Apple on Thursday began taking orders for factory unlocked versions of its latest iPhone 5 through the company's U.S. online store, suggesting that supply of the handset has finally caught up with demand.
The iPhone 5 was awarded a network access license in China, setting Apple's handset up for an anticipated mid-December launch.
With the lucrative holiday shopping season in full swing, the popular iPhone 5 handset is now readily available in the U.S. at Apple's brick-and-mortar retail stores as the company has apparently overcome supply issues experienced since the device was launched in September.
The launch of the iPhone 5 has propelled Apple to a 48.1 percent share of U.S. smartphone sales, edging the iOS platform past Google's Android.
With estimated shipping times for the iPhone 5 now improved to one week, Apple is reportedly set to expand its latest handset to Taiwan on Dec. 14.
Supply of the iPhone 5 at Apple's U.S. retail stores has almost completely caught up with demand, just in time for the bustling holiday shopping season.
A pair of commercials featuring the iPhone 5 was posted to Apple's YouTube channel on Tuesday, with one focusing on the upcoming U.S. Thanksgiving holiday while another showcased the handset's noise-canceling rear microphone.
Apple's online store is now showing two-week delivery times for all iPhone 5 models, suggesting supply is finally catching up to demand, while the company's annual one-day Black Friday sale was officially announced.
Just in time for the launch of Apple's LTE-capable iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad, AT&T this week turned on its 4G LTE network in 24 markets across the U.S.
Sales of Apple's recently updated iPhone lineup, along with the new iPad mini, are surprising to the upside, according to supply chain sources who spoke with one analyst.
Availability of the iPhone 5 continues to improve, as Apple's website now advertises that all models ship within two to three weeks.
A new, questionable rumor out of Taiwan claims that Apple plans to begin trial production of a so-called "iPhone 5S" in December.
A so-called "glitch" with the iPhone 5's screen causes the display to pause or seemingly ignore touch input when a user rapidly swipes back and forth diagonally, possibly hinting at a hardware issue that can affect developers that rely on such touch mechanics for gaming.
An anticipated deal between Apple and China Mobile, the largest wireless operator in the world, is predicted to add about $3 to Apple's annual earnings per share, and $45 to the company's stock price.
The Passbook feature in iOS 6 may gain another major partner in the form of British Airways, as the airline has signaled its interest in Apple's e-ticketing system, AppleInsider has learned.
Supply of the iPhone 5 for carriers AT&T and Verizon continues to improve, and may reach consistent availability in the next 2 to 3 weeks, according to a new survey of Apple retail stores.
Apple's annual "MFi" conference is currently underway in Shenzhen, China, where the company has informed third-party accessory makers that they will need to meet its supplier code of conduct to sell officially licensed products.
AT&T announced on Thursday that it will enable FaceTime video calls for iPhone 5 users with any AT&T Mobile Share plan, expanding it beyond customers with its new shared data plans.
Despite recent comments from Foxconn admitting difficulty in manufacturing the iPhone 5, there are reportedly signs that Apple's capacity is "much improved."
With the iPhone 4S nearly a year old and the iPhone 5 not quite ramped up to full production, Samsung's Galaxy S III capitalized to become the top selling handset model in the third quarter of calendar 2012.
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AppleInsider Staff
Sam Oliver
Slash Lane
Neil Hughes
Mikey Campbell
Katie Marsal
