Apple's (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) latest smartphone has become a hot, hard to come by commodity
in Hong Kong since its release on September 21. According to
AllThingsD
, retail outlets have completely sold out of the iPhone 5.
SmarTone and other carriers have continued to take orders, but
most buyers will not receive the device until late October or
early November.
Apple is offering a so-called "store lottery" for those who
cannot wait to get their hands on the newest iPhone, but with
supplies running thin in Hong Kong, it is not doing much to
satisfy demand.
In the United States, Apple.com still aims to ship iPhone
orders in three to four weeks. The website also offers users the
chance to purchase an iPhone 5 with next day pick-up at an Apple
Retail Store if they order online between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00
a.m. local time, which indicates that the domestic supply issues
may be coming to an end. "Quantities are limited and availability
can change quickly -- an iPhone is only reserved for you when
checkout is completed," the site warns.
Apple first launched the iPhone 5 in nine markets, including
the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong,
Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The Cupertino,
California-based tech giant released the device in
22 additional markets
-- including Austria, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Sweden and Switzerland -- on September 28.
More than
five million iPhone 5 units
were sold during the weekend of September 21. Apple has not
released any additional sales figures, but many analysts expect
the device to break records when the company announces its full
sales data for the quarter.
When the iPhone 4S was released, Apple sold
37 million units
during the first quarter of availability. That record-breaking
number could be a very difficult for the iPhone 5 to beat, but it
is already off to a great start. While the iPhone 5 sold more
than five million units during its first weekend, the iPhone 4S
topped out at four million units.
The iPhone 5 was expected to be the last major product that
Apple released in 2012, but recent reports suggest that the
company may add the still-unconfirmed iPad Mini to its fall
lineup.
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