Previously, orders of the iPhone 4 for both AT&T and Verizon shipped within 24 hours. That fast turnaround applied to both black and white models, in capacities of 16GB and 32GB on both carriers.
But as of Thursday, AppleInsider discovered that the iPhone 4 now takes one to three days to ship direct from Apple, for all colors, capacities and carriers.
Similarly, the $49, 8GB iPhone 3GS, only available through AT&T in the U.S., also takes one to three business days to ship. The same applies for those who want to buy the unlocked GSM iPhone 4.
Lengthening shipping times are often an indication that Apple is running low on inventory ahead of a product refresh. For example, in February MacBook Pro shipments slipped to three to five days immediately before new models were introduced.
However, while shipping times for the iPhone 4 have slowed in the U.S., abroad they still have a 24-hour turnaround time. For example, in the U.K. and France, new orders still ship within a day of being placed.
Last year, the iPhone 4 debuted in the U.S., France, the U.K., Germany and Japan, before quickly expanding to other countries. In its first three days of availability, the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million units.
This year's introduction of a fifth-generation iPhone will come with a later-than-usual launch date, as Apple in years past has released a new iPhone in the months of June or July. Apple is widely expected to host an event in the coming weeks to introduce the so-called "iPhone 5" ahead of an anticipated October launch.
The updated handset is expected to include a new, higher resolution 8 megapixel camera, as well as the high-speed A5 mobile processor currently found in the iPad 2. Rumors have been split as to whether the fifth-generation iPhone will sport an all-new design or one similar to the iPhone 4.
28 Comments
I'm *really* surprised that there hasn't been an event invitation sent out yet.
All the iPods also have 1-3 days up to 1-2 weeks for shipping. Just get it over with my kids and I are sick of waiting...
All the iPods also have 1-3 days up to 1-2 weeks for shipping. Just get it over with my kids and I are sick of waiting...
Hmm, I'd take a higher capacity Classic. 160GB gets smaller all the time.
I'm *really* surprised that there hasn't been an event invitation sent out yet.
I was thinking the same thing... this is all feeling very "last minute," like Apple is trying to resolve some lingering issues.
I also suspect that Apple will be permanently moving the annual iPhone launch to Sept/Oct, in order to match the expiring contracts of their customers.
... sign that the company is running low on inventory ahead of introducing its fifth-generation model. ...
This is more likely part of a planned drawdown than an inventory problem as implied.