Just in time for the holidays, Apple is now showing iPhone 5s estimates in most countries as shipping within 24 hours.
Leading up to the release of the iPhone 5s in September, it was being reported that Apple was likely going to see constrained supplies of the flagship smartphone reportedly due to its new TouchID fingerprint scanner. When the company announced the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s it only offered pre-orders for the 5c, which seemed to confirm earlier reports of supply issues.
Apple then opened up sales for the iPhone 5s, but it quickly sold out of its launch day supply and the smartphone began to see its shipping time of 1 to 3 days slip. Within hours, Apple was showing shipping estimates of 7 to 10 days. Supply constraints mostly on the gold and silver iPhone 5s quickly shot up and the smartphones remained at a 2 to 3 week shipping estimate for several weeks.
The company reportedly ramped up production of the iPhone 5s in November while cutting back on iPhone 5c production, and last week was the first sign of improvements. The iPhone 5s was showing a shipping estimate of 3 to 5 business days. Apple also released shipping deadlines for customers looking to purchase an iPhone 5s for Christmas and receive it in time.
Things have significantly improved and Apple has now updated its online store once again. The 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB iPhone 5s in Space Gray, Gold, and Silver options are now showing a shipping estimate within 24 hours of placing an online order for a carrier-locked model. This means that the iPhone 5S on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint will ship within 24 hours, while the T-Mobile iPhone 5s shows a 1 to 3-business day shipping estimate. The unlocked iPhone 5s is showing an estimate of 3 to 5 business days.
Apple has finally caught up with iPhone 5s demand and luckily it did just in time for the holidays. The company's latest iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display have already proven to be popular gift choices, with several retailers reporting strong sales of both tablets.
If you're looking to get an iPhone 5s in time for Christmas, Apple's shipping guidelines state that the smartphone must be ordered by midnight Dec. 18 to arrive before Dec. 25.
