Pre-Order Delays Plague iPhone 6 Rollout
The iPhone 6 remained in stock, at least on the Apple store, with deliveries promised by Sept. 19. That’s the date the new smartphones are set to go on sale in the United States and a number of other countries. But overnight, many consumers reported on Twitter that the Apple Store was unavailable not long after the 3:00 a.m product kick-off.
The iPhone 6 Plus is the new model with a 5.5-inch display, while the regular iPhone 6, the successor to the iPhone 5S, has a 4.7-inch screen.
There were also short supplies at U.S. carriers. As of midmorning Friday, AT&T showed up to a two-week delay in shipping new orders of the iPhone 6 -- and up to 45 business days for the iPhone 6 Plus, meaning some consumers could be waiting until mid-November for their new phones.
Meanwhile, other manufacturers aren’t being bashful about jabbing at the Cupertino tech giant. Samsung released a series of ads showing two tech guys who aren’t exactly dazzled with Apple’s new iPhone 6, especially as it compares to the Galaxy Note 4.
Will Not Hurt Apple
This isn’t the first time Apple has been plagued by short supplies during an important product launch. Two years ago the then-new iPhone 5 sold out in about an hour. When the iPhone 5S was released last year, Apple didn’t offer it for pre-order.
When we reached Atlanta-based tech analyst Jeff Kagan, he said that while the shipping problems made for good chatter among Apple enthusiasts, it probably would do little to dent Apple’s armor.
"Apple has had lots of problems over many years, from maps to lousy connections when holding the device the wrong way," Kagan told us, "but nothing seems to ever get in the way of growth."
Canalys analyst Daniel Matte agreed.
"The various pre-ordering issues and consumer frustration are unfortunate for Apple, but they should have very little effect on sales," he told us.
Better Off Waiting
The short supplies of the iPhone 6 Plus did not come as a great surprise to many observers. There had been whispers leading up to Tuesday’s product introduction that immediate availability of the product might be limited. Some speculated the company might not even release the larger iPhone and would instead wait until later in the year to start selling it.
As it stands, the best bet might be to wait until Apple begins sales of the new iPhones in its retail stores next Friday. Both iPhones will also be available in Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, Sprint, Target, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Wal-Mart stores on that day.
"While there may be problems with ordering, it won't mean a thing to Apple," Kagan said. "They will just continue to grow. Apple users are under the Apple spell, and nothing seems to shake them of it."