The Apple Store is looking to help you out with any last minute holiday shopping by offering free next day delivery on a huge range of products. Some of the items covered are the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Apple TV and some Mac models. Unfortunately the iPhone 4S is not included.

In order to qualify for free next day shipping, you must have your order completed by today, December 21, and not request any custom configurations or engraving; it’s now too late for that!

Not sure what to get? Check out our 2011 holiday gift guides for loads of ideas.

Source: Apple Store

Apple has finally gotten their iPad 2 supply in balance with demand — the online Apple Store is now shipping in 24hrs.

Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook, recently said iPad manufacturing yields improved dramatically in the last quarter, and would improve again in July, with some models already in balance and others to follow. Looks like they delivered.

Apple online in the US, Canada, UK and other countries now claim iPad 2 shipping estimates of only 1-2 weeks. This is better than the previous 2-3 weeks and a far cry from the 3-5 week wait times listed shortly after launch.

Has Apple ramped up production or has demand finally leveled off to meet supply? Either way, you can now get your online iPad faster if you so wish. Are you ordering?

After shipping almost immediately, then in a matter of days, then a week, Apple has again update their iPad 2 ordering page — this time to 3-4 weeks. Many of you have told us that iPad 2 was selling out at Apple stores and other retailers yesterday as well. Sounds like supplies really might have been constrained again this year.

With international rollout set to begin on March 25 — unless Apple delays it like last year — does that mean American’s who want their iPad 2s sooner rather than later might drive to Canada or fly out to the UK or Australia? Oh, the irony…

Are you still trying to get an iPad 2? Let us know where you are and if they have stock!

Early risers who managed to get their Apple Online Store iPad 2 orders in on Friday are letting us know that they’re either preparing to ship or are shipping. We’ve been tracking orders in the iPad Forum so if you’re waiting on that magical UPS or Fedex truck, jump on in and let us know when Apple says your iPad 2 is arriving.

[Thanks rustyjar79, beastcmg, and everyone in the iPad Forum!]

Could this be the very first Verizon iPhone to be held by customer hands? YouTube user billa9668 claims to have picked it up today from the UPS center in Evansville Indiana. Is it for real? It’s an iPhone 4 box in a UPS box with what looks like a Verizon pamphlet as wrapping. Beyond that who knows?

Verizon started shipping pre-orders earlier in the week and now so has Apple, with delivery estimates of Monday and Tuesday. We’re still tracking shipments in our Verizon iPhone forum so we’ll see if more arrive. Meanwhile check out the video after the break and tell us — do you believe?

[Thanks nicolelk316 and Kyle Dziekan!]

It looks like Verizon iPhone pre-orders made via Apple.com are finally starting to ship, playing a little catch-up with Verizon iPhone orders made via Verizon.com that started shipping last week. The one above is coming straight from the factory in Shenzhen, China. Based on reports in our Verizon iPhone Forum, Tuesday is the expected timeframe for delivery.

Some Verizon.com orders claim they’ll be arriving as early as Monday but Apple has placed holds on deliveries in the past, making sure they’re ready but not released until launch day — in this case February 10. Still, the Verizon iPhone 4 is still and iPhone and Apple may not be as invested in keeping the deliveries in lock-step this time around. With pre-orders selling out, creating the most successful launch in Verizon history, there’s bound to be a lot of trucks on a lot of roads no matter how they try to organize it.

Has your Apple.com Verizon iPhone order shipped yet? Let us know your status in the comments and help us keep track in the Verizon iPhone Forum.

[Thanks Noell!]

We’re getting emails and a bunch of members of our Verizon iPhone Forum are posting that their Verizon iPhone order status has recently been updated to “your order has been shipped.”

Now Apple has been known to ship early in the past only for holds to be placed on the orders at the last minute. Then again some AT&T iPhone orders did arrive a day early last summer, so who knows?

Did your Verizon iPhone order already ship? Let us know in the comments and help us keep track in the Verizon iPhone Forum!

Are you buying yourself or a loved one, a new iPod, iPad or Apple TV this Christmas? Maybe you want an iPhoto Card or Album? Make sure you get your orders in before its too late. Here’s a list of this year’s holiday deadlines, after the break!

United States

• Free Shipping

  • iPods – 20th Dec
  • iPads – 20th Dec
  • AppleTV – 20th Dec
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums – 18th Dec

• Next day delivery

  • iPods – 23rd Dec
  • iPads – 23rd Dec
  • AppleTV – N/A
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums – 19th Dec

• Engraved models cannot be delivered “next day” and need to be ordered by:

  • Engraved iPods – 20th Dec
    
  • Engraved iPads – 19th Dec
    

United Kingdom

(shipping times in the UK are being severely effected by the weather)

• Free Shipping
  • iPods – 21st Dec
  • iPads – 21st Dec
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums – 18th Dec
  • Engraved iPods – 21st Dec
  • Engraved iPad (with other items in order) – 11th Dec [X]
  • Engraved iPad (no other items in order) – 13th Dec [X]

Canada

• Free Shipping
  • iPods – 20th Dec
  • iPads – 20th Dec
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums – 13th Dec [X]
  • Engraved iPods – 18th Dec
  • Engraved iPads – 17th Dec

If you want to know your estimated “last shipping” date for your country, visit your local Apple Online Store, and look for the “Store Services” section , and you should find the list. Obviously, the sooner you order, the better.

TiPb readers are letting us know that they’re receiving shipment notifications from Apple for iPod touch 4. Made available for pre-order last Wednesday following Apple’s 2010 special music event, iPod touch 4 brings Retina Display (though perhaps without the same IPS panel?), FaceTime, 720p video (though only .7mp stills), and other iPhone 4-like features to its non-phone counterpart.

