I did it again. I bought another iPhone. This time it’s the same iPhone that I already own. Less exciting. Nothing new. Just the same old iPhone 4, but this time with Verizon Wireless.
Instead of waiting in line for maybe 10 grueling hours to get my hands on Verizon’s iPhone 4 today, I decided that having it in my hands before Mobile World Congress wasn’t worth it, so I pre-ordered online.
Sure I have to wait another week, maybe more, and I might even miss the multiple delivery attempts and have to pick it up in person at some shipping facility in a far-off industrial park. Either way, the money has been spent and the process has begun.
I applaud Verizon Wireless for opening up its first batch of pre-orders to existing customers a week ago. They closed sales less than day later with reports suggesting as many as 100,000 iPhones were sold. Just before midnight out west on Feb. 8, Verizon Wireless opened up pre-orders to all customers, including new ones like me.
For what it’s worth, the process was entirely smooth — dare I say flawless? After selecting the models my wife and I wanted, I picked our service plans and entered the information required to port our numbers. I was all done within 10 minutes.
It’s been about 30 hours since and my order status is still in process with an expected ship date of Feb. 18. Beginning at 7 a.m. today, Verizon and numerous retail outlets started selling the device in person. I’m not sure how long the wait might have been and this time around, I wasn’t willing to find out. A new iPhone might have been enough to convince me. But this time I will simply have to wait.
