Available iPhone Prices

For the past several months I have been anticipating reaching my cell phone update eligibility date. Based on my rate plan (one of the least expensive offered) and payment history (never a late payment) I gain eligibility to purchase a new cell phone for the subsidized price 20 months into my 2-year contract.

That date is February 9th.

Tomorrow.

And, every so often during the past several months I have visited the Apple iPhone page to poke the “check eligibility” button just to see if Verizon has taken pity on their customers and revised their eligibility date algorithm. The result always showed two columns, one giving the price “before February 9, 2012” and one giving the price “after February 9, 2012”. The second column didn’t say “on or after”, just “after”. With that in mind I planned to make my purchase on the 10th, hopefully ensuring that I would be fully eligible for the reduced pricing.

Furthermore, I’ve decided to embrace my inner Apple fanboy and visit the nearest Apple store to get my phone – a two hour drive to Leawood Kansas. My other options were to order the phone online and wait for it to ship (ha!) or visit the local Verizon store or Best Buy. It would be easier to get it locally, but when I picked up my HTC Incredible 20 months ago at the Verizon store the clerk opened the box, tore off the protective plastic, and set up the phone - all without any participation from me. I’ve waited several years to have this phone – I want to open the box, and I want to remove the protective plastic. So, to the Apple store I shall go on Friday. (Also the cello store to look at bows, but that’s a different posting.)

You can reserve an iPhone online any evening after 9 pm and pick it up the following day in the store. (You can walk in and get one on a first come first served basis as well.) So my plan was to wait until Thursday the 9th until 9:00:01 pm to poke the eligibility button and then, eligibility confirmed, reserve a phone for pick up on Friday.

Just for grins I poked the eligibility button tonight about 10:30 pm.

Tomorrow is going to be a very long day.