Long line at the Aventura Mall Apple store as customers wait for the iPad 2 release at 5 p.m. today. This photo was taken by Anabel Llopis, a marketing director for the mall, who said there are hundreds in line.
Update: Pictured here is Alisa, the first person in line at Aventura Mall, who waited since 11:40 p.m. last night to get the iPad 2. It's her gift to herself for her birthday today. [Photo sent in by Aventura Mall's marketing manager, Alejandra Velasquez.]
I've also recieved reports of hundreds at the Lincoln Road Apple store. Share your line experience by sending me a message: bcarey@miamiherald.com or @BridgetCarey on Twitter.
The iPad 2 goes on sale in stores Friday, March 11, at 5 p.m. You can buy it at:
Apple Stores
AT&T
Verizon
Best Buy
If you rather just wait to have it delivered, online sales begin Friday at 4 a.m. Eastern. You can get a version that only uses a home Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet, which is the cheaper version. This is good for folks who don't plan on traveling much with it.
Wi-Fi version prices:
$500 for 16 GB of storage
$600 for 32 GB of storage
$700 for 64 GB of storage
Want to get one that has the option to tap into a wireless 3G network when you're not at home or in a public Wi-Fi spot? Add another $130:
$630 for 16 GB of storage
$730 for 32 GB of storage
$830 for 64 GB of storage
Now you have to decide between AT&T or Verizon. Both don't require a contract. Paying for 3G is on a month-to-month basis, which you can switch on and off anytime. There are no activation fees. You'll have to decide which one has a monthly data plan that better fits your needs, and which has coverage that works for you.
Expect to download large files frequently on a trip or do lots of video streaming? Then get a bigger data plan. Just want to check some e-mail and download a file or two? You'll only need the minimum. But be aware of how overage charges work. For example, if you have it with AT&T so that you're sent a monthly bill, you'll be automatically charged for all the data overages. But if you set up an account with a credit card, you'll be asked before being charged more.
AT&T:
$15 a month for 250 MB of data. (Overage: $15 for another 250 MB.)
$25 for 2 GB of data. If you get this plan now, there's a limited time deal where you get the first-month free. (Overage: Another 1 GB costs $10.)
The Personal Hotspot feature is available to customers who choose the $25 plan, plus pay another $20 for tethering. It'll give you an extra 2 GB of data. (So that's $45 a month for 4 GB of data and the option to share the Internet connection with nearby devices, like a laptop.)
Verizon has more choices:
$20 for 1 GB of data (Overage: $20 for 1 GB.)
$35 for 3 GB of data (Overage: $10 for 1 GB.)
$50 for 5 GB of data (Overage: $10 for 1 GB.)
$80 for 10 GB of data (Overage: $10 for 1 GB.)
So what's the big deal about the iPad 2? There's now a camera in the front for video chatting, and another camera in the back. It's also thinner, lighter and has a better, dual-core processor. And you get the option to buy colorful covers that help it stand up. If you don't care about these things, then go with the original iPad, which is $100 cheaper.
This wasn't the usual iPhone Launch Day dance. Lines were short and only a few camped out in the wee hours, compared to the thousands that were in line this summer when the iPhone 4 first launched.
This time, for Verizon's iPhone 4 store launch, the lines were modest. About 20 people or so at the busiest South Florida Verizon stores. And variousreports in other areas say the same -- not many people waited in line for the doors to open at 7 a.m.
It's not as big of a store event because it's not a brand-new version of the iPhone. Rather, it's similar to the version that AT&T customers have had since last summer. And there were opportunities to order online instead of camping out. It went on sale to everyone Wednesday online, and on Feb. 3 to existing Verizon customers.
[Top photo of Katy Westby from Pembroke Pines and Sasha Fernandez from Miramar waiting for the doors to open in Pembroke Pines. Bottom photo of Arlene Canin from Coconut Creek and Candy Morse from Pembroke Pines, walking out with their new iPhones. Photos taken by Walter Michot.]
The first Floridian in line for the Verizon iPhone 4 is in... Winter Garden! Pictured here is Marcia Caldwell, switching from AT&T. The little city near Orlando has beat South Florida for first-in-line fans, but then again we usually do tend to run late in Miami.
