iPhone 5 pre-order delivery dates pushed back again due to high demand

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Continued demand for Apple's new iPhone 5 has caused shipping times to slip to 3-4 weeks from the Online Apple Store, with partner carriers seeing similar delays.

After a crush of pre-orders quickly ate through Apple's first batch of iPhone 5 units last Friday, demand for the new device remains strong as the company is continuing to push back shipping times as more orders pile in.

Apple Store Preorders
Source: Apple


The Cupertino, Calif., tech giant announced on Monday that the iPhone 5 saw over two million pre-orders in its first 24 hours of availability, while AT&T posted record numbers but failed to offer specifics.

AT&T Preorders
Source: AT&T


Pre-orders opened on Friday at midnight Pacific time with such high interest that the Apple Online Store burned through its stock in an hour. The company issued a statement later that day saying, ?Pre-orders for iPhone 5 have been incredible. We?ve been completely blown away by the customer response.?

Verizon Preorders
Source: Verizon


The websites of Apple's U.S. partner carriers AT&T and Verizon also show stockouts with both telecoms quoting delivery dates in two to three weeks for all iPhone 5 models. Shipment times for Sprint, the last of the "big three" U.S. wireless carriers to sell out of its initial allotment, have also slipped, though the 32GB and 64GB versions are only delayed one week.

Sprint Preorders
Source: Sprint


While shipments are already in transit to select customers, the iPhone 5 will officially launch in nine countries on Friday as part of the fastest product rollout in Apple history.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26


    Better to be further back and arrive early as a pleasant surprise than to promise too soon and arrive late.

  • Reply 2 of 26


    Lets see how fast the stores sell out on Friday. Few hours at best then theres a wait.

  • Reply 3 of 26
    I'm fairly sure Apple will not fail to deliver by the projected dates (that is the one thing everyone seems to agree that Tim Cook is good at,) but I am starting to wonder if they are going to be rather precise, with very little welcome surprises. I got the Oct. 5th date, and it is yet to ship. I suppose it could be a week early (and I am seriously hoping it will be,) but I'm starting to come to the realization that... sigh... the "ships in two weeks" might have been sincere. :(
  • Reply 4 of 26
    aiaaia Posts: 181member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DeanSolecki View Post



    I'm fairly sure Apple will not fail to deliver by the projected dates (that is the one thing everyone seems to agree that Tim Cook is good at,) but I am starting to wonder if they are going to be rather precise, with very little welcome surprises. I got the Oct. 5th date, and it is yet to ship. I suppose it could be a week early (and I am seriously hoping it will be,) but I'm starting to come to the realization that... sigh... the "ships in two weeks" might have been sincere. image


     


    That's how it's looking to me. I ordered mine within 10 minutes of the start of pre-orders, and they are still showing as deliverying on 9/21-9/25 (current status is "Preparing for Shipment").

  • Reply 5 of 26


    Wonder how many sales Apple loose due to having no stock available? There are many people right at this time that are now at the end of 2 year contract cycles.


     


    Reminds me of the iPhone 4 launch, it took a good few months for supplies to settle.

  • Reply 6 of 26
    jakebjakeb Posts: 562member


    AMAZING. I can't wait until the first round of sales numbers come out. AAPL is going to see $800 before the end of the year. 


     


    Other companies can only dream of being as DOOMED as Apple. 

  • Reply 7 of 26

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by quamb View Post


    Wonder how many sales Apple loose due to having no stock available? There are many people right at this time that are now at the end of 2 year contract cycles.


     


    Reminds me of the iPhone 4 launch, it took a good few months for supplies to settle.



     


    Well if they want the 5 they will just wait. My contract expired back in April, but I waited until now because I wasn't going to be locked into a 4S for two years.

  • Reply 8 of 26

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AIA View Post


     


    That's how it's looking to me. I ordered mine within 10 minutes of the start of pre-orders, and they are still showing as deliverying on 9/21-9/25 (current status is "Preparing for Shipment").



     


    Mine is saying the same thing. Keep hoping it changes soon.

  • Reply 9 of 26
    aiaaia Posts: 181member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Cash907 View Post


     


    Well if they want the 5 they will just wait. My contract expired back in April, but I waited until now because I wasn't going to be locked into a 4S for two years.



