'Late' iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Being Delivered Early

Apple seems to be catching up on iPhone 5 pre-orders faster than they had previous estimated. We've received a number of tips that iPhone 5 pre-orders that were originally estimated to be delivered in early October are being shipped now with a delivery date of September 27th.

preorders
Apple had originally "sold out" of their initial batch of iPhone 5 devices within the first hour of sales and went on to sell 2 million devices in the first 24 hours. iPhone 5 delivery estimates remain at 3-4 weeks out at Apple's online store.

The iPhone 5 retail launch seems to have been relatively smooth, bringing praise from analysts.

"We are positively surprised regarding the pace of the rollout, since we had expected a bigger impact from component constraints," Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes said.

Apple may announce iPhone 5 sales numbers on Monday. Last year, Apple announced 4 million iPhone 4S sales on the opening weekend.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...

Top Rated Comments

makingdots Avatar
173 months ago
Still no Anandtech benchmark news? (http://www.anandtech.com/show/6324/the-iphone-5-performance-preview)



The iPhone 5 Performance Preview (anandtech) (http://www.anandtech.com/show/6324/the-iphone-5-performance-preview)
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KnightWRX Avatar
173 months ago
Must be cancellations (mapping uncertainty?).

There's no way they'd be able to ramp up volumes this quickly... but cancellation would bring forward other people's delivery dates.
Oh please. This is exactly what it looks like :

- Limit initial pre-order quantities to "sell out quick" and show back log on the website. Continue taking in pre-orders to claim record numbers !
- Lines form on the scare that there's actually a risk of not getting a handset.
- After all the media hype, lines, etc.., release stock for shipping since there's no value in holding back anymore, you've had your free publicity.

People who still don't get these manufactured "shortages" are scary. Maps and scratching have nothing to do with it. Apple will announce record numbers again for this launch. They were ready with record numbers of units pre-manufactured and ready to go.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stukick Avatar
173 months ago
It's funny how when you pre-order anything, you're chances of getting screwed on launch day are 50/50.

On the other hand, if you don't pre-order, and walk into a store on launch day, you're almost guaranteed to get the product.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
malcolmffc Avatar
173 months ago
Maybe they were late because the courier was using Apple Maps?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
foobarbaz Avatar
173 months ago
A bunch of online pre-orders will typically be cancelled, as people successfully pick up a phone in a store on launch day rather than wait two more weeks. Others move up the queue. I think that happens on every launch. Not much to report.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CDutch Avatar
173 months ago
So demand wasn't as strong as expected?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)