The Verizon spokesman for the area said South Florida is expecting to get the largest demand in the region. You can read the story here that previews the iPhone 4 launch. Below is an interview I did today overviewing the basics and differences between AT&T and Verizon.
I'm expecting to get the Verizon iPhone 4 tomorrow for review, so stay tuned as I take it for a spin around South Florida to compare AT&T and Verizon's networks.
And be sure to leave a comment or send a pic if there's a line forming near your neck of the Everglades. (Photo of Caldwell taken by Verizon store employee.)
Now that Verizon has made it official, here's what you need to know about the Verzion iPhone 4:
It goes on sale Feb. 10 at Verizon and Apple stores. Verizon customers have the advantage to pre-order on Feb. 3.
Same prices as AT&T's iPhone 4: $199 for the 16 GB and $299 for 32 GB of storage
Unlike AT&T's version, Verizon iPhone 4 users will not be able to talk and surf the web at the same time. That's going to be a huge setback to getting customers to switch from AT&T.
It's not using Verizon's new 4G network.
You can make it a 3G mobile hotspot to share Internet connection with up to 5 other devices.
Verizon didn't reveal what data plan prices would be for the iPhone. Currently, Verizon sells an unlimited data plan for smartphones for $30, but is not saying if that will be available for the iPhone 4. (AT&T no longer offers an unlimited data plan.)
So there's the perk of using it as a hotspot without jailbreaking it, yet it won't do data + calling at the same time, as we've all been used to on AT&T. (Not to mention doing web surfing while on a call is what the commercials always promote, so this might be misleading to customers who walk in Verizon's door expecting the same thing.)
With Verizon's hesitation about revealing data plan prices, I'm putting my bets on it being the end of unlimited.
You may have noticed the clever billboard pasted to the side of the new Marquis Residences condo in Downtown Miami:
Look familiar? The Marquis Residences ad alludes to the Apple iPad billboards that are all over downtown Miami (and throughout every other downtown city). A statement from the developer said the condo "embodies the sophisticated consumer lifestyle cultivated by Apple." The ad concept was conceived during a meeting between Len Dugow, president of LGD Communications, and Apple-lover Lori Ordover, managing director of development firm AFI Group, who was using her iPad during the meeting.
Here's a digest of what you need to know from today's Apple press conference.
Jobs said:
Out of the 3 million+ iPhone 4 customers, 16,500 of them called to complain about antenna issues (that's 0.55 percent of all iPhone 4 customers). Apple has only seen a 1.7 percent return rate for the iPhone 4. Very few people are seeing dropped calls, he said.
Media blew the issue out of proportion because no phone is perfect - the human body will absorb signals when you grip it, even in other phones. "Maybe it's human nature. When you're doing well, people want to tear
you down."
Nevertheless, he loves you all and will give away free cases for all iPhone 4s purchased until September 30 (you have to choose from Apple's bumper or a few other cases, since they don't have enough Apple bumpers to meet demand). If you already bought an Apple bumper, you can get a refund. No refund if you bought another company's case.
Apply for the free case on the Apple website starting next week.
If you're unhappy, you can still return your iPhone 4 for a refund, and AT&T will refund your contract.
Jobs says Bloomberg story of them knowing about antenna problems is "bullshit."
So why free covers only until Sept. 30? Well, maybe by then they'll be able to reevaluate the issue, he said.
Still working on tracking down problems with the proximity sensor, meaning they're looking into complaints of the phone screen not properly detecting the face during a call, causing a cheek to hit the hold/hangup/mute buttons mid-call.
Wait until the end of July to get a white iPhone 4.
Apple has scheduled a press conference Friday afternoon (1 p.m. Eastern) to address the concerns over antenna problems with the iPhone 4.
Some are wondering if there will be an iPhone 4 recall. Gizmodo reports that Apple may be quietly replacing phones with "death grip" problems with improved versions, according to the site's readers.
Analysts say it's more likely that Apple will give away their rubber bumper cases that hug the border of the phone. The cases, which are sold for $30 but probably cost about a $1 for the company to produce, cover the metal rim antenna of the phone. Recalling phones would be much more expensive than simply handing out the rim covers -- a solution that Consumer Reports says will fix the problem.
