Starting at 3:00am, 12:00am Pacific, this morning, Apple started online sales of the new iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. Apple Stores around the country open in just over 90 minutes to begin selling what I’m sure will be a blockbuster success for Apple.
2013 will be remembered as the first year that Apple released two iPhones simultaneously. The iPhone 5C is a redesigned iPhone 5 that includes a new polycarbonate colored shell similar to the iPod touch. The iPhone 5S, sporting it’s new Touch ID sensor, M7 motion co-processor, and all new, 64-bit A7 processor is a mobile power house sporting the same processing power as the Macintosh.
If you are looking for an iPhone 5C today, there is a good chance you will be able to find one in the color and capacity that you want. The yellow iPhone 5C, however, might be a little more difficult to find as it appears to already be quantity constrained when ordered online.
People looking for the new flagship iPhone 5S should start today off by planning on being disappointed today. If the media is anywhere near accurate, we should be prepared for SKU stock outs very quickly today. Demand for new iPhones is up this year, however, the new Touch ID sensor has been widely reported as bedeviling Apple’s manufacturing partners and the yield rate on iPhone 5S models is much lower then Apple would have liked. Reports around the Internet are also stating that the white and gold iPhone 5S models are being produced in a 3:1 ratio to the black/space grey model, meaning that white iPhones 5S will be harder to find, and reports from around the world where iPhone 5S is already on sale are stating that the gold iPhone 5S is virtually impossible to find.
So, what are we Apple fans suppose to do? I’m preparing for not being able to get a new iPhone 5S today. I’m going to attempt to go to a local Apple Store this afternoon when I get out of work. Sure I’ll be taking a half day, but after being on sale for 5+ hours by the time I get there, I’m expecting stock outs on the 32GB space grey model.
If you can’t stand not getting a new iPhone as soon as possible, or can’t get to an Apple Store this morning, you might want to just order the unit online at Apple.com. Shipping times for 32GB units are still showing as 1-3 days.
The iPhone 5S pricing starts at $199 for a 16GB model and goes up $100 successively for the 32GB and 64GB models. The iPhone 5C pricing starts at $99 for the 16GB model and $199 for the 32GB model. Apple is also keeping the iPhone 4S around in an 8GB model for free when you sign a 2-year contract with your wireless carrier. Starting today, all four major US wireless carriers, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile will begin selling the new iPhones.
The iPhone 5 models released last year have entered retirement today, and have been replaced by the iPhone 5C in Apple’s three tier features model.
All three iPhone models will run Apple’s iOS 7.
Whatever you end up doing, I hope you are able to find the iPhone you are looking for today, if not very soon.
Happy iPhone Day!