Apple’s new speedy iPhone 3GS will soon be in the hands of owners who pre-ordered the device just one week after it debuted at the Worldwide Developers Conference. People with orders through the Apple Store have received an e-mail that their device has been shipped, AppleInsider says.
“My 32GB black iPhone that I ordered the second I could on the Apple iPhone store has officially shipped,” said DiscoNomad, a forum member of AppleInsider. “I found out this morning via an e-mail, which included a tracking number.”
People were encouraged by Apple to reserve their iPhone at an Apple retail store and pick it up Friday, or order it from the online Apple Store to arrive on Friday.
Shipping From China
The tracking information in e-mails from Apple show phones being shipped out of Shenzhen, China, home to Foxconn, one of the largest manufacturers of electronics worldwide and the company that manufactures iPhones and iPods for Apple.
There is, however, no confirmation on exactly when the online future iPhone 3GS owners will receive their devices. On one iPhone forum, bloggers said they have received confirmation from Apple that the arrival day will be no later than June 19.
Some are reporting that they haven’t received any confirmation from Apple, while others say they are receiving conflicting information. One poster named Zach reported seeing his order processing on AT&T’s main site and backordered on another AT&T site.
One thing for sure, however, is that phones are slated to be available through retail stores, including Best Buy, AT&T, Wal-Mart and Apple’s own retail stores on Friday.
Some are already predicting a shortage and saying Apple needs to get devices into the hands of customers on time.
“It is important because every cycle is an opportunity to grow your customer base,” said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at…