Reader Lovell just sent this very puzzling email regarding something new from Apple tomorrow regarding phones. He writes:
I had a friend go to apple today to purchase an iPhone 4. The salesmen talked her out of buying it and told her to come back tomorrow. Would not say what was coming out tomorrow but said she would be verry happy. I ask what it could be phone wise because she said I don’t want a white iPhone but yet the salesmen still wouldn’t say.
Lovell is in Lexington, Ky. I’m stumped. Anyone thinking it could be the rumored cheapo iPhone?
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
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98 responses to “Reader: I Tried To Buy iPhone Today, Apple Said Wait Until Tomorrow”
Probably the same salesman that gave the details on the iPad 2 launch.
iPhone Mini, eventually, but most likely a fake story.
I think it’s just the salesman being overly excited about the iPad…probably hoping she would be more interested in the iPad? It’s a possibility but you never know what’s up Apple sleeve.
And Cult of Mac believed this story?
I was in the Apple store in Covent Garden in London on Saturday, and I overheard a salesman talking to someone who wanted to buy an iPhone 4 but who wanted to be assured that there was no new iPhone coming out at the announcement on Wednesday. There was lots of “Well, the logo on the invitation shows an iPad, and Apple has released the new iPhone in June every year. Of course, they don’t tell us until the announcement either, so you could wait, but I would think you are okay…”.
I suspect that the truth is that the staff in the stores genuinely don’t know what is coming tomorrow, and that includes both my story and the story in the post.
LexVegas Baby!!!! But this excited me!!
where is this mocup from? i really like it!
If this were true, could it be that iOS 4.3 is being released tomorrow and for some reason that employee made it a bigger deal then it is?
seems like what ever reader says, you guys just post out… just like the one john did earlier about covent garden store…. this weblog has 1 big strike for me,,, is gonna come off my bookmakrs if it keeps going on like this… sorry!
really? seriously? someone overheard someone else? and that’s news?
ok: well, then you’ll love this – i was at a restaurant last night. and the guy sitting at the table next to me said that his friend spoke to his mom who was at an apple store in north carolina and she was told by one of the apple clerks there to “just wait and see what happens next!” in regards to apple’s upcoming hardware plans. also, he paid her $50 not to tell her son that he’d said this. but it’s TOTALLY accurate. don’t worry. i’ll vouch for them.
Most likely.
In just a few short hours all our questions will be answered. The GRAND MASTER will tell us “Fantastic Beautiful Gorgeous” and we shall spend our money on the next wonderful Apple.
Only in a few more hours. I cannot wait. :-)
I don’t mind this type of blog post. Big deal if it is pure speculation and rumours it makes for good fun reading.
I will admit that recent covent garden store entry was shameful, reading it was a complete waste of time.
There all rumors
I know it happened
yea this is just rumor, but could they be referring to 4.3? I realize that the individual could simply update their iphone but i think we all know what a pain that is…. this might be a simple update with the ipad 2 coming out tomorrow and possibly a lot of cloud related stuff. def not a new iphone though.
*They’re*
Betcha it’s an updated iPhone 4 – for GSM, that uses the same exact hardware as the new CDMA iPhone 4. Instead of carrying 2 models until July, carry just one – with the right software to make it either GSM for AT&T or CDMA for Verizon. Why wait until July to introduce this? The hardware in the ‘updated’ iPhone4 can already do both technologies.
Then, in July, with the iPhone 5, introduce the ‘auto-switching’ capability to let the user switch it themselves! So they can move carriers keeping their phones, or even possibly switch carriers based upon locations/signal. Apple has patents in this area, BTW. This moves the the attack on Telecom lock-in and high-data pricing to the forefront, the next disruption Apple will bring to the carriers since the original iPhone.
..and a phone purchased today couldn’t be upgraded?
Maybe one of those salespersons wanted a date with that woman and tomorrow he’s going to wear some of his best cologne and give her some flowers when she returns. That’s why the salesperson said “… and you’ll be very happy.”
Maybe a price drop for iPhone 4. Seems possible.
The plot thickens.
