'

Although iPhone 4S preorders are just around the corner, Sprint is letting customers who don't want Apple's latest and greatest smartphone choose its predecessor.

Customers who surf to Sprint's Web site now can preorder the iPhone 4. The handset, which is available with 8GB of storage and the customer's choice of black or white, is on sale on Sprint's site for $99.99. According to the company's description, the preorder will be offered "while supplies last," and will do its best to get the smartphone to customers on October 14 or 15.… Read more

You should wait online, not in line, for the iPhone 4S

With any new Apple iPhone or iPad, a logistical question emerges that bears considering: how do you buy it without enduring a line or a long wait time? The iPhone 4S goes on sale next week on October 14, and it's crossed my mind that my travails with both the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 weren't pretty. Resellers have recently been largely responsible for making the already challenging Apple Store lines an unbearable ordeal with products being sold out well before most people even knew they were back in stock.

In fact, I preordered an iPad 2 back in the spring, then canceled when I decided that the two-week wait time could be bettered by a quick trip to the Apple Store. I bet wrong, and spent two weeks calling Best Buys and searching message boards for a place that would have the iPad I wanted in stock.

Embarrassing, yes, but this was a common occurrence for many people during the first month or so of both the iPhone 4 and iPad 2's existence.

I have one simple suggestion, and it's hardly a shocker: take advantage of preorder. … Read more

Deutsche Telekom accepting iPhone 5 reservations

Deutsche Telekom is already giving customers a way to reserve Apple's next iPhone ahead of it having actually been announced, according to multiple reports.

Bloomberg reports that the European carrier is handing out coupons for the device to customers who ask for it without actually calling the device the iPhone 5. A company spokesperson told the outlet the move is based on expectations of the phone being hard to get once it's released.

A follow-up report by German language news site Focus.de (as picked up by AppleInsider) notes that this pre-ordering process is being intentionally kept low … Read more

Verizon iPhone preorders are smooth sailing for most

Verizon Wireless got off to a relatively smooth start today as it began the preorder process for the long-awaited Verizon iPhone.

The company started taking preorders from existing Verizon Wireless customers for the device at 3 a.m. EST. It will be begin selling the device to all consumers online and in retail locations starting next Thursday, February 10.

As many iPhone fans will recall, in June of last year AT&T's Web site was overwhelmed by customers trying to preorder the iPhone 4. Orders couldn't be processed through AT&T, and many customers simply gave … Read more

Whistle while you walk

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded: Google Voice and Maps for Android T-Mobile G2 ready for pre-order Hyundai announces its first Electronic Vehicle VLC app one step away from the iPad Panasonic VIERA Cast will stream Netflix

The 404 602: Where I tried to preorder the iPhone 4 and all I got was this stupid Mac Mini (podcast)

Preordering for the Apple iPhone 4 started this morning, and users are already reporting serious issues with AT&T's servers. The speed bump appears to happen when account is verified through AT&T, although we've also heard of bottlenecks popping up intermittently throughout the process.

If you're experiencing issues, a viable workaround is to stop clicking refresh and head out to a Best Buy or RadioShack store, especially since Gizmodo is already reporting security issues with AT&T's ordering system. Finally, Wilson predicts that the iPhone 4 will be freely available at the … Read more

Alex eReader set to ship two weeks after iPad

Spring Design's Alex eReader is one of those products that probably would have gotten a lot more attention had it managed to come out before Apple's iPad. However, as it stands, the $399 Android-powered device, which features both a 6-inch e-ink display and a 3.5-inch, 16-bit color touch-screen LCD, is scheduled to ship in the middle of April and threatens to get overshadowed by the iPad's arrival on April 3.

Long and narrow, the 11-ounce Alex has an interesting shape, measuring 4.7 inches wide, 8.9 inches high, and less than a half inch thick. … Read more

Zune HD up for preorder, more colors soon

The Microsoft Zune HD portable media player is officially available for preorder today. Outlets ranging from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and Microsoft itself are taking preorders on a black version of the 16GB Zune HD, or a silver version of the 32GB model. As Tuesday's pricing leak suggested, the players are retailing for $219 (16GB) and $289 (32GB). Preorders of the Zune HD are expected to arrive on September 15, the same day we expect they'll hit store shelves.

Also on sale today is the Zune HD AV Dock, which allows you to connect the player to your … Read more