Apple on Monday extended its popular order-online, pick-up-in-store option to the newly launched iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.
The Personal Pickup program, in which customers can choose to order their device online and pick pick it up at their local Apple store rather than wait for the item to be shipped, has proven popular with consumers. Apple says that in most cases, products ordered for personal pickup can be collected within one hour.
Facing "incredible" demand for the new flagship iPhone 5s and mid-range iPhone 5c, Apple sold more than nine million of the devices in their opening weekend. Shipping times for the handsets from the Apple online store have since slipped to "October," and the new gold model is reportedly in particularly high demand.
By choosing the Personal Pickup option, customers can cut their wait down to the time it takes to drive to the nearest Apple retail store — AppleInsider has verified that some models can be picked up immediately, with the iPhone 5c showing generally wider availability than the iPhone 5s. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said that the company completely sold out of its launch supply of the new Touch ID-enabled iPhone.