Apple is currently doing far better at keeping supplies of the iPhone 6s available than it did with the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5s, according to research conducted by investment firm Piper Jaffray.
In a poll of 54 Apple Stores spread around New York, Florida, and Texas, 50 percent of 64-gigabyte 6s/6s Plus SKUs for AT&T and Verizon were found to be available, analyst Gene Munster said in a note to investors, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider. That number compares with 6 percent a year ago for SKUs of the iPhone 6, and 12.8 percent two years ago for iPhone 5s SKUs -- though in that case Piper checked 60 stores three weeks after launch.
Within the 6s numbers, however, there was a vast disparity between regular models and the 6s Plus, with 93 percent of 64-gigabyte 6s SKUs being available versus just 7 percent for the Plus.
Munster also noted that while some 6s models are already shipping in as little as 3 to 5 days at Apple's U.S. online store, it can take between 2 to 3 weeks to receive a Plus order. That's still better than a month after the iPhone 6 launch though, when Apple was quoting 7-10 days for standard 6 models and 3 to 4 weeks for a 6 Plus.
The analyst suggested that in Apple's "S" years, the manufacturing processes for iPhones are largely sorted, allowing Apple to better keep up with demand.
Piper Jaffray is holding to an "overweight" rating for Apple stock, with a $172 price target.