Apple's supply of the iPhone 5s has improved and customers in the U.S. can now purchase the unlocked smartphone through Apple's online store.
Leading up to the launch of the iPhone 5s there were rumors that the smartphone would be in short supply due to manufacturing issues with its TouchID fingerprint scanner. When Apple officially announced the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c the company didn't reveal that there were going to be supply problems, but when it put the iPhone 5c up for pre-order and not the flagship iPhone 5s, it was clear that the smartphone was going to be in short supply.
When Apple began taking orders for the iPhone 5s on Sept. 20, the AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint models completely sold out in record time. The iPhone 5s quickly saw estimated shipping times go from the initial 1 - 3 business days up to a 4-week wait. Moreover, Apple wasn't offering the unlocked iPhone 5s online or in its retail stores due to the supply constraints.
The company has now posted some good news for customers looking to purchase an unlocked iPhone 5s. Apple is now selling the unlocked 16GB iPhone 5s for $649.00, the unlocked 32GB model for $749.00, and the unlocked 64GB version for $849.00. The company is currently only selling unlocked iPhone 5s handsets to U.S. customers and is showing a 1 - 2 weeks wait for all three models in choice of Space Gray, Gold, and Silver.
The unlocked iPhone 5s includes all of the features of the carrier versions but without requiring a wireless contract commitment. You can activate and use the unlocked iPhone 5s on AT&T or T-Mobile by simply inserting a nano-SIM into the handset. The unlocked Apple flagship smartphone will not work with CDMA-based carriers, such as Verizon and Sprint. If you're a frequent overseas traveler, however, the unlocked iPhone 5s is the perfect smartphone, as you can head into a local carrier when traveling and get a SIM card to use in that region.
Apple has not indicated when it will start offering the unlocked iPhone 5s to more regions, but when they do we'll let you know. You can head over to the Apple Store to purchase an unlocked iPhone 5s now and have it in your hands in 1 - 2 weeks.
