Where to buy the iPhone 4S on October 14
If you missed the iPhone 4S preorder, visit these retailers on Friday to buy your phone in-store.
Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios
As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure.
Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.
Credentials
- Webby Award ("How To, Explainer, and DIY Video"); Folio Changemaker Award, 2020
2 min read
The iPhone 4S will go on sale tomorrow at Apple stores and retail partners nationwide.
If you weren't one of the 1 million people (literally) to preorder Apple's latest phone on October 7, there are still several ways to get your hands on the 4S on launch day, October 14.
You'll have to wake up early, and you'll be forced to stand in line. But when you walk out with your new iPhone, head raised high, while chatting with Siri, you'll forget it ever happened.
So grab a friend and some entertainment to join you while you queue up to purchase the iPhone 4S at one of these retailers:
- Apple Store: Apple stores nationwide will be opening at 8 a.m. to begin selling the iPhone 4S. This is by far the most popular spot to purchase the device, so expect lines. You'll have the chance to purchase AppleCare+ with your 4S, which will give you two years of technical support and accidental damage coverage.
- AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint: Like the Apple stores, wireless carrier stores will probably be crowded tomorrow, but if you have questions about your plan, go to your carrier's store. Opening times will vary buy location, so call your local stores for those details.
- Radio Shack: Select stores will open at 8 a.m. Friday to sell the 4S on all three carriers. But here's the catch: only a small portion of its iPhone 4S inventory will be sold to people who didn't preorder, a San Francisco sales associate explained.
If you're lucky enough to get an iPhone 4S from the Shack, you can also take advantage of its trade-in deal; it'll appraise your current phone for a value, which will then be applied against your iPhone 4S purchase. - Best Buy: After speaking to a few stores in the Bay Area, we got the scoop: those who preordered their 4S from Best Buy will be picking them up in stores tomorrow. Thing is, Best Buy is still taking preorders, so those who preorder today will be served first tomorrow, further lowering your chances of getting a device.
One Best Buy employee explained that a small portion of the store's 4S stock will be reserved for walk-ins (without a preorder), but each store has a different game plan for tomorrow's launch. Call your local store to find out what its is. - Target: Like the other retailers, Target will be selling its stock of iPhone 4Ses to preorder customers first, followed by walk-ins (if any are left). The phones will be sold in the mobile department, which opens at 11 a.m. at most stores, and caters to all carriers.
- Sam's Club: You can pick up an iPhone 4S from select clubs (call to find out), but there are a couple catches: you'll need a Sam's Club membership, and the store will be fulfilling preorders first, then selling any leftover stock to walk-in customers.