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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,481
30,715



Apple appears to have sold out of its iPhone 5s stock, with shipping estimates for all models in the United States slipping from 7-10 days to an ambiguous "October" ship date. The phone, which went on sale yesterday, saw shipping times of 1-3 days for the first four hours that it was available before estimates dropped to a seven to 10 day ship time.

octobershipdate.jpg
Shipping estimates for online orders of the phone opened at 7-10 days in a number of countries, indicating significant stock shortages. Apple saw high demand for its gold iPhone 5s, which sold out within 28 minutes after launch in the United States. Both gold and silver iPhones were available in very limited quantities from Apple and other third-party retailers, while stock of the space gray phone appeared to be more widely available.

According to an Apple representative, the company saw incredible demand for the new phone, and a report from The Wall Street Journal suggests Apple has already asked its supply chain to increase production of the gold iPhone 5s in particular.

Currently, all colors and capacities of the iPhone 5s from all U.S. carriers display a shipping estimate of October. The same is true for the rest of the world, with online Apple Stores in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the U.K. displaying identical October estimates.

iPhone 5c supplies remain plentiful, with all colors and capacities available to ship within 24 hours.

Article Link: iPhone 5s Shipping Estimates Slip to October
 

Nyy8

macrumors 6502a
Jun 12, 2011
523
179
New England
I guess I should be thanking the lord I walked into an Apple Store at 5pm launch day, and they had the exact color, and exact size I wanted. :eek:
 

Richardgm

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2008
968
719
This is probably the worst it has ever been for a new iPhone release. I can't find them anywhere. Never mind the gold version.
 

Mackan

macrumors 65816
Sep 16, 2007
1,421
91
Was there ever a demand for for a phone like iPhone 5C? Seems like they could have just introduced the iPhone 5S, and things would have been a usual - record profits.
 

giantrobot503

macrumors newbie
Apr 2, 2008
15
10
PDX
What did I do right? I waltzed into the AT&T store at 2 PM launch day and they had the exact one I wanted...
 
Aug 26, 2008
1,339
1
Is the 5c that much easier to make or is it not selling as well as Apple had hoped?

The 5c is probably easier to make, more profitable, and they already know the diehards will go for the 5s.

I'm starting to wonder if the 5c is a comparative flop.
 

Kaibelf

Suspended
Apr 29, 2009
2,445
7,444
Silicon Valley, CA
Was there ever a demand for for a phone like iPhone 5C? Seems like they could have just introduced the iPhone 5S, and things would have been a usual - record profits.

It's replacing the 5. All those people who want $99 phones will get them eventually, and apple will make a higher profit than they would have from the 5. Even MORE record profits.
 

taptic

macrumors 65816
Dec 5, 2012
1,341
437
California
On the count of three everyone:

1

2

3

"I can't wait that long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
 

Kaibelf

Suspended
Apr 29, 2009
2,445
7,444
Silicon Valley, CA
This is probably the worst it has ever been for a new iPhone release. I can't find them anywhere. Never mind the gold version.

I am lucky enough to have two real Apple stores I can get to. There were hundreds lined up at each and all got phones. The people who were expecting priority delivery at some mall kiosk, however, are seriously delusional. They have been commenting in droves about how Apple fails because they didn't send hundreds of units to some tiny carrier store in BFE, Montana.
 

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,257
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
I really think Apple just screwed this thing up by releasing the 5C. They focused on a lower level tier instead of their top tier, which as we can see now, is severely constrained.
 

TimCook

macrumors member
Sep 21, 2013
41
0
Australia
I guess I should be thanking the lord I walked into an Apple Store at 5pm launch day, and they had the exact color, and exact size I wanted. :eek:

Lucky you! (I guess you wanted slate grey?)

I was lucky enough to get the exact iPhone I wanted on launch too (thankfully the queues aren't as long here in Australia)

The new gold colour is so shmexy :D
 

Clubber

macrumors member
May 29, 2009
92
7
I got a notification mine shipped today with estimated delivery of Monday (silver/32g). I was surprised because the site originally said it would ship between October 1st and 10th. I ordered the afternoon (around 3pm) the day of the release.

Looking forward to it.
 

HornetOSX

macrumors member
Feb 9, 2003
75
0
I really think Apple just screwed this thing up by releasing the 5C. They focused on a lower level tier instead of their top tier, which as we can see now, is severely constrained.


Are you kidding me??


Marketing 101.. make your item more desirable by making it so popular you can't even get it. This creates even more marketplace buzz making the item even more desirable ( and free press)

This makes the increased cost of the 5S over the 5C seem more worth it.


this is why manufactures of all kinds of things ( car's motorcycles artwork .. so on and so on) have limited special editions.


Apple gets all the advantages of a limited edition ( increased desirability and marketplace buzz) ... without actually making a limited edition there for being able to sell millions and millions of them.

Bloody brillant .
 

gatearray

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2010
1,130
232
This is probably the worst it has ever been for a new iPhone release. I can't find them anywhere. Never mind the gold version.

And imagine if they jammed even more cutting edge tech into the new iPhone, there'd be even less to go around, and even fewer people would be enjoying them right now.

At least the spec-heads would be happy, though... Oh, who am I kidding— of course they wouldn't be. :rolleyes:
 

ViperDesign

macrumors 6502a
Aug 7, 2007
650
516
Utah
it happens every single year, you would think people would be smart enough to know it isn't because they can't supply it, it's because they choose not to supply it.
 

nealh

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2010
535
70
I am not sure why anyone is calling the 5C a flop. I really doubt Apple expected huge demand for it. It replaced the year old 5. It was IMHO a smart thing to do, it refreshed the year old product and will bring some who did not want black or just white.

Apple, I am sure never expected sales like they would want with the "S" version.

Did anyone really look carefully at iPhone 4 sales the launch weekend of the 4S??

I think the key comparison might be to compare 5C sales to iPhone 4 sales when the 4S launched.

Just my opinion.
 

mbh

macrumors 6502
Jul 18, 2002
400
73
The 5c is probably easier to make, more profitable, and they already know the diehards will go for the 5s.

I'm starting to wonder if the 5c is a comparative flop.

It may not sell as many as the 5s opening week, but we have many weeks left before next fall. I remember reading reports that Apple was still selling lots of 4 and 4S models this past year while the 5 was available. Not everyone needs the premium model.
 
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