The two new iPhones are without a doubt the best iPhones yet. Just like iOS 7, the new iPhones are the biggest advancement Apple has taken since the original iPhone. Gone are the squared off chamfered edges we’ve seen in the last 4 generations of the iPhone, and glass backs. The new iPhones are definitely different. Here is how I got my iPhone 6 Plus.
When I was at the Apple Store on Wednesday picking up the iPhone 6 Plus, I had a rather interesting experience. I had an AT&T preorder in place (ordered at 12:10AM PST the night they began preorders), but it wasn’t set to ship til early November. But I didn’t like my odds, I wanted the device in my hand as soon as possible. But at the same time, I kept the preorder in place, even though I was trying to pick one up in-store. I was standing in line at around 9:00AM. The specific Apple Store I had located opened at 9:30 for some bizarre reason. Just like normal, an Apple Genius was going around asking for which iPhone you wanted. The specific location I chose had the model I wanted, 64GB iPhone 6 Plus in Space Grey. To my surprise, most customers walk in blind, every day. Each awaiting their specific model to come in.
The doors opened, and they were welcoming everyone in. I for one, was still awaiting the genius to go by me. About 5 minutes later the Genius approached me and asked me what I wanted. I tell her the information and commented, “That’s the exact model I wanted.” She looked at me, surprised. She went on to explain that this isn’t a normal thing. Then I showed her iDeviceChecker, a website to follow Apple’s inventory. She took note of the site. Oh, and not to mention, that Genius, she was the manager of the store.
Then the wait continued. I waited for about another 25 minutes or so. They rung me up. At first glance, I was generally shocked. The iPhone 6 Plus box is huge in person. Maybe it’s because the box is white, or maybe it’s because we’ve never seen an iPhone this big. I was thinking to myself, “Is that really my phone?” It made me reconsider for a quick second, that thought soon became an afterthought. At this point, the Genius had me call AT&T and cancel my order. After that whole mess, we went ahead and exchanged my personal information, I went ahead and opened the box.
Again, in shock, the phone looked huge. In retrospect, I have held a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in the past, and I loved the size of it. But seeing an iPhone this big admittedly looked weird. With the black model, all you could see was a cutout for the earpiece, and you could hardly see the ring around the Touch ID sensor. Other than that, all you saw was black. It didn’t even look like there was a screen on it.
I went ahead and powered it up for the first time, ignoring everything else in the box. Holding it in hand for the first time got rid my paranoia about the phone being too big. Yes, it was a two-handed device, but I already knew that.
I went through the setup process and what not, and there I was at the home screen. Just like most of you, the first thing I attempted was reachability. Before actually using it in person, I thought the feature was a pretty lame feature. Why couldn’t you just use your other hand to reach the top? But the more I played with it, the more I loved it.
Today, only about 5 days after making the purchase, I couldn’t be happier. I don’t use any sort of protection on my phone, and I didn’t get AppleCare+. I will admit the phone is a bit slippery at times, but it’s not slippery enough to the point where I would be able to drop the phone. After a few dozen, “Does it bend?” it starts to get irritating. Mainstream media has taken the idea, blown it out of proportion and now everyone wants to see if the phone bends, and it sucks. I can’t trust anyone enough to actually let them hold my phone.
But in the end, the whole BendGate fiasco will blow over within the next month. I’m happy with my phone, and that’s all that really matters. I’m just glad I got what I wanted a lot earlier than what my carrier was offering me. I learned my lesson, always preorder through Apple, because they’ll give you the most accurate information. And if they don’t have what you want at the time, do a search on Apple’s inventory, you’ll find a site. Patience is key in that situation.
What is your experience preordering?
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