Launch-Day Availability of Unlocked iPhone 5c Models Continues to Slip

iphone_5c_store_heroWhile the unlocked yellow 16 GB iPhone 5c was the first model to run out of launch-day stock through Apple's U.S. online store, several additional unlocked models of the device are now experiencing similar shortages. Supplies of carrier-specific models do remain available for pre-order with delivery on launch day of this Friday, September 20.

Among the unlocked iPhone 5c models, the $549 16 GB models are seeing the most significant shortage, with all five colors currently showing shipping dates of September 25. The 32 GB model of the unlocked green iPhone 5c is showing a similar September 25 shipping date.

Outside of the United States, iPhone 5c pre-order availability remains good, with all markets showing availability for Friday delivery (other than outlying areas where delivery may take up to several days longer) with the exception of Hong Kong, which quickly saw all models move to 1-2 week shipping estimates after Friday's pre-order launch.

Apple's iPhone 5s launches this Friday, but Apple is not offering pre-orders for the device. Instead, customers will be able to purchase the device at Apple's retail stores, which will open at 8:00 AM local time on Friday, or order through Apple's online stores beginning on launch day. Rather than a single worldwide launch time for online iPhone 5s orders as was seen for iPhone 5c pre-orders, Apple appears to be staggering times in the various markets in order to ensure that online ordering begins before retail stores open for the day.

For example, iPhone 5s orders will begin in Australia at 2:01 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time, which corresponds to 9:00 AM Pacific Time Thursday in the United States. U.S. orders will begin at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on Friday, while UK orders will begin at 12:01 AM British Summer Time.

Customers in China and Hong Kong will also be able to make reservations starting tomorrow for the ability to make in-store purchases beginning on Friday.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

ValSalva Avatar
138 months ago
Again, we are told they are selling out but not getting numbers of units sold. So these reports are nearly useless other than to create the (maybe false) need to order now.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AP_piano295 Avatar
138 months ago
I love apple but have no idea why someone would buy the 5c. Especially the 32GB model when you can get a 16GB 5s for the same price. Mind boggling.
Same reason that someone would buy a 4s over a 5.

If you're not a tech nerd the difference in phone spec doesn't matter to you, but 100.00 dollars do.

Probably most people who spend any time on macrumors wouldn't spring for a 5c over a 5s.

But not everyone is into tech toys.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
musika Avatar
138 months ago
5s orders will be sold out within hours.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BMcCoy Avatar
138 months ago
What's the reason Apple didn't do pre-orders for the 5S?
Limited supplies or was it to get people in lines for the media to see?

Both
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sedrick Avatar
138 months ago
Actually, I can't remember a release of any previous iPhone that
did not completely sell out by the Monday after release
This concerns me as an Apple investor. Either demand is not that great or supply is exstensive?
More likely this is the first iPhone apple has designed that isn't a bitch to manufacture, so they have plenty in the pipe line.
I bought the 32GB 5c! Why you ask? Well, I need at least 32 GB and just had a baby and need to save the money. Every $100 counts. I bought it because I'm having issues with my 4s and need to replace it (wifi grayed out issue).
This is an honest question: You can't come up with $100 for the phone, but you can afford $80-$100 a month forever? For me, it's the other way around. $100 is a drop in the bucket compared to that monthly bill.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
malnar Avatar
138 months ago
Probably most people who spend any time on macrumors wouldn't spring for a 5c over a 5s.
I spend lots of time on Macrumors. I bought a 5c in yellow. I like the shape much better and just don't need a fingerprint sensor or the speed of the A7. The only thing I feel like I'm giving up is the camera, but I can live without it - I've been content with the 4 and 4S camera for ages, and rely on my Sony Nex-7 for really good pictures.

----------

Apple is brilliant in targeting two demographics here. The young and, well, "girly" will go for the colorful 5c (I think that it will outsell the 5s by a lot).

Older folks (and men) that want more "class" will go for the 5s.
I see an awful lot of ridiculous generalizations being made here on Macrumors about who is buying the 5c. I'm 41, very male (and straight, just for the record) and I have a yellow 5c on the way because I preferred its shape (and color, honestly). Macrumors forum members really need to get over themselves. Your masculinity is not determined by an electronic communications device.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...