Day: September 20, 2013

Alright, you can call me a moron. It’s OK.

Today was the release of the new Apple iPhone 5S. Apple stores opened at 8am as opposed to their usual 10am. I arrived at 8:20am to my local Apple store and joined a line of people that stretched from the door of the store, around behind the building, then wrapped down another building and spilled out onto another sidewalk adjacent to yet another store.

Hummm. This does not bode well. Of course I completely forgot to take pictures. And once you’re in line… you don’t want to exit the line for fear that you’ll be send to the back of the line again.

Waiting, & Waiting. Finally I get to the door and they tell me that they don’t have any phones for my carrier Damn! Additionally the helpful store person tell me I can’t go in the store right now because today it’s all about the iPhone. Double Damn! A very nice lady nudged me and said “Come in with me” 

So I’m in the store, and the iPhones are very cool. The 5s is gorgeous and the 5c phones are solid and feel good in the hand. I’d feared that they’d be cheap feeling.

I enjoyed the chance to actually feel the weight of the phones in my hand. OS7, I’m becoming familiar with. It works well and is fast and smooth.

Then I hear one of the employees mention a second shipment coming in just a little after noon. Another shipment? Hummmm.  It’s 10:45 I could go take a walk, then grab a bite to eat, then stakeout the Apple store.

I was sitting outside the Apple store editing my contacts, transferring them to iCloud and away from Google. I’m doing the same thing with my calendar and dialing down the Google interactions.

I look up and notice that there is activity at the side of the Apple store and a new line is forming. I put away my editing and go take my place in the 2nd line of the day.

Why was I being so tenacious? Well….

This morning my existing phone was flakier than usual in that I was on an active call and it suddenly decided to start randomly dialing other contacts. Thankfully those calls were simply beeps in my ear instead of actually dialing contacts. I have to power the phone down to make that stop. 

The existing phone is simply telling me that it’s time to replace it. I noticed a lot of folks in line were trading in phones that were 2 and 3 years old.

Another hour in line… hour 2, the Apple folks start us moving again. (I have to say Apple was really nice. They were providing water and iced tea to those of us waiting outside the store. I thought it was a nice touch.)

I get to the gatekeeper. “I want a phone of thus & such specifications for Carrier X.”

The lady looks at me sadly. “We didn’t get anything for that carrier in this second shipment. I’m so sorry.”

Sigh.

Broken hearted I trudge away. Rejected twice in one day!

No phone for you!

Now in addition to saying that I’ve stood in line for the grand opening of an Apple Store. I can also say I’ve stood in line for a new iPhone, on the first day it was available.

Oh and by the way…

It’s not something I’m likely to do anytime in the future.

I should mention that where I was, the crowd was very nice and there were no fights. Unlike the Pasadena Apple Store where arrests were made.

I’ll wait until Tuesday next week to try again. I’m not holding my breath.

To those of you who may attempt to call me… Don’t hold your breath! I honestly don’t know whats wrong with my Android and I’m past caring. As the phone has become less and less reliable I’m carrying it less and less. Quite often lately I’ve left it completely behind as I took off to run errands. Why carry something that only works some of the time?

Even as I type this, the phone is muttering to itself. saying it’s receiving email or text messages that it is not. 

By the way… The iPhone 5s color “Space Gray” is Gun Metal gray and it looks great.