3G Lines? What 3G Lines?

[r0k]

I went to my local Apple store yesterday at Somerset Mall. I needed to return my iPad dock and pick up a camera kit. I tried making a personal shopping appointment but they were all taken. I expected to see a line like on wifi iPad launch day. I got there close to closing. There were ropes. There was a sign for those wanting a 3G iPad but there were only two people in line. I was waved right in because i was returning something. I went right to the register, pulled up my receipt on my wifi iPad in goodreader and got a refund cuz the camera kit was out of stock.

I wonder how we can find out sales figures for the 3G model? If it's lukewarm you can bet Apple won't say anything, but I wonder if enthusiasm or at least the frenzy is waning for this thing in the US. How was it for others who had occasion to be in the Apple store yesterday? Frenzy or quieted down quite a bit compared to iPad wifi launch day? Did they seem to have more than enough of them in stock or were they running out?

 

[jbouklas]

I got to my Apple store and got on line at about 3:30, I was maybe 7th or 8th on line. By 5PM, the line wrapped around the store (maybe 100-150 ft in total). So I guess location matters.

 

[r0k]

I got to my Apple store and got on line at about 3:30, I was maybe 7th or 8th on line. By 5PM, the line wrapped around the store (maybe 100-150 ft in total). So I guess location matters.

I agree. The Detroit area isn't exactly drowning in money right now and even at 9am on April 3rd, I thought the lines were modest. There were about 100 people total between the reservations and the without reservations line. There was a guy who showed up and said he had a plane to catch. I had two ipads reserved so I was gonna let him have my other one but I couldn't find him when I was done. And i was only there for about 30 minutes total so he really must have been running late.

I'm curious... What area are you in?

 

[MacDawg]

Very long line at the Lenox Mall Apple Store
But it moved VERY quickly, they had them in and out in a hurry
I was number 65 in line, the store reopened at 5:00 and I was out the door at 5:08 with my 3G... and I was doing a return of my WiFi

 

[Bulldog3777]

Lines

Charlotte, NC had a long line.

 

[supermanx]

I was at the Roseville, MI BestBuy at 5 returning my apple case and there were maybe 6 people waiting to buy. They also had wifi in stock.

 

[aneftp]

Read the OP's post. They said they got to the Apple store "close to closing". Of course there was no lines. Those who really wanted the iPad 3g waited and got theirs from 5-6pm win they officially went on sale.

The Altamonte Springs Florida store said try were out of the 16gb 3g model while I was still in like at 545pm.

As other posters said, it's all about locations. My friends in Northern Virginia said the Tysons Store had a pretty big line (nothing like iPhone launch date or iPad wifi launch) but still a pretty big line.

I also think Apple/AT&T did not anticipate the demand of the 3g so they might have under produced the 3g ipad.

I think 20-30% of those in line are trying to put it up to eBay to sell to the non-USA residents for profit since the 3G is unlocked and other carriers will soon support Microsim.

 

[bosox2009]

Holyoke, MA about 20 people in line shortly before 4pm. Hard to say how long it was at 5 as I had to leave. So.... I dropped back, punted, and returned at 8:45pm. They were sold out of everything but 64gb... which I bought.

 

[Clix Pix]

I think that there are a couple of things to consider: one is that the 3G has been available for pre order since March 12th, and I would bet that many people took this route. Another consideration is the number of stores in one's area that had it on offer yesterday: in addition to all Apple retail stores (and there are several in the DC area, for instance) the iPad was also available at Best Buy. The other thing, too, is that many people chose to buy the WiFi iPad at an earlier time during the month rather than waiting for the 3G. Definitely it was a little surprising that the line at 5:00 at the Tysons store wasn't longer but then I reflected on the above considerations. Another one is that the 5:00 availability meant that this was right during rush hour and in the DC area that is definitely going to be an issue!

 

[ZombiePete]

I went to the Apple store in the Northstar Mall here in San Antonio to look for a case last night and they were sold out of the 3Gs (didn't ask if they had any wifi versions). Didn't see any evidence of a line (this was late though) but they did have a ton of security. There were still lots of people in there playing with the display ipads too.

They didn't have any good cases as I expected, so I guess I wait until Apple finally gets one in stock and ships the one I have waiting on order.

 

[ARH1956]

I went to the Apple store in the Northstar Mall here in San Antonio to look for a case last night and they were sold out of the 3Gs (didn't ask if they had any wifi versions). Didn't see any evidence of a line (this was late though) but they did have a ton of security. There were still lots of people in there playing with the display ipads too.

They didn't have any good cases as I expected, so I guess I wait until Apple finally gets one in stock and ships the one I have waiting on order.

I'm guessing when folks were told they were"sold out", standing in line after that seemed silly.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I got there close to closing. There were ropes. There was a sign for those wanting a 3G iPad but there were only two people in line.

1) You got there at closing -- what 8:45ish on a Friday. Friday.

2) Don't equate availability at your store with that of other stores. Every area/store is going to be different.

At the store I was at there was an opening line of about 200. I was in the back of the line and it took about an hour to get to the front. When I left there was a line of about 100. 16GBs sold out in the first 20 min (though obviously they did not receive many), the 32GBs sold out w/i an hour and a half (I got one of the last ones), and the 64s sold out at the end of the night -- or so I later heard. Reports from other Apple Stores in NoVA were similar w/ sell outs by end of the night.

