Apple Store vs ATT Store

August 12, 2008 12:38 PM

Is there any advantage to buying an iPhone at an Apple Store rather than at an ATT Store?

There is an ATT Store within walking distance of my home. The Apple Store(s) require a drive to the mall. I expect there will be lines at the Apple Stores. I never see lines at the ATT Store when I walk past it.

Mrs. alms and I are currently on a Verizon family plan. If we make the jump, we will be moving over both phone numbers to iPhones with an ATT family plan.

Assuming the ATT Store has the iPhones in stock, is there any advantage to going to the Apple Store? I'm a long-time Mac fan boy, so I'm used to the Apple Store, but in this case it just seems like an unnecessary hassle.

posted by alms to Technology (14 answers total)

There won't be any lines at an Apple store now.

Apple stores are more likely to actually have stock. Also, you can check stock online by going to: Apple's site, choosing a store near you, and checking after 9pm-- it'll tell you if they have stock for tomorow.

Apple stores, at least the ones I've been to, are more likely to be staffed by non-idiots.

At the one AT&T store I was at, I watched someone get upsold into the "corporate" plan, because he said he wanted to use Microsoft Exchange. That's simply not true, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is par for the course at an AT&T store.
posted by gregvr at 12:47 PM on August 12, 2008

They both charge the same 10% restocking fee for returns.

The only advantages to the Apple Store I can think of are:

• They probably get 100x more phones at a time than the AT&T stores;

• More clueful employees; and

• If you lose your receipt, they can look it up and print it for you at any Apple Store, even years later. (Maybe AT&T can do this too, I don't know.)
posted by designbot at 12:51 PM on August 12, 2008

In my area, at least, the Apple store is open (for iPhone sales) much earlier on Sundays than the other stores in the mall. Makes getting in, getting the 'phone and getting out much easier.
posted by SPrintF at 12:58 PM on August 12, 2008

AT&T doesn't keep iPhones in stock anymore, which is why you don't see any lines. You can order them from AT&T and get them in about a week or two. Friends that have ordered the white 16GB versions have received theirs in about 4 days, while those that order the black models wait about 12 days. If you have any discounts, those will have to be applied at the AT&T store.
Also, be aware that since you do not have a previous AT&T account, you will not get the discounted price of $199/299. (The rules are more complex than that, but not being with AT&T disqualifies you)
posted by idiotfactory at 1:05 PM on August 12, 2008

Scratch that, with a new 2 year contract with AT&T you ARE eligible for the discounted price.
posted by idiotfactory at 1:10 PM on August 12, 2008

There won't be any lines at an Apple store now.

I was at the Emeryville Apple store twice this week and both times there were at least a dozen people waiting outside in line for the new iPhones with all of the Apple store employees running around like chickens with their heads cut off. So. . .I wouldn't count on there not being any lines.
posted by stewiethegreat at 1:14 PM on August 12, 2008

Since you're not on an existing AT&T plan, it comes down to how soon you want your phones. At the Apple Store, you can probably get an iPhone or two as soon as tomorrow, though you may have to queue up an hour before the store opens to do it. And you may have to make repeated visits to the Apple Store if you're not willing or able to wait in line early enough. At the AT&T store, you can put yourself on a waiting list and get the phone in a couple weeks. Which option sounds better to you is a matter of temperament.

I recently signed up for a family plan at the Apple Store. Just so you know, only the primary accountholder needs to be present to make the purchase. I had some activation problems (I don't know why), and it took the Apple Store employee about an hour and a half on the phone with various AT&T reps to straighten things out. The average time to purchase and activate appears to be about 15-20 minutes, though -- not including time in the queue. I'm not generally a huge fan of the Apple Store or their typical surroundings (malls, upmarket shopping centers), but the employees whom I dealt with were nothing but friendly and professional.

(Having said all that, online ordering really should have been an option.)
posted by cobra libre at 1:15 PM on August 12, 2008

Also, you get the spiffy black/white iPhone bag if you purchase from the Apple store.
posted by wongcorgi at 2:54 PM on August 12, 2008

I got mine at the AT&T store - I needed a phone quickly (the screen on my old phone had shattered) but the lines on 7/11 were ridiculous at the Apple store - I waited about twenty minutes at the AT&T store and had the phone in three days, no problems with activation, etc. I didn't get a special bag, though.
posted by drobot at 6:19 PM on August 12, 2008

A friend recently bought the new iPhone at the Apple store, and after spending two hours with the employee trying to activate the phone and transfer his Verizon number, he ended up going to the ATT store to get everything sorted. Twice, actually. So if you're not in a hurry, ATT may be the place to go. Then again, you may have no problems at the Apple store.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:16 PM on August 12, 2008

For the record, I spent nearly 2 (noncontiguous) hours in line today for a 3G iPhone at the SoHo Apple Store in New York. Yesterday, I too was shocked that I couldn't get one without a wait. Clearly the persistent lines could be a New York thing -- we seem to like to stand in lines, and have a pretty high threshold for it. That said, I'm slightly depressed that I'm apparently willing to stand in line for 2 hours on a work day for an absurd luxury item.

For those who are thinking about buying in SoHo, some details: Yesterday, an Apple Store worker advised me to come back early this morning -- people apparently start lining up around 6am, they start handing out "vouchers" for guaranteed phones at 8am. Then, you can wait in line longer, or bring your voucher back before 4pm or 6pm, depending on the day, or they sell your precious iPhone to someone else.

I showed up at 10, got a voucher in about 20 minutes, and then came back at 1:20pm when the line was shorter. I was out by 3pm with a phone -- activation and porting from Sprint were quick once it was my turn...
posted by rdn at 9:12 PM on August 12, 2008

Also, be aware that since you do not have a previous AT&T account, you will not get the discounted price of $199/299. (The rules are more complex than that, but not being with AT&T disqualifies you)

Completely untrue. Two weeks ago, I walked into an Apple store (after arriving ten minutes before the store opened and waiting 90 minutes), without an AT&T account, and forked over $299 for a 16GB iPhone.

Also, you don't have to immediately port your old number to the new iPhone. You can do it at any point you are comfortable. I'm porting when my contract ends with Verizon.
posted by meowzilla at 10:03 PM on August 12, 2008

Oops, sorry, didn't see idiotfactory's correction. To add to my last comment, Apple stores open earlier than normal hours just to sell iPhones (8 AM, normal hours are 10AM) and all of their staff is dedicated to iPhone activation/purchasing. This is in addition to the fact Apple stores usually have many more employees than AT&T stores.
posted by meowzilla at 10:10 PM on August 12, 2008

It looks like Best Buy will also be an option come September 7.
posted by cobra libre at 10:53 AM on August 13, 2008