I was having this issue. The camera wouldn't focus at all, so I knew it wasn't me.
Well, I took it to the Apple Store, spoke with a genius and had it swapped out, no questions asked.
I wouldn't worry about stock at any particular store. The one they gave me didn't have all the packaging. It was a small white box, with just the phone in it and no SIM, so it looks as if they have stock especially for replacement issues.
Just swapped the SIM and that was it. It wouldn't sync with my backup, so it took a few more minutes to set it back up the way I wanted.
Well, I took it to the Apple Store, spoke with a genius and had it swapped out, no questions asked.
I wouldn't worry about stock at any particular store. The one they gave me didn't have all the packaging. It was a small white box, with just the phone in it and no SIM, so it looks as if they have stock especially for replacement issues.
Just swapped the SIM and that was it. It wouldn't sync with my backup, so it took a few more minutes to set it back up the way I wanted.