3) Pre-ordering eliminated the need for most to get in line. I decided to buy at the last possible minute otherwise I would have pre-ordered too. I did for the 3GS & thankful I did not have to wait in line.

Honestly I did not expect too see huge lines b/c even ATT didn't expect the 3G to be a big seller. But here we are with many Apple Stores sold out today. Maybe this is the sales peak, but I think its more likely the leg up to the projected 6-10m unit sales this year.

 

[slaphotk]

In North Houston TX yesterday. Arrived at the Apple store at 530pm. Approx 50 people on line. Took exactly 1 hour to get in and get an Ipad. By the time I got in the 16GB model was sold out and the 32GB supply was getting thin. Plenty of 64GB. I grabbed a 64GB as planned.

 

[Nausicaa]

There were several hundred people in line in downtown Chicago by 5 yesterday. Thankfully I was towards the front. Overall I was surprised by the amount of interest in the 3G model. It's also amazing how aware people are of this product. Almost everyone who walked past the line commented that it must be the new iPad, and many people asked about it. I think Apple will be on target to sell 3 million units this year.

 

[doublebullout]

I left work early Friday to get to our local Best Buy. There were already over 30 people in line when I arrived. (Shreveport does not have an Apple store, it should be noted.) Fortunately, the line thinned out when the 64gb models sold out. I nabbed the second to last 16gb 3G.

 

[docal97]

Called Suburban Square store outside of Phila. about 6 pm and they were already sold out. Went to King of Prussia store and waited in a long line and finally got a 64 gig. When I left the mall at 830 there was still a line, albeit smaller, and they had everything left except 16 gig 3 g's.

 

[phillyred79]

My Best Buy in Iowa which originally got 15 WiFi's on April 3rd (line was full at 9:30am) only got 5 64gb 3G and there were only four of us in line at 4pm and at 5pm there was still one left.. The hype certainly died down between launches..

 

[kycophpd]

I went to Apple Oxmoor in Louisville KY and was 5th in line. I arrived at 2:45pm. I took my wifi iPad, watched a movie then used Apples wifi to surf Macrumors. By 5pm, there were at least 150 people in line. I was very surprised considering it was Kentucky Oaks Day and the weather was great. Usually this mall is deserted on Oaks Day.

 

[ZombiePete]

I'm guessing when folks were told they were"sold out", standing in line after that seemed silly.

"Evidence of a line" does not equate to "a line". My point was that I didn't see anything that indicated to me that there were any long lines that day. Just an observation.

 

[Detlev_73]

Very long line at the Lenox Mall Apple Store
But it moved VERY quickly, they had them in and out in a hurry
I was number 65 in line, the store reopened at 5:00 and I was out the door at 5:08 with my 3G... and I was doing a return of my WiFi

I'm glad I have Northpoint Mall just around the corner from me. I asked for half the day off, because I knew that the geek in me would not accept NOT having the iPad 3G on the day of release.

I got to the mall around 1230, and there were only 2 people in line. So I decided to grab lunch really quick, and head back downstairs. I still wound up being 4th in line with one lady in front of me, and we chatted for the whole 4 hours we were there.

Being Apple fan-people is so cool. We are crazy, but we like it. At the time the store opened back up around 5:00, there were about 125 people in line, and my guess is that all of them went home with iPads. I was in and out in 5 minutes!!!! Un-frigging-believievble!!!! We bashed Micro$oft all the time we were there.

 

[leomac08]

I was 30 out of 136 in line.... At an apple store in Los Angeles, the iPad was popular, and an apple worker told me they might have sold 70% of there inventory that day!

 

[timothy496]

I went to the Apple store in the Northstar Mall here in San Antonio to look for a case last night and they were sold out of the 3Gs (didn't ask if they had any wifi versions). Didn't see any evidence of a line (this was late though) but they did have a ton of security. There were still lots of people in there playing with the display ipads too.

They didn't have any good cases as I expected, so I guess I wait until Apple finally gets one in stock and ships the one I have waiting on order.

My wife went to that line about twenty minutes before they opened the store back up. She said there were maybe a hundred people in line but the line was moving along at a good pace. She as able to get the 16g 3G she wanted and the apple case.
Now we need to wait for the 3G being delivery Monday so we can go back to that apple store and return the one that is on it's way from China.

 

[iArch]

...So I guess location matters.

Yep. And the two iPad / no cash rule probably helped thin things out a bit, too. Seems like that would lower the number of resellers waiting in lines.

 

[NateEssex]

Nj

Menlo park, NJ had about 100 on line, & I got a 64g easily. There were only 7 16G left at 5:15 PM though....

 

[mrj412]

I was in line at the Kansas City, MO store on the Plaza - I would guess about 60 people in line. I got there about 4:50 and was out of the store with my 64Gb 3G iPad at 5:20.

They had two lines, one for those needing an iPad and one for those needing other items. I was very impressed with how smoothly they handled it. They had an employee come out and get each person in line, making sure that both lines were getting attended to.

This was my first time standing in a line at the Apple store, so not sure if that is normal procedure at most locations. I do have to say, it did make me feel like a valued customer.