     


    What do you do between the time that your contract expires and you get your iPhone 5? Do you switch to a pre-paid plan? Or does your carrier let you continue month-to-month at the same rates as your previous contract? Sorry if this is an obvious/stupid question, I haven't been on a contract in many years.

  • Reply 10 of 26
    aiaaia Posts: 181member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Cash907 View Post


     


    Mine is saying the same thing. Keep hoping it changes soon.



     


    Hey there, I remember you - we pre-ordered at the same time.

  • Reply 11 of 26

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AIA View Post


     


    What do you do between the time that your contract expires and you get your iPhone 5? Do you switch to a pre-paid plan? Or does your carrier let you continue month-to-month at the same rates as your previous contract? Sorry if this is an obvious/stupid question, I haven't been on a contract in many years.



     


    It just goes month to month. In that limbo period you can cancel your service without any fees, or you can order a new phone at contract prices and go back on contract. If you stay off contract long enough, your carrier will eventually notice, and try to get you to renew your contract with special pricing or deals on new phones.

  • Reply 12 of 26

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Cash907 View Post


     


    It just goes month to month. In that limbo period you can cancel your service without any fees, or you can order a new phone at contract prices and go back on contract. If you stay off contract long enough, your carrier will eventually notice, and try to get you to renew your contract with special pricing or deals on new phones.


     



     


    Correct.  I've been out-of-contract for a few months now with AT&T.  Same monthly pricing as when I was in-contract.  They do quite aggressively advertise that you have an upgrade available (which will throw you into another 2-year contract should you accept) when logging into att.com.

  • Reply 13 of 26
    aiaaia Posts: 181member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Cash907 View Post


    It just goes month to month. In that limbo period you can cancel your service without any fees, or you can order a new phone at contract prices and go back on contract. If you stay off contract long enough, your carrier will eventually notice, and try to get you to renew your contract with special pricing or deals on new phones.



     


    Ok, that makes sense. Thanks

  • Reply 14 of 26
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member



    When it's the 21st in Australia it will still be the 20th in the US.


     


     


    Your order status


    XXX-XXXXX-XXX
















    Estimated shipping date

    Estimated delivery date

    Consignment number

    20/09/2012

    21/09/2012

     

     






    Track your delivery


    If you've placed an order with us, you can track and trace its

    delivery progress online.


  • Reply 15 of 26
    While the beleaguered Apple cannot even get devices into the hands of customers, Samsung has store shelves and warehouses full of dozens of different models and customers never need to wait on line.

    /s
  • Reply 16 of 26


    Is there any mention of how many iPhone 5's will be in the Apple Stores? I remember when the newest iPad came out, I ordered one online but the wait was 2-3 weeks. I canceled the order and headed to Memphis and they had plenty in stock....That was even a few days after the official launch date.

  • Reply 17 of 26


    Originally Posted by MacCentric View Post

    …Samsung has store shelves and warehouses full of dozens of different models and customers never need to wait on line.

    /s


     


    Oh, that's not sarcasm! They just don't have any customers who WOULD wait in line.

  • Reply 18 of 26
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    You are looking for a rose in a pile of dung here. One of two things happened here, neither of them good. One is that Apple drastically underestimated demand. Or second; Apple wasn't able to produce enough parts for launch. In the end too many weeks of delays will cause people to reconsider purchases.

    It will be real interesting to see how many iPhone 5s they actually have shipped this month. Will it be ten or twenty million? In case you are wondering yes I believe they could ship that many.
    Better to be further back and arrive early as a pleasant surprise than to promise too soon and arrive late.
  • Reply 19 of 26


    I ordered mine via ATT and the order confirmation says I "should receive my order as soon as Sept 21, 2012".  Unfortunately, the link to the order status seems to be useless because it has never changed from the initial status of "processing".  I'm really hoping it's shipped by now.

  • Reply 20 of 26


    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post

    It will be real interesting to see how many iPhone 5s they actually have shipped this month. Will it be ten or twenty million? In case you are wondering yes I believe they could ship that many.


     


    This month? That would be spectacular, but I think I'll stick conservative myself.

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