iPhone 5 constraints remain at AT&T, Verizon, inventory improving at Sprint

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
With the iPad mini hitting shelves Friday, supply of Apple's iPhone 5 has not yet caught up with demand in the U.S., according to a survey of Apple retail stores.

Gene Munster and his team at Piper Jaffray polled 70 Apple Stores to check on availability of the iPhone 5. They found that supply is generally constrained for the more popular AT&T and Verizon models, though inventory is said to be improving for Sprint.

Piper Jaffray also conducted a poll this week of 738 U.S. customers which indicated demand for the iPhone 5 is increasing. A poll conducted prior to the iPhone 5 announcement found that 48 percent of customers who planned to buy a smartphone would choose Apple's next iPhone, while this week's poll found that 55 percent of those surveyed chose Apple's iPhone 5.

Increased demand in the iPhone 5 came at a cost to Android and Windows Phone. Among those surveyed, those who planned to buy an Android handset dropped from 39 percent to 35 percent, while Windows Phone fell from 9 percent to 5 percent.

iPhone 5


"We believe the incremental strength in iPhone 5 demand following the product launch, despite the reported supply and Maps issues, suggests that demand for the phone remains strong," Munster wrote in a note to investors on Friday.

Apple sold 5 million iPhone 5 units over the device's launch weekend in late September. The company doesn't break down sales by model, but indicated in its quarterly report that it was seeing "phenomenal" demand for the handset that was outstripping supply. A total of 26.9 million iPhones were sold in the September quarter.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    ...in other news, McDonald's serves cheeseburgers.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    It halved demand for Windows Phone? Ouch.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    ifij775ifij775 Posts: 470member


    Ugh, I just imagine people who can't get an iPhone right away being sold an Android POS by AT&T/Verizon salespeople, so they can get a higher commission.

  • Reply 4 of 9
    My iPhone 5 was delivered 29 calendar days after I walked into an AT&T store and ordered it.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    bosox wrote: »
    My iPhone 5 was delivered 29 calendar days after I walked into an AT&T store and ordered it.

    AT&T is quoting 5 days for online orders now. It seems like things are stabilizing with very solid demand. Should be great numbers in January... it will be interesting how much lower AAPL manages to go before then...
  • Reply 6 of 9
    ifailifail Posts: 463member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bosox View Post



    My iPhone 5 was delivered 29 calendar days after I walked into an AT&T store and ordered it.


    I ordered a black 16GB from VZW, took 26 days to get it. For VZW i think the wait is if you order now you get it on the 16th, which is significantly better than what i had. 

  • Reply 7 of 9
    rfhjrrfhjr Posts: 44member
    Ordered iPhone5 64GB Black from Apple.com 10/10. Delivery direct from China 11/1. Beat estimated time by one week. Phone is perfect. A huge upgrade from the 4.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    In a way, the demons of Foxconn will come back to haunt Apple again unless things get better at the factories in China. People aren't necessarily bothered about what's happening though. All people want is the next iPhone. Sheesh!
  • Reply 9 of 9


    It is almost impossible to even order an iPhone 5 in Australia.  The dominant carrier Telstra's web site simply says  "out of stock" for all models.  The second largest carrier Optus says out of stock for 32GB and 64 GB models but you can order 16GB with a wait.


     


    How long will this continue?

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