Apple's iPhone 5s is set to officially go on sale this Friday, with stores opening early at 8:00 a.m. local time so that eager iOS fans can get their hands on the new hardware. Seasoned buyers know that new Apple devices can be hard to come by at launch, but many have suggested that Apple's decision not to offer iPhone 5s pre-orders could mean that the iPhone 5s will be particularly difficult to come by. Now new reports have come out to back up those theories, claiming that stock of the 5s is going to be extremely low at launch.
Sources speaking to 9to5Mac claim that the new iPhone inventory at many large Apple Stores across the U.S. is around 70 to 80 iPhone 5c models, meaning that the iPhone 5s will be in low supply. The situation is even more bleak for any consumers eyeing either a silver or gold 5s, as Apple expects the Space Gray model to be the most popular, and so that color is expected to make up three of every four iPhone 5s units shipped.
Breaking down the other iPhone 5s variants, it's said that AT&T-flavored units will be more plentiful than Verizon models. Meanwhile, the 16GB and 32GB versions will reportedly be more widespread than those with 64GB of storage.
In a separate report, AllThingsD has been told that inventory at carrier stores won't be much better than Apple's own outlets. One source claims that the stock will be "grotesquely" low, while a second tipster described the shipments sent by Apple as "disappointing."
There's no word on exactly what the cause of these purportedly constrained iPhone 5s inventory levels, but the combination of its new A7 processor and the TouchID fingerprint scanner could be playing a role. We'll have to wait until Friday rolls around before we find out exactly what the stock situation for Apple's new flagship iPhone is like, but if you just have to impress your friends with a fingerprint scanner this weekend, it may not be a bad idea to mosey on down to your local Apple Store or carrier shop early Friday morning.
Via 9to5Mac, AllThingsD
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