UPS to iPhone 5 buyers: You're not getting it early
Apple's shipping partner asks those awaiting an iPhone 5 not to bother service representatives about changing the delivery date of their iPhone, saying that time is set in stone.
If you're in the group of shoppers expecting Apple's new iPhone to be delivered to your door this Friday, UPS would prefer it if you don't call them to finagle an early delivery date.
A note on the shipper's Web site, which went up yesterday, kindly asks customers not to bother service representatives about changing the delivery date of their iPhone, saying the time is set in stone.
"Apple has required that UPS deliver iPhone shipments to customers on and not before Friday, September 21, 2012," the message reads.
Another part of the message explains that packages may not be moving since they are being "staged in key locations" and "moved on a coordinated schedule" for delivery on Friday.
Despite the message, previous iPhone releases -- along with those of other gadgets -- have brought unexpectedly early deliveries to buyers, giving them a shot at using the gadget before the masses and potentially side-stepping what has historically been an onslaught on carrier activation servers. In 2010, numerous iPhone 4 preorders arrived a day early, presumably just for that reason.
The first batch of iPhone 5 preorders sold out within an hour of going on sale last week. Ship times for new orders slipped to three to four weeks last night, something that could push more buyers to line up for the device when it goes on sale at retail stores on Friday.