Have you gotten your shipment notification yet? Let us know which model you ordered, when you placed your order, and what date you expect it and we’ll keep track in comments.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Apple’s online store now lists both iPad Wi-Fi and iPad Wi-Fi + 3G as shipping in 24hrs, and not just in the US but in international stores from Canada to the UK as well.

Supplies of Apple’s “magical and revolutionary” new device have been highly constrained since launch, leading delays in international rollouts and concerns that the IPS panels just couldn’t be made fast enough to meet demand.

Did demand slow or did production rise? We’ll have to wait for next quarter’s results to find out.

[Thanks everyone who sent this in!]

Good news for those of you who were not lucky enough to land a new iPhone 4 on the June 24th launch date, according to reports in our forums Apple is shipping the second batch as you are reading this.

Apple originally promised the second batch would arrive on July 15th but it seems some lucky folks are getting their new devices a bit earlier. Has your shipping status changed yet?

Sound off in the comments below!

[TiPb forums]

We don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up here, but one of our readers just sent us his shipment notification and tracking info for a second round, July 2 iPhone 4 order and it looks like he may be getting it a tad early — June 30 according to Apple and June 28 according to FedEx.

Now there’s many a slip between an arrival and a ship, so let us know if any of you are also getting your iPhone 4 shipment emails or tracking info, and what your dates are showing.

Here we go again!

[Thanks tipster!]

With just two weeks to go before WWDC, Boy Genius Report is reporting that Apple has ceased shipments of the iPhone 3G to AT&T stores. Now throw in the fact that new orders for the device are not being accepted and it’s a pretty good sign the iPhone 3G’s days are numbered.

“Could this mean we might see the iPhone 3GS drop to $99 and make way for a new model? Or maybe the 3GS would disappear altogether? We’re not sure, but we’re about to find out.”

It’s a funny thing that BGR mentioned the price drop of the iPhone 3GS because as of today Walmart is dropping the price of the 16GB version to $97 with a two year service agreement. It appears as if the iPhone 3GS is about to replace the iPhone 3G as the budget iPhone. Keep an eye out for Apple to drop their price in two weeks…

[BGR]

UPDATE: Add this gem to the list, in response to an (admittedly overboard) customer complaint from Switzerland that accused Steve Jobs of “deliberately pulling the wool over the rest of the worlds [sic] eyes.”

Are you nuts? We are doing the best we can. We need enough units to have a responsible and great launch.

ORIGINAL: We’re running out of clever things to say about Steve Jobs’ recent passion for taking over customer support at Apple, so we’ll just pass along his latest missives about the iPad 3G and its shipping status, US and international. The first one is fairly clear:

will there also be 3G models of the iPad released worldwide on the end of may or only the wifi models. Would be nice to know. Can’t wait.

Job’s answer:

Both models will be released at the end of May. Sorry for the delay

A question from iCuckoo Push [$0.99 - iTunes link] developer Manuel is where it gets trickier:

will the iPad 3G models still ship on time as planned (end of April) in the US, if I order one today? Or will the 3G US orders be postponed as well?

The response:

Yes.

Sent from my iPhone

Um, yes to the on time or yes to the postponed? Need. More. Words!

[via 9to5Mac, twice]

Looks like Apple has begun to ship out pre-ordered iPads for delivery on April 3. At least many of you out there are getting your shipment notices at long last. While it likely won’t take the guys and gals in trucks a full 6 days to get to your house, Apple almost certainly has holds for delivery in place to make sure no one gets an iPad early. Still, we can dream.

Let us know if your iPad is on its way! (And what app, if any, you’re using to track the package).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in, and appreciation to everyone in shipping-land who has to lug tons of iPads around for delivery this week!]

April 3rd is fast approaching so it’s only fitting that Apple is rumored to begin shipping iPad review units to select reviewers this Thursday (either that or they’ll be arriving Thursday, like many rumors it’s not exactly clear).

Also not clear is whether the lucky reviewers will receive Wi-Fi only, WiFi+3G, or both iPads, and exactly who is getting them (other than Mossberg from The Wall Street Journal and Pogue from The New York Times, of course).

We here at TiPb aren’t holding our collective breaths, but we have pre-ordered (and Rene’s making the long drive down to the US) so you’ll get to hear our thoughts soon enough.

Until then, however, let us know how many of you are waiting to hear some reviews before you bite the bullet and lay down your hard earned cash for an iPad?

[Via Silicon Alley Insider]

I woke up this morning to an email from Apple — my iPhone 3G S has shipped! A quick look at the tracking information via the UPS website shows that it has been shipped from Shenzhen China to arrive at my home by the 19th at the latest.

Something important to remember, if you did order from Apple and will not be home at the time of the delivery – you must fill out a form via Apple’s web site for them to leave it at your door if that’s what you prefer. If not, you will be waiting until Monday and that would make for a long weekend.

So far we have had no confirmation regarding phones shipping from AT&T. Any AT&T customers receive a shipping notification yet?

Looks like we’ll have to add analyzing shipping manifests and tracking import/export data to help wanted ads and patent watching. It’s tough being an Apple enthusiast, no?

The folks over at Import Genius have reason to believe that the 3G iPhone is already stateside. After analyzing data from thousands of U.S. customs declarations for Apple, Inc. they have found 188 unidentified containers of a product never before imported by the company. Hint, hint: 3G iPhone.

“They have never before reported this product on their customs declarations,” says Ryan Petersen of ImportGenius.com. “The fact that they are importing millions of units, combined with dwindling stocks of the first generation of iPhones, clearly supports the Citi analysts predictions.”

So where are we going to get the next 3G rumor from? Someone who dug through Steve Job’s trash? Should the paparazzi start following him around? Can’t we just fast-forward to June already?

Thanks Ryan

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