The iPhone 4 has finally been released in Canada. July 30th was the big day, and of course I was in line to make sure I got my phone on launch day. After much debate and some some recommendations from some Edmontonians on Twitter, I decided to line up at the West Edmonton Mall Apple Store. After all, it was the first Apple store in Edmonton and Alberta. So it was probably going to have the most stock.
The official launch of the iPhone 4 isn’t supposed to be until June 24th – but today, some people in the U.S. started receiving theirs – a full two days early. They were quick to post pictures and video’s to prove they weren’t lying.
We’ll probably see a lot more pictures and video’s of the new iPhone 4 on Wednesday. That’s because some people who pre-ordered their devices got emails from Apple confirming they’d receive their phones on the 23rd.
There is plenty of speculation online as to why Apple – which is usually very strict about products not being released early – has allowed for the early delivery. Some believe it’s a way to say sorry for al the problems with the pre-order on June 15th. While others claim it could be so there isn’t 600,000 people all trying to activate their phones all at once on the the 24th. We probably won’t know for sure unless Steve Jobs decides to let us know.
As well, a number of sites got review units and have their reviews up. The general consensus – the screen is spectacular, the build is solid, and it’s blazing fast.
Oh why Steve have you not announced a release date for us Canadians? I am so jealous of everyone who’s getting their phone. Oh well, at least we’ll be able to get unlocked iPhone 4’s. It makes the wait a little more bearable.
Photo from Dallasnews.com
UPDATE: The guy’s name is Justin, and he doesn’t work as he is disabled. He’s posted some pictures and info on MacRumors.com
Greeting to everyone from your famous camper! This is my first official post for MacRumors. One of the users printed off a copy of the thread and brought it to me and I thought it would be fun to join the conversation.
Some would say I am crazy, but I say I’m a very determined fan. In fact I just might be one the biggest Apple fans you will actually meet. I have been the first costumer for this store since 2008 when the iPhone 3G was released.
Normally I only camp out over night, but since I do not work due to the fact I am disabled with a seizure disorder and I am not in school at the point, I figure I just make it a fun experience and do it for a week.
Yes I did reserve a phone, but again, I’m doing it for a fun experience. I haven’t had a trip or vacation in past 10 years so I figured I make it a full week camping trip.
My setup and location has everything I could need to live for a week, even in the Texas heat. Tent is packed with a sleeping gear, a chair, full ice chest of drinks and food, and the Apple staff have been very nice to me treating me like a king. LOL I also brought a extension power cord for phone charging and things that need power. There is even a portable toilet around the back of the store if needed.
That been said, I’m actually doing really well out here. If anyone gets a chance, come join the fun!
Justin
Meet the first guy in line for the iPhone 4 release on June 24th. Yes, that’s correct, he’s camping out an entire week before the phone goes on sale. He has his tent set up on the street corner outside the Apple Store on Knox St. in Dallas, TX.
I’ll be honest, when I stood in line for 10 hours for the iPhone 3G and then the iPad 3G in Seattle, there were times I thought I was crazy and wondered what the heck I was doing. Then when the iPad was launched in Canada I met some guys who lined up 24 hours before the store opened, and again, I thought, is it crazy? What could you do for 24 hours to keep yourself entertained?
So this gentleman is going to wait 7 whole days. Wow. If there ever was someone who embodied the word fanboy, this is that guy. While I still think it’s crazy to be out there 7 days waiting for the iPhone 4, I do wish him the best.
There’s just something special about Apple products that make people do things others see and shake their heads at. Standing in line for an Apple product is actually a very enjoyable experience. You get to meet a lot of nice people who share the same love and passion about Apple as you. Stay strong sir and enjoy knowing you’l be the first one to walk in and get your brand new iPhone 4.
If you are one of those Canadians looking to stop by an Apple store Friday for the launch of the iPad, you’ll need to get out of bed a little earlier. Apple will start selling the popular device in its stores at 8am.
At most slocations this should clear out the lines before the stores are open to the general public not looking for the iPad. I say most stores because the same day, Apple has its grand opening of its second retail store in Edmonton. It’s located in Southgate Centre. As per usual during an opening, the first 1000 people through the door will receive a free t-shirt.
That didn’t take long. Less than 48 hours after Canadian pre-orders for the iPad started being accepted at the Apple online store – it looks as though the initial stock is already sold out.
If you place your order starting today you likely won’t get your iPad until June 7th. Those who jumped on the pre-orders early will still get theirs on launch day – May 28th.
It’s not surprising the initial shipment is already sold out. With Apple releasing the iPad in several countries on the 28th, there was bound to be limited numbers available – especially with its continued success in the US.
So if you’re one of those who really wants to have the iPad on May 28th and you haven’t pre-ordered yet, you’ll have to find an Apple store on launch day. It looks like that’s your only chance of getting it on day one now.
Who’s going to line up? Leave a comment below.
So I was in Seattle, Washington on a family vacation when Apple released the WiFi + 3G iPad – and since I really wanted to one, I decided to line up on April 30th outside the Apple Store in the University Village shopping area.
Not knowing what the demand for this version of the iPad would be, I got there at 7am. Yup, 10 hours before the 5pm launch. Crazy I know. I got there just as some of the employees were arriving. They were so nice. They even came out and took my picture to send around to corporate to show me waiting in line. They were probably just making fun of me, but they were so nice. On several occasions during the day several employees offered to buy me a coffee, or water or something to eat. And when the store manager showed up at noon, he said I was a bit of a celebrity.
UPDATE: Rogers this morning officially announced its iPad data plans. Te 250MB and the 5GB plans that Apple had on its site this morning are accurate – but it appears Rogers is pulling the $20 to add your iPad to your current data plan. On the company’s RedBoard and via Twitter, Rogers had this to say about the so called $20 plan….
At this time, we do not have a sharing plan to announce. The reference to a sharing plan on the Apple website was an error and is being removed.
Oh Rogers – you had a chance to make a lot of customers happy, but looking at your RedBoard, Twitter comments and posts on other sites, a lot of people are once again very unhappy with your offerings. My take on this is simple – I think a $20 monthly fee to use my data that I’m already paying for on another device is too much. But – my feeling about this is that the Rogers has worded their response … “At this time…” so carefully that it leads me to believe data sharing is coming. I think Rogers just wants to work on the idea a little longer. What I’d love to see is a $50 – $60 yearly fee that allows the sharing of data. That’s about $5 extra a month. I think that’s very reasonable.
We’ll see where this goes, and it will be interesting to see if/when Telus and Bell announce iPad data plans.
The long wait for Canadians wanting the iPad is nearly over. You can now start pre-ordering your iPad on the Apple Website. Unfortunately you’ll have to wait until May 28th to receive it.
Here is the pricing breakdown.
WiFi Only
16GB – $549
32GB – $649
64GB – $749
WiFi + 3G
16GB – $679
32Gb – $779
64GB – $879
But the big news is that if you click on the Wifi + 3G info, you can see what it’s going to cost if you go with the 3G version. Apple has posted the Rogers data plan rates.
We know the iPhone is coming to Bell and Telus in November - what we don’t know yet is the official launch day and the cost of the plans. But today there are signs that one of those question might have been answered.
