Skip to main content

Verizon iPhone 4 pre-orders maxed-out within 24 hours

verizon-pre-order-sales-iphone-4
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you tried to snag an iPhone 4 through Verizon Thursday, before they hit stores on February 10, you had to act fast: Less than 24-hours after Verizon and Apple began taking pre-orders, they halted sales.

The exact duration of the sale, which began at the unholy hour of 3 am (EST) on Thursday and was available to pre-existing Verizon subscribers only, reportedly lasted around 17 hours total.

Whether or not the companies were forced to stop sales due to actual shortages, or simply to create additional buzz about the iPhone’s imminent Verizon debut, is anyone’s guess, as neither Apple nor Verizon released the exact number of phones they had on hand to meet pre-order sales. Chances are, it’s a combination of both fluff and facts: They’ve only allocated a limited number of phones for pre-order, so that they can sell out quickly, which gets everyone — us included — talking.

We do know, however, that Verizon COO John Stratton released an internal company memo to Verizon employees requesting them to not purchase an iPhone 4 for the “time being,” in an effort to “meet our customers’ needs in the midst of what will surely be unprecedented customer demand.” Again, this could all be part of a strategy to churn up some additional last-minute enthusiasm (i.e. sales).

Then again, it’s not like they need it. According to Apple Insider, more than half — 54 percent — of Verizon customers who are currently using Android or Blackberry devices say they are “likely” to purchase an iPhone 4. In the same uSamp survey, 26 percent of AT&T customers questioned said they planned to purchase the Verizon iPhone on launch day. (Though that number dropped to 16 percent in a larger survey.)

Whatever the exact numbers, the iPhone arriving on Verizon is sure to be a boon for both companies.

To recap: The Verizon iPhone officially launches on February 10, at 7 am EST, to the general public. (Though some customers will be able to place orders on the Apple Store on Feb. 9.) A 16 GB iPhone 4 will cost $199, or $299 for the 32 GB version, with the signing of a new two-year contract. An “unlimited data plan” through Verizon runs $30 per month.

Update: Verizon just announced that, within a mere two hours — between the hours of 3 am and 5 am (EST) on Thursday — iPhone 4 pre-order sales broke the first-day sales record for Verizon, making Thursday “the most successful first day sales in the history of the company.” Perhaps the iPhone 4 shortage is not just talk after all.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Does the iPhone 15 have an overheating problem? Here’s what we know
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera module.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Last fall, Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series, which generated a lot of excitement among consumers. However, some users who got their hands on the devices early on expressed dissatisfaction by taking to social media to complain about overheating issues.

Read more
Your iPhone just got a new iOS update, and you should download it right now
iPhone 15 Pro display with iPhone 15 Pro Max in background.

Apple has just released a new security update, iOS 17.4.1. This comes a little over two weeks after iOS 17.4, which was a big update. iOS 17.4.1 doesn't add any new features, but it's still an important update you'll want to download as soon as you can.

With iOS 17.4.1, Apple states that the update “provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” Apple doesn’t mention any specifics of these bug fixes, but more details on what this security update addresses may be revealed at a later date.

Read more
The DOJ has sued Apple over the iPhone. Here’s what it means for you
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro seen from the back.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro (left) and iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you're reading this article, chances are you have an iPhone. It's also quite likely that your friends and family members also use an iPhone. The iPhone is the smartphone of choice for millions of people in the U.S., and now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Apple over the iPhone monopoly it has established over the years.

Read more