Apple’s brand new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus finally became a reality last week and as is always the case, people were surprised even though every single major detail had already been revealed. Leaks just never seem to do an adequate job of painting a complete picture when it comes to Apple’s new iPhones. While some tech blogs saw the similar design and immediately assumed the new iPhones would be boring, we now know that’s simply not the case. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are two of the sleekest smartphones we’ve ever seen, and they also just so happen to be the fastest and most powerful handsets ever.
Needless to say, getting the model you want on launch day will be no easy task — but we do have some good news for you.
DON’T MISS: iPhone 7 preorders: We have entered a parallel universe
Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were made available for preorder this past Friday and within just a few minutes, several models were already sold out. People generally kept their cool compared to previous years, but there are definitely thousands upon thousands of Apple fans out there upset that they weren’t able to preorder the iPhone they wanted for launch day delivery.
In fact, considering how quickly release day inventory of just about every iPhone 7 Plus model sold out, it’s pretty safe to say that Apple has some serious supply constraints to contend with this year. This is likely one of several reasons Apple will not announce opening-weekend sales next week.
Unless you woke up in the middle of the night to preorder the iPhone 7 Plus, odds are very good that you didn’t get the model you wanted. In fact, launch-day inventory of several smaller iPhone 7 models has sold out as well, which means new preorders won’t be delivered this coming Friday in many cases. But don’t worry, because there are still ways for you to get your hands on the new iPhone 7 want this coming Friday.
In a nutshell, you have two options. Apple Stores — especially larger, high-traffic stores — will have plenty of inventory on hand for people who didn’t preorder a new phone. The problem, of course, is that Apple Stores are the first stop for most Apple fans on iPhone release day. If you’re willing to head out early though, this is your best bet because Apple Stores always receive the most new iPhone units on release day. The catch is that everyone knows this, so you’ll have to head out very early in the morning if you want to have any hope of getting a more popular iPhone model, such as anything in Jet Black.
But there’s also another option. As noted by a former AT&T sales associate who is currently a Verizon sales associate, carrier stores often get a decent amount of inventory on launch day. While most people head to the Apple Store to try to score a new iPhone, you could have a much easier time going to a carrier store. You should still plan to head out early, but you might be surprised at how easy it is to score a new iPhone compared to going to an Apple Store.
“Authorized retailers for your carrier typically get 5-6 new iPhones on launch day,” Reddit user shashmalash wrote in a post. “The dirty little secret though, is these retailers will get to the end of day and still have open iPhones to sell because most people are going to Apple and corporate carrier stores to get their iPhone without realizing there is barely a line at your local retailer.”
He continued, “Worked at an AT&T retailer for 2 years and a Verizon retailer for the last 2 years and we ALWAYS have open iPhones to sell at the end of launch day so if you don’t have a preorder, just try to hit up your local retailer and you’ll probably walk out with an iPhone 7!”
A few other retail associates chimed in as well, but the takeaway is that even if you didn’t manage to secure the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus you wanted when you tried to preorder one, there’s still hope.