Sorry not fake
Maybe what he was referring to is that Steve Jobs will be traveling around the country (like Santa) to every Apple store to personally sell the iPhones and ring up purchases. I know that would make me very happy. And whats up with not wanting a white iPhone….silly woman.
My sources tell me that the Apple staff has no clue what is happening tomorrow re: ipads, iphones etc. Their meeting was about all that Joint Venture stuff that has been leaked.
My guess, she’s going to be real pissed come tomorrow when there was no reason not to sell her the phone
Maybe she was saying how she wanted a white iPhone and they are going to launch them tomorrow it is about time they do if they are going to do a white iPhone 4
All I want is Sprint service.
Cheaper iPhone does not matter. Its the VZ and ATT fees that make it expensive over the course of the contract.
Seriously? You have no iPhone 4 photos lying around somewhere?…
Nope, salesmen don’t know what’s coming..!
Here’s a shot in the dark. It’s no secret that Apple has been looking into expanding its handset onto other carriers networks. Maybe they’ll announce a deal with a new carrier like Sprint?
HEY LEANDER I went to buy an iPhone today and they asked me to come back tomorrow. They didn’t say why but this Apple Store clerk who eats from Burger King when he’s done with his shift and wears 15$ T-shirts SEEMED TO KNOW EVERYTHING !!! He even showed me something covered in a black cloak ! *BLACK* cloak !!! NOW PUBLISH MY FUCKING STORY ON COM FRONT PAGE !!!!!
Apple Store employees don’t know what’s coming down the track anymore than I do. They are kept in the dark until official announcements are made.
maybe every new device will get free mobileme account ?
This is clearly fake, Apple Store employees are unaware of what apple is actually planning. They will not know until 0900 PST the same time as everyone else. If an employee did say that then either she will be bitterly disappointed or the employee gets a lucky break.
aaaaaaargh, these rumors….. they’re killing me, 6… more… hours…. must.. know … what .. will… come
A few years ago, I was at an Apple marketing event for higher ed stores in my region. Just before his talk, the Apple engineer for the entire US East Coast higher ed branch was frantically updating his Keynote presentation to insert new information about the (at that time) new Intel Core 2 Duo processors that had been announced 1 hour earlier. He had no fucking clue. Apple doesn’t tell ANYBODY ANYTHING. It’s all guesswork.
Regarding the whole guesswork thing, I was advising people during the month of February to wait on their MacBook Pro purchases if possible because it was time for an update but that I wasn’t sure what month it was going to happen. Apple didn’t call me and give me a heads up either.
New iPhone, new iPad, mobileme free, itunes locker. All that coming today. Trust me
They keep their employees in the dark. It’s the anticipation built on top of more anticipation that leads to this kind of excitement – now Apple’s got their employees doing it too – brilliant.
david, i was skeptical at first, but your story checks out.
david, i was skeptical at first, but your story checks out.
It is probably not new hardware, but probably free software for people who purchase after today, like a free mobilme account for a year, or something like that. I am just further speculating on what has been speculated from this person’s friend story told the them from another.
Like I said, the employee made it a bigger deal then it is.
That has always been my understanding in speaking with Apple retail people…corporate tells them nothing in advance, so they don’t get burned by the “I bought a Macbook yesterday…why didn’t you tell me a better one was coming out today?”
YES YES YES!!!!!! GOT TO CATCH EM ALL!!!
2 hours to see what its coming!!!!! so excited
Bluetooth and call capability on ipad2.
Jeans with bigger pockets to be marketed soon.
I’ve got my chips placed on Apple giving a free MobileMe account to new iOS purchasers as opposed to a new iPhone being released today.
White iPhone 4 availability announced
It was probably a new employee who has no idea what he’s talking about. He knows there’s an Apple event today and, regardless of all logic, is still in that “mystical realm” of ‘and next week Apple will release the iPhone 6, so don’t buy the iPhone 5 tomorrow… But “I forgot! There IS one more thing!” The iPhone 7 will be out on April first!’ Because Apple can do that!
This was in Kentucky, right? Isn’t there a prevalence of moonshine down there? I’ll bet Sir Steve himself delivered this young man’s iPhone 42 to his front door on the back of a unicorn with wings just the other day.
1 more hour and we’ll know!!
tick tock tick tock