Apple launches iPhone 3G purchasing site, two months late

The new, online tool on Apple.com lets you enter your billing info, select a rate plan, and choose the Apple store where you'd like to complete your purchase. Where was this thing two months ago?

According to Macworld, the new iPhone purchasing tool isn't quite perfect—for example, while you can select a rate plan, undergo a credit check, and verify that you're qualified for the discounted $199/$299 price tags, you'll still have to go to an Apple store to pick up your phone (you can request a specific date and time, at least)—and even then, there's no guarantee that an iPhone 3G with your name on it will be ready and waiting. ("iPhone 3G is sold on a first-come, first-serve basis," warns the fine print on Apple.com.)

Indeed, one Macworld reader in Virginia said he went through the whole process online, arrived at his local Apple store at the pre-designated time, and was greeted by an Apple clerk who "didn't know what I was talking about." (At least he was able to go ahead and buy an iPhone from scratch, since the crowds have pretty much disappeared.)

Still, the new tool might have helped in the dog days of July and August, when lines for the iPhone 3G snaked around the block. With no online purchasing allowed and no more at-home activations, customers had to wait for AT&T and Apple clerks to activate each iPhone on-site—a slow, buggy process that caused a train wreck during the initial launch. Had this iPhone purchasing tool been in place back on July 11, it could have helped eased the crush.

In any case, let's hope this is a sign that Apple's learning from its mistakes, and that we'll have a saner purchasing process ready in time for the iPhone 4G. And hey, here's a crazy idea: Why not let us buy an iPhone online, just like you can with any other phone?

Related:
Apple speeds up iPhone purchases online [Macworld]