iPhone 5 Sold Out? Apple Struggles To Fill Orders

Everyone knew that the iPhone is going to sell like hot cakes. Well, that didn’t quite happen, as even hot cakes don’t sell out within two hours. Given the rapid selling patterns of the previous versions of the iPhone, Apple would have known they had a winner on their hands. However, for some reason, they underestimated the consumer demand. It took only a few hours for the iPhone 5 to sell out and now Apple is left struggling to fill the orders.

Pre-Orders Sold Out

The announcement of the iPhone 5 came almost out of the blue, considering the buildup Apple has developed over the years for the launch of its products. From the moment the announcement was made to the time they started taking pre-orders, something must have gone incredibly right for Apple. The pre-orders well sold out before the launch of the iPhone 5.

This kind of pre-order demand has led to some suspicion that Apple might have pulled a fast one over the consumers and their rivals by engineering the sell-outs. After all, anything less would have shown that the demand for Apple products was on the way down. However, the way they are struggling to fill the orders they have received shows clearly that the sell-out was definitely more real than a publicity stunt.

Delivery Times Balloon

The people who were able to place their orders early on are in luck. They would receive their smartphone within the stipulated delivery time Apple had advertised. The rapid demand for the iPhone 5 has led to Apple pushing back the delivery time to as much as three weeks. On the other hand, the carriers who are selling the iPhone 5 have already started placing orders for more stock.

According to the carrier partners Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Optus and Telstra, they have almost sold out the entire pre-order stock Apple provided them with. Given the rate at which the iPhone 5 has been pre-ordered, don’t be surprised if over 6 million units are sold within the first weekend. In addition, the expected sales by the end of the year are likely to be 58 million.

Wait for Your iPhone 5

From the moment it went on sale, it took four hours for Apple to push the delivery date back to two or three weeks. Another four hours later, Apple stopped taking orders for the iPhone 5 completely. For those looking to get their hands on the new smartphone, it means that the wait is prolonged. They would have to wait to place their orders and then hope Apple has enough stock to match the demand.

At this moment, it doesn’t look like Apple is going to have the upper hand here. The demand for their new product is pleasing but it would only be an advantage for them if they can complete the orders they have received. It looks like the guys at Apple are going to be working very hard over the next few months because of the iPhone 5.

[ Image via cultofmac ]