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Carriers and US retailers will have almost no gold or silver iPhone 5s inventory tomorrow

If you are like me, you have your eyes set on a Gold (or white) iPhone 5s because BLING! But if you are planning to go camp out in from of a non-Apple retail establishment tomorrow, you are going to have a bad time.

Every carrier source we’ve talked to and every US retail outlet we’ve heard from has told us that they are only getting in Space Grey iPhone 5s devices for sale. That’s not to say some stock might arrive late tonight and throughout the day tomorrow.

Further up the line, we’re hearing that a few white/silver and even fewer gold iPhone 5s deliveries are trickling in the warehouses but hardly enough for wide dispersal by retail stores. Perhaps a few high profile flagship stores will have stock on hand but as we’ve been told by one retailer, ordering online maybe the best way to go:

Customers can of course order all colors online through us

We’ve long expected iPhone 5s shortages and as we’ve been seeing from international launches, the iPhone 5s in all colors is in short supply.

See you at the Apple Store tomorrow morning then?

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Comments

  1. Eric Lee - 11 years ago

    I just want a Gold iPhone….

  2. NQZ (@surgesoda) - 11 years ago

    I don’t understand this move. Why not wait a week or so so they can have enough to meet demand? To demo a new product \ color \ option, and then have virtually none available at launch is, to me, foolish. What difference will one week or two make in the grand scheme of things? Why launch when there’s not enough product to meet demand? Being high in demand and low in supply isn’t always a good thing…people get pissed off…you know, like I am right now after reading this :D

    • Ian Nutter - 11 years ago

      I don’t think things are going to be back to normal in a week or two. I’m thinking it’ll take a month or two to catch up with demand. So its smart to either buy now or wait a few months – there is no in between

  3. phathom - 11 years ago

    Here comes the hype train to build more lines.

    • Seth Weintraub - 11 years ago

      Or fewer lines at carriers/retaillers if you read the post.

      • mikabass (@mikabass) - 11 years ago

        I love when you guys reply to the idiocy on here :)

      • Tara Marie Culp-Scavetti - 11 years ago

        I was 50th in line at an Apple retail store near Philadelphia. By the time they got to me, they were sold out of all 16G and 32G Gold AND Black 5s phones. Absolutely ridiculous. I don’t even see the point of launching if you have such tiny pittance to sell. By my math that means they had to have about 10 of each? I was really mad that I got up so early.

  4. I’m just going to order mine and wait.

  5. Kevin Dufresne - 11 years ago

    @NQZ, why not “wait a week or so” to get your new phone? I will never understand the rampant desire to be the earliest adopters at all cost, to the point of “getting pissed off” if they don’t get their shiny new item RIGHT NOW. Grow up NQZ

    • Sean (@uglybagofwater) - 11 years ago

      Why not “mind your own business?” I will never understand the rampant desire to bag on other people’s interests.

    • Tara Marie Culp-Scavetti - 11 years ago

      Despite pretty much agreeing with your point (even though I’m also the crazy person who wants it right away, but can never get it), I don’t consider that to be the true “point”. The POINT is, why launch a product that you barely have and irritate customers who want it. Just wait until you have a decent amount and play nice! I don’t like these sort of games.

  6. James Mathews - 11 years ago

    C’mon Guys/Gals.Pissed off? Why? because you cant have it NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wait a month and the fuss is over. I have a iPhone 5 and i found my self wanting the new one bad, but after downloading new IOS, I’m happy and will wait for iPhone 6….besides AT&T will put the screws if your contact is not up…WATCH out
    for AT&T NEXT its a scam

  7. So if I order this via Apple, when will I receive my phone? Can I get it by sometime next week??? If I order it via AT&T, when will I receive my phone? Can I get it by sometime next week?

  8. kpom1 - 11 years ago

    Tim Cook did say he wants to increase the percentage of iPhones sold at Apple Stores relative to carriers.

    • ifunography - 11 years ago

      I was thinking the same thing…I wonder what kinds of agreements are in place for rationing supply between Apple’s retail stores vs carriers and other retail channels.

  9. Jamie Sorenson - 11 years ago

    Spoke with my local Target electronics manager. He said his shipment of 5s’s was tied to his 5c pre-sale numbers (which he said his store 5c pre-sales were low). Therefore, he will get 6 5s models tonight in his stock order, and doesn’t know what colors they will be. Local mom and pop Vzw retailer will have no 5c or 5s models tomorrow, expected stock to arrive next week. Looks like the best bet is to order and have it shipped to your door. Vzw website is advertising free 2 day shipping, wonder if that will still be the case after midnight…

  10. joelwrose (@joelwrose) - 11 years ago

    Not a big surprise if previous rumors are true.
    Rumor recap:
    1) 70-80% of phone shipments on Friday will be iPhone 5c.
    2) Apple stores will be getting mostly Space Gray models and fewer gold/silver. (let’s say 70% for argument’s sake)

    We all know Apple stores always get a LOT more supply than 3rd party stores. So, if an Apple store gets 1000 phones, then, right off the bat only 200-300 are 5s’s.

    Out of those, 60 – 90 will be gold OR silver. So (if the happen to be split evenly) 30 – 45 silver. Now, we have 3 carriers and 3 sizes, we have 9 variations, so each APPLE store will get between 3 – 5 of each specific model (i.e. 3-5 16gb silver AT&T 5s)

    Sure, there are some assumptions made here, but if the Apple stores are only getting single digits of each silver or gold model, its highly unlikely there is enough supply to spare for non-Apple stores.

  11. R Palen - 11 years ago

    A major miss on Apples part by not having the stock of Gold and Silver 5S available to the carriers. 15 people walked out of line when the store manager announced they only had the Space Grey 5S and they had only 30 of each for total of 90 phones.

  12. Samantha Purkey - 11 years ago

    My local store got 12 units. Mostly the 5c. I have the 4s and want the 64gb 5s in silver. My store had NO 64gb. This is bull that you could pre-order the ghetto 5c but not the 5s.

  13. Joshua Sullivan - 11 years ago

    I camped out at the Greensboro, NC store for over 16 hours. I got the ONLY two gold iPhones in stock! They were AT&T 64gb gold iPhones… I got lucky but I have no idea why they would only get 2 phones.

  14. Harper Peck - 11 years ago

    I was 25th in Line at the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. I had been waiting for over 9 hours. at 7:55 this morning, 5 minutes before they opened they announced that they had No Gold and No Silver stock whatsoever.
    I then got my stuff and left empty-handed, without a gold iPhone.
    This is compete stupidity. I waited for almost half a day for a phone, and I didn’t get one. I am pissed beyond belief right now and am thinking of writing a very strongly worded letter to Apple.

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites.


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