The signal in an iPhone 4 will weaken or drop off completely when the bottom left corner of the antenna is covered by the palm of the hand. Touching it with your skin breaks the strength of the connection. I found this to be true in the unit I was able to test for a couple hours on launch day. A plastic or rubber case, however, would keep your hand from disrupting the signal.
A Bloomberg report out today states that Steve Jobs was warned that there could be reception issues with the antenna design. The story states:
Apple's senior antenna expert voiced concern to Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs in the early design phase of the iPhone 4 that the antenna design could lead to dropped calls, a person familiar with the matter said.
Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apple's management the device's design may hurt reception, said the person, who is not authorized to speak on Apple's behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the device's June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.
But considering there are also concerns about how the iPhone 4 shatters easily when dropped (since both sides are made of glass), users should look into buying a cover that protects more of the phone than just the outer rim.
If you were hesitant to get an iPhone 4 because of the reported reception problems, would a free rubber bumper change your mind? I asked this of my Twitter followers, and most said they were glad they didn't buy one and will wait for the next upgrade.
I wonder if Friday's press conference will be as amazing and incredible as the last:
This morning saw another rush for the iPhone 4, this time with long lines at AT&T stores. Today was the first day AT&T had enough iPhones to sell to people who didn't pre-order one ahead of time.
Hundreds were in line at AT&T stores in South Florida when doors opened at 7 a.m. Pictured here are the lines from a store in Doral right before doors opened. There were reports of people camping out as early as 8 p.m. Monday at several stores in Broward.
UPDATE: As of 11 a.m., many AT&T stores here have run out of their initial stock of iPhone 4s - but not all stores are sold out.
AT&T spokeswoman Kelly Starling said more will be available this afternoon at many stores for people who couldn't get one this morning. At select stores that have run out, customers will be able to reserve a phone and then come back later today, or whenever the next shipment arrives. Here's what Starling said in regards to reserving a phone:
At locations where this happens, our customers are able to reserve a phone in our next shipment which will be received today. We're giving customers a general time of 4 p.m. to come back, bring their order form and receipt, to pick up the phone.
Some stores are still selling their morning inventory and some have now gone to reservations. Each store provided their best estimated time for returning to pick-up reservations.
We will then fulfill those reservations and we no longer have phone in stock at the store – we will still take orders via direct fulfillment.
There's also the option of waiting three weeks by ordering from Apple.com. Photos by Miami Herald photographer Walter Michot.
Today we hear from Apple that 1.7 million new iPhone 4s were sold from launch on Thursday June 24 through Saturday June 28. The iPhone 4 launch breaks the record for most iPhones sold on an opening weekend.
But launch day wasn't so smooth for hundreds of South Floridians -- fights broke out with no line organization and ridiculous waits of more than 8 hours for those that reserved their phone ahead of time -- all because they could only pick up the phone for that Thursday.
Around the nation, there were also complaints about how the signal weakens when the bottom left corner of the phone is covered -- which happens to be where the antenna is. Nicknamed the "death grip" problem by bloggers, there are rumors that a new iOS software upgrade this week will fix the issue of less signal bars showing up, even if the signal is good.
I was able to play around with a coworker's phone for a few hours Thursday. I put the antenna to the test, and didn't have a problem losing calls. But I could make some bars disappear by covering the corner.
The only problem I came across was in an elevator test. Every time I spoke on the elevator with my right hand, I didn't have a problem. But every time I used my left hand, I lost connection. But the elevator was the only environment in my building where I lost a signal -- and we all know elevators are a tricky place to hang on to a call.
Analysts predict this to not be a big issue, since a phone cover could alleviate the problem in most cases.
And there's no official word yet from Apple about the yellow spots many saw on their screens, but customers who call support are being told that either it will go away in time or to just return it for a replacement phone.
If you missed out on getting an iPhone 4 on launch weekend or through pre-orders and reservations, you can try your luck by waiting in line at AT&T stores as it goes on sale Tuesday morning. I also know some Radio Shack stores are putting names on a waiting list and calling customers when more phones arrive.
