Apple, AT&T struggle to cope with pre-order demand
updated 01:15 pm EDT, Tue June 15, 2010
Apple kicks callers from phone line
Early problems with US iPhone 4 pre-orders are persisting well into Tuesday, anecdotes suggest. Many people are unable to complete pre-orders through either the Apple or AT&T websites, as these are timing out due to server load. The troubles are also resulting in crashes with the new Apple Store app, which can likewise be used to pre-order.
The situation is dire enough that Apple is even said to be turning away callers to its 1-800-MY-APPLE phone line. "Thank you for calling Apple," an automated message begins. "Due to extremely high call volumes, we are unable to answer your call at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try your call again later. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you in the future."
While potentially a good sign for sales, frustration is reported to be widespread. It may be simpler in some cases to pre-order in person at a retail store, despite the existence of long lineups in some regions. Even longer lineups are anticipated on June 24th, the day of the iPhone 4 launch.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2002
Ordering iPhone4
Began trying at 6:30 am (Eastern). Apple Store down. Finally store came back up, but servers overloaded. Downloaded Apple Store App which crashed repeatedly until 1:46 pm (ET) when I was able to create a successful reservation to pick up phone on 6/24.