As expected, the iPhone 5 has been phenomenally popular. What many people may not have been expecting though, is just how popular it has been despite the fact that it is yet to hit stores. During the first weekend of its availability for pre-order, all stock has reportedly been being snapped up within just 1 hour.
Demand for the device have been so high that even people who have successfully managed to pre-order one may have to face an additional 2 to 3 weeks waiting time beyond its scheduled release on the 21st of September. This is been the case in the UK, and the U.S. also.
One of the avenues which people tried to get their hands on an iPhone 5 is of course the Apple website. While some people were successful, the majority will have simply faced a message reading “we’ll be back” when they logged onto the site. This was a result of the websites servers being unable to cope with the sudden surge in traffic.
Another option to pre-order an iPhone 5 is using your network provider. However, in the UK these were not immune to demand for the handset. Vodafone has stated that customers who have pre-ordered an iPhone 5 will get their phones despatched “on a first come first served basis”, whereas Orange has simply promised that pre-ordered phones “will be sent out as soon as they are in stock”.
Carphone warehouse, the UK high street retailer has stated that some of its stores may have stocks of the iPhone 5 handsets available on its launch date. However, given current demand and the rate at which pre-ordered iPhone 5 handsets have sold out, do not be surprised if this changes.
Visiting an Apple store is another way to get your hands on the iPhone 5, however it has been reported that eager customers are already queuing outside the New York and London stores, so expect this scene to replicate itself in other locations shortly. Unless you have been successful in your attempts to pre-order the device, it would seem that patience is the only option until stock issues are addressed.
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