Still not a SINGLE iPhone 7+ in-store in Europe

[MisterEd]

It's now been a month since the iPhone 7 launched, and this is the picture if you're trying to pick up an iPhone 7 Plus in-store in western Europe (source: http://www.istocknow.com/live/):

In the past, I've always managed to drop in and pick up a new iPhone fairly close to launch, even if a bit of refreshing of the reservation page is required before. What's the deal here? Has anyone had success reserving an in-store pickup in Europe? What's your secret?

Meanwhile, the U.S. has plenty:

 

[Brookzy]

Covent Garden, London, got a sizeable amount of black and jet black Pluses about an hour ago. Both 128GB and 256GB. Hopefully things are improving now!

 

[VSLRA]

iP7+ 128GB Black still not available at Apple Premium Reseller for my pre-order placed 8.9.
I´m really angry customer...

 

[MisterEd]

Covent Garden, London, got a sizeable amount of black and jet black Pluses about an hour ago. Both 128GB and 256GB. Hopefully things are improving now!

Hmm, so are stores simply not listing their stock for reservation online then? I'm in Berlin, Germany. I visited the store here and was told that there was ZERO stock available for people walking in, and that you had to reserve online.

 

[azing]

Hmm, so are stores simply not listing their stock for reservation online then? I'm in Berlin, Germany. I visited the store here and was told that there was ZERO stock available for people walking in, and that you had to reserve online.

They are, they're just getting snapped up so quick!

 

[TrueBlou]

You need to be pretty quick off the mark to get one. The stores are getting limited supplies in, but they aren't staying in store for long. Honestly if you're really desperate to get your hands on one your probably better phoning your local Apple Store in the morning, rather than relying on the stock checkers.

 

[SimonKhadija]

I just checked iStockNow and a Jet Black 128GB popped up in Leicester, I quickly reserved it, refreshed iStockNow and they were gone so not sure if I got the only one or not!

 

[Danjrel]

We don't have nothing for tmobile not 32 gig iphone 7 plus.

 

[Brookzy]

We don't have nothing for tmobile not 32 gig iphone 7 plus.

This is good point actually - despite getting stiffed on the pricing we Europeans are lucky to have genuine SIM-free models available from day one.

The fact you have to choose a carrier when buying a phone in the States and jump through all the hoops of activation and potential locking just seems so bewildering to me...

 

[shez]

Reservations go live with new stock every morning at 6am and literally sell out within minutes

 

[Amplelink]

It's now been a month since the iPhone 7 launched, and this is the picture if you're trying to pick up an iPhone 7 Plus in-store in western Europe (source: http://www.istocknow.com/live/):

In the past, I've always managed to drop in and pick up a new iPhone fairly close to launch, even if a bit of refreshing of the reservation page is required before. What's the deal here? Has anyone had success reserving an in-store pickup in Europe? What's your secret?

Meanwhile, the U.S. has plenty:

Not true that the US has plenty. Stores here have stock of maybe one or two colors in one or two sizes for one or two carriers but that's it. The cupboard is very, very bare.

Anyone know what the issue is? Can't be demand. Must be something with the manufacturing process.

 

[Danjrel]

It's kinda like stupid. I'm still waiting for this thing.

 

[TrueBlou]

This is good point actually - despite getting stiffed on the pricing we Europeans are lucky to have genuine SIM-free models available from day one.

The fact you have to choose a carrier when buying a phone in the States and jump through all the hoops of activation and potential locking just seems so bewildering to me...

That is a good point, I find it odd (obviously because I'm not used to that sort of thing with being in the UK) but there must be, we'll probably millions of Americans willing, able and wanting to buy a sim-free model. Yet the poor buggers have to wait? Suppose there's just not enough to go around.

It's kinda like stupid. I'm still waiting for this thing.

Welcome to the club. Pretty much the norm for an iPhone launch that if you don't get in really early, you're going to be waiting, there's a lot of demand for them. Really when you think about it, no other manufacturer sells as many of a single series as Apple does. Yeah Samsung sells more phones overall, but that's across a huge range of phones, not what is basically 2 devices.

 

[chfilm]

They had some rose gold and silver plus models in Berlin last week.

 

[F1Mac]

Well I guess it changes fast.......


Just a couple minutes ago:

You have to check several times a day... That's how I got mine (I'm in Canada), reserved it as soon as one popped up!

 

[MisterEd]

Well I guess it changes fast.......


Just a couple minutes ago:


View attachment 663648

You have to check several times a day... That's how I got mine (I'm in Canada), reserved it as soon as one popped up!

I'm guessing you didn't filter that for the 7 PLUS, right? There are quite a few non-plus models.

 

[F1Mac]

I'm guessing you didn't filter that for the 7 PLUS, right? There are quite a few non-plus models.

oops, sorry... just checked for the 7+ only, red everywhere...

 

[macfacts]

They are, they're just getting snapped up so quick!

I don't get this "check inventory everyday" game Apple makes people play. Is this to keep the hype alive? Why doesn't Apple let people sign up to be placed in a wait list. First come first served.

 

[TrueBlou]

I don't get this "check inventory everyday" game Apple makes people play. Is this to keep the hype alive? Why doesn't Apple let people sign up to be placed in a wait list. First come first served.

They do, you can pre-order one online and just wait for your time. There's not much they can do about the store stock, it's to keep it fair so that, in theory, a person could walk in off the street and buy one. There's only so many devices to go around and there's a lot of stores in a lot of countries to try and get stock to.

 

[Brookzy]

I don't get this "check inventory everyday" game Apple makes people play. Is this to keep the hype alive? Why doesn't Apple let people sign up to be placed in a wait list. First come first served.

Because then it will just become another online pre-order! It will be stretching to November already. The current system is as close to a fair game as it gets.

EDIT: A more drawn out argument supporting the system that I wrote a couple of weeks ago...

It's very very annoying but there are a few good arguments to support it:

• Spontaneous reservations mean the most dedicated (i.e. the ones glued to the reservations page) are most likely to get their hands on one, which seems fair.
• Lots of people experience internet outages and other personal problems during the pre-order live time. In-store stock is like a second chance for these people who got unlucky. That also seems fair.
• Apple can only estimate production levels. If they exceed their targets they can either:
  • Fulfil existing orders earlier. Problems:
    • How do you determine who to give the surplus stock to when 1) there are lots of customers with exactly the same order confirmation time and the same delivery window, 2) there are many different types of customers - e.g. business, carriers and so on.
    • Fulfilling some people's orders early will create false hope for later orders if the surplus stock was a one-off and higher production levels do not continue.
  • Send any surplus stock to stores. This is ideal as there are no promises or delivery guarantees to meet. It can be totally ad hoc.

So yes it is really annoying when like me you're stuck on processing and stores get stock but I understand why it happens.

 

[TommyA6]

The supply really is extremely limited. I don't know if you're only looking at Apple stores or authorized resellers? Have you tried with some carrier stores? I've preordered my on the 16th (the first day of preorders in my country) from my carrier and got it a couple of days ago (128 gb jet black), so they do exist.