Virtual Pants

As reported by Ars Technica back in July, some developers with me.com email addresses were switched automatically to iCloud.com email addresses when using iOS 6 Beta 3. At the time, the assumption was that iOS 6 would automatically switch all me.com users to iCloud.com email addresses, while retaining the ability to use their me.com email address:

Forget @mac.com or even @me.com—Apple is changing things up yet again when it comes to the e-mail domains given to subscribers. The company indirectly revealed on Monday that it plans to issue @icloud.com e-mail addresses to those using the mail feature of iCloud. If you are currently using a @me.com address from MobileMe but testing the iOS 6 betas, you’ll receive an @icloud.com e-mail that matches the previous one automatically.

Well, iOS 6 is here and there is no option available at this time to obtain iCloud.com email addresses. At the moment, it appears that only new iCloud accounts will be given the iCloud.com domain. If you were looking to upgrade your me.com email to an iCloud address, hope is not lost. It is possible that this change is coming and Apple has yet to flip the switch. It just hasn’t happened yet.

UPDATE: Apple has posted a support document, which states:

For all existing iCloud users, Apple has reserved an @icloud.com email address. You will receive an @icloud.com equivalent for every @me.com or @mac.com email address or alias that you have as part of your account. For example, if you currently have trudymartin@me.com, you will now also have trudymartin@icloud.com.

It will take a few weeks for Apple to grant you access to your new @icloud.com email address. You will be notified by email when the process is complete.