N4 Ordering - bibanon/android-development-codex GitHub Wiki
Ordering the Nexus 4 can be extremely aggravating and difficult. Here are some tips to get through the crowds and nab one for yourself.
During Wave 1, there were no pre-orders, just direct purchase. As a result, the phone was sold out in all regions in 30 minutes, with a few popping up from time to time as orders failed to process.
During Wave 2, the situation did not improve from before. This time, determined not to repeat the same mistake, users snuffed by the first launch used scripts that brought Google's servers to it's knees. The company finally came to it's senses and instituted a pre-order system, with shipments expected in 8-9 weeks.
- Set up Google Wallet before ordering! The less servers and checkpoints you need to break through, the better.
- Check the /r/Nexus4 Subreddit or /r/Android for news. These are the largest communities dedicated to nabbing an N4, and they will warn you of important tips and tricks.
- Subscribe to email or GTalk monitors to see if or when the Nexus 4 is in stock.
- Set up a script that will automatically add the Nexus 4 to your cart when it is available.
- Start your scripts 30 minutes early! Google notoriously releases devices early, in pursuit of the lulz.
During Wave 2, buyers faced a similar mad rush and horrible ordering experience. Google, brought to it's knees by traffic from watcher scripts, began instituting a "pre-order" system in everything but name. Buyers could expect to receive their phones in about 8 weeks.
However, the pre-order system still brought down the payment servers, and the "proceed" button in the cart did not work. For most buyers, the only solution is to mash the button until the server responds.
Redditor DeathByAssphyxiation tells buyers to "never refresh, just keep pressing the button." Auto-clickers are strongly suggested.
Another method is to use {{Key|Tab}} to navigate to the button, and to keep the {{Key|enter}} button held down.
A redditor would describe it as:
It was as if Google made it's own store, which is open only at two random times in the year. Three hours before it's first opening, a poster is placed with a specific time. For laughs, the store opens thirty minutes early.
The store has five entrances where people lined up, four of which were fake. The few who managed to get in saw scalpers taking ten phones at a time and successfully buying up all the stock. And then Google employees would randomly push people's carts on the floor. By the time some honest buyer jumped the pitfalls and reached the counter, they would have discovered that they bought three phones too many.
When the release date begins to heat up, set up a cart buster script to nab the device just in time, like only a machine can.
You can check passive monitors for a quick glance at whether a device is available or not.
Notifiers actively tell you, through IM, text, or email, whether a product is available.
- ZauberNerd's Nexus Google Talk/Jabber bot - Ask a bot about the status of a Nexus device, available or not. It can even IM you when it is available. Includes source code.
- Whohas.it - A site designed to notify buyers of the availability of rare products. Notifies with email, sound alert, or a text message.
- Canibuyanexus4.info - A site that will email you when the Nexus 4 is available.