Official Maxis iPhone 4S Launch

This week seems to be moving pretty slow, and the day that I’ve been longing to meet has finally arrived. I will be joining the Maxis iPhone 4S Pre Launch Event at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

If you remember during iPhone 4 launch I said that I don’t want to queue for something like this again, I change my mind. The excitement that you get from thing like this is just too priceless to miss.

Well, I might not be the first person that use iPhone 4S, and even none of the person that’s queuing tonight will be the first person in Malaysia that use iPhone 4S (since it’s been available in the grey market from the time that it was launched in the US), but the feeling of being among the earliest to own something that is launched officially is different.

First thing first – getting the RM3000 ready.

I got into the queue at about 8:33pm – not as early as I plan. I bet there are probably 100 people in front of me already. But 30 mins later, the queue started to get really long, I guess most of the people that book for the 9pm Pre Launch Event has arrived. I’m just lucky to arrive here 1/2 an hour earlier.

Once you have passed the above entrance, there will be quite a number of runner with iPad that will attend to you, and start the registration process, where during iPhone 4 launch last time, this was done at the payment and collection counter, thus making the process really slow. Once everything is ok, I’ve been given a queue number. So there are 169 people in front of me already, so I must be the 170th person.

Further down the queue, you can start to feel that the party has started, and I’m getting more excited as I reach closer to the entrance of Hall 1.

It was just a right thing for me to do before to book this slot. 2 minutes to midnight before the iPhone 4S will be officially launched, and I’m standing pretty close to the main entrance. At this time, I just don’t know how long the queue already as those that book for the 12am to 3am slot should be arriving at this time.

After a countdown, it’s 12am, marking the time that iPhone 4S is officially launched.

The 40 earliest person that got into the queue is being given priority to make a purchase first.

It’s not taking that long before it’s my turn to get into the hall. I got in at 12:20am. Not bad at all. Once you’ve got in, you will see there are 38 payment counters being set up here.

There is pop-corn and also “teh tarik” being served if you would like to chill out first before your number is called.

There is also a demo unit of iPhone 4S here. I don’t play around with it as I would like to touch my own iPhone for the first time. Haha

The queue number moving really fast. 23 minutes later from the time that I got into this hall (i.e. 12:43am), my number is being called already.

So here is counter 26. Once I got there, I just pass the registration form that has been filled out by the runner earlier.

Then come the hardest part – seeing RM2600 disappear from my eyes. Now my wallet is thin again. It just feels so good having thick wallet in my pants. LOL

Like I said earlier, since the lengthy process of transferring your phone line to the iValue package that you choose has been done outside, the time that you will spend at the payment counter is very brief. 4 mins later (i.e. 12:47am) I’m walking away from the payment counter with the official receipt which I need to bring to the collection counter.

There are 9 collection counters set up, and each payment counter has already been assigned with which collection counter. Mine one is Counter F.

This is the final stage of getting your iPhone 4S. I just need to submit the official receipt from the payment, the registration form that was filled earlier and also IC for final verification, and finally, the new iPhone 4S is soon to be mine.

So behold, my new iPhone 4S! My 2 weeks wait from the time that I first register my interest to get this new iPhone 4S is finally over.

Overall, my experience this time is a lot better than getting iPhone 4 last time. I guess the bottleneck for that last iPhone 4 launch is because everything was done at the final counter – converting the current phone line to iValue plan, payment and phone collection.

It’s being a waist-aching 4 and 1/2 hours queuing experience again, but the feeling that I got from